Getting Started with MCP: Your First Integration

Welcome to the exciting world of MCP (Model Context Protocol)! This guide will take you from complete beginner to successfully running your first MCP integration with Claude Desktop. By the end, you’ll have Claude working directly with your files and understand how to expand into more advanced automations.

What We’re Building

In this tutorial, you’ll:

1. Install your first MCP server - Set up the filesystem server
2. Configure Claude Desktop - Connect the server to Claude
3. Test the integration - Verify Claude can access files through MCP
4. Explore capabilities - See what’s possible with MCP connections
5. Plan next steps - Identify opportunities for more advanced integrations

This tutorial uses official MCP servers for reliable, well-documented integrations that form the foundation for more advanced uses.

Step 1: Understanding MCP (15 minutes)

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that allows AI assistants like Claude to use external tools and access data through a secure, standardized interface.

Need a deeper understanding? Read our comprehensive explanation: What is MCP in Plain English? Unpacking the ‘USB-C for AI’ Analogy.

Key Concepts:

• Protocol Standard - Like HTTP for web browsers, MCP defines how AI models communicate with tools
• Client-Server Model - Claude Desktop acts as the client, MCP servers provide capabilities
• Secure Access - MCP servers run locally or on your infrastructure, maintaining data control
• Extensible Design - Standard protocol allows for unlimited custom integrations
• Growing Ecosystem - Official servers available for common tools, with more being added regularly

Step 2: Set Up Your Environment (20 minutes)

Install Claude Desktop

1. Download Claude Desktop from claude.ai/download
2. Install and sign in with your Claude account
3. Verify it’s working by asking Claude a simple question

Install Node.js (if not already installed)

1. Visit nodejs.org and download the LTS version
2. Install following the setup wizard
3. Open terminal/command prompt and verify: node --version
4. Should show a version number like v18.x.x or higher

Choose Your Working Directory

1. Create a folder for your MCP experiments (e.g., mcp-projects)
2. This will contain your configuration files and any custom servers
3. Remember this location - you’ll need the full path later

Step 3: Install Your First MCP Server (20 minutes)

Install the Filesystem Server

We’ll start with the filesystem server, which is stable, well-documented, and immediately useful:

# Install the official filesystem MCP server
npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem

Available Official Servers

Currently Maintained (Active Development):

• Filesystem - Secure file and directory access
• Git - Version control integration
• Fetch - Web content retrieval and API calls
• Memory - Persistent context and knowledge storage
• Time - Scheduling and timezone operations
• Everything - Enhanced search capabilities
• Sequential Thinking - Structured reasoning support

Previously Maintained (Archived - Still Usable):

• SQLite - Local database operations
• PostgreSQL - Database queries and operations
• Google Drive - Cloud storage access
• Slack - Team communication
• GitHub - Repository management
• Brave Search - Web search capabilities

Note: Archived servers are still functional and installable, but are no longer actively developed or maintained by the MCP team. They remain available for use but may not receive updates.

Verify Installation

Test that the server installed correctly:

# This should show help information
npx @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem --help

Step 4: Configure Claude Desktop (15 minutes)

Update Claude Configuration

1. Open Claude Desktop
2. Go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config
3. Add the filesystem server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/path/to/your/mcp-projects"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Important: Replace /path/to/your/mcp-projects with the actual full path to your working directory.

Test the Integration

1. Restart Claude Desktop
2. Create a test file in your mcp-projects folder
3. In Claude Desktop, ask: “Can you list the files in my MCP directory?”
4. Claude should now be able to see and work with your files!

Step 5: Explore MCP Capabilities (30 minutes)

File Operations

Try these commands to see MCP in action:

Can you create a new file called "mcp-test.txt" with some sample content?

Please read the contents of any text files in my directory and summarize them.

Can you help me organize these files by creating folders based on file types?

Document Analysis

Create some sample files and ask Claude to analyze them:

I have several text files in my directory. Can you:
1. Read through them all
2. Identify common themes
3. Create a summary document
4. Suggest how to better organize this information

Data Processing

Test more advanced capabilities:

Can you look for any CSV or JSON files in my directory and help me understand what data they contain?

Step 6: Test and Troubleshoot (15 minutes)

Verify Everything Works

1. Test file access - Can Claude see files in your directory?
2. Test file creation - Can Claude create new files?
3. Test file modification - Can Claude edit existing files?
4. Test directory operations - Can Claude create folders and organize files?

Common Issues and Solutions

• “Server not found” - Check that Node.js and the server are properly installed
• “Permission denied” - Ensure Claude has access to the specified directory
• “Configuration error” - Verify the JSON syntax and file paths in your config
• “Server won’t start” - Try restarting Claude Desktop after configuration changes

Running into issues? Check our comprehensive troubleshooting guide: MCP Troubleshooting Guide.

Advanced Troubleshooting

Configuration Issues

• Invalid JSON: Use a JSON validator to check your configuration file
• Wrong file paths: Ensure paths use forward slashes and are absolute paths
• Server not found: Verify the MCP server is installed globally with npm list -g

Permission Problems

• Directory access: Make sure the target directory exists and is readable
• File permissions: On Mac/Linux, you may need to adjust folder permissions
• Security software: Some antivirus software may block MCP server connections

Performance Issues

• Large directories: MCP may be slow with thousands of files
• Network drives: Local directories typically work better than network locations
• Resource usage: Multiple MCP servers can consume significant memory

What’s Next?

Congratulations! You now have your first MCP integration working. Here’s how to expand:

Week 1: Master File Operations

• Experiment with different file types (text, CSV, JSON)
• Practice document analysis and summarization
• Try automated file organization tasks

Week 2: Add Database Integration

• Install the SQLite MCP server for local database access
• Learn to query and analyze structured data
• Combine file and database operations

Week 3: Explore Business Tools

• Try the Git server for version control integration
• Experiment with the Google Drive server for cloud storage
• Consider Slack server for team communication integration

Week 4: Advanced Servers

• Explore the Memory server for persistent context
• Try the Fetch server for web content retrieval
• Experiment with the Time server for scheduling features

Success Metrics

Track your MCP learning progress:

• Technical comfort: How confident are you with MCP configuration?
• Problem-solving ability: Can you troubleshoot issues independently?
• Integration ideas: Are you identifying new use cases for MCP in your work?
• Efficiency gains: What tasks are you now doing faster with AI assistance?

Getting Help

• Official MCP Documentation: modelcontextprotocol.io
• GitHub Repository: github.com/modelcontextprotocol
• Community Discussions: GitHub Discussions and issues
• Claude Desktop Support: Through Anthropic’s official support channels

Related Guides

Ready for more? Check out these next steps:

For Simpler File Setup:

• Connect Claude to Your Business Files with MCP - A streamlined guide focused specifically on file access

For Building Your Own Servers:

• Building Your First MCP Server with Python - Learn to create custom MCP integrations

For Business Integration:

• MCP Business API Integration - Connect to your business APIs
• MCP Business Tool Integration - Integrate with business software

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Congratulations! 🎉

You’ve successfully set up your first MCP integration! You now have Claude Desktop working directly with your files through the Model Context Protocol. This opens up exciting possibilities for:

• Document analysis and summarization across your entire file system
• Automated report generation from business documents
• Intelligent file organization and content management
• Cross-file research and analysis that would take hours manually

What’s Next?

• Try asking Claude to analyze multiple documents at once
• Experiment with having Claude organize files by content or topic
• Explore the other official MCP servers for Git, web content, and more
• Consider building custom MCP servers for your specific business needs

You’re now part of the MCP ecosystem - a growing community building the future of AI-powered business automation!