Set up your first Claude Code MCP in 5 minutes
A step-by-step walkthrough for installing, connecting, and using your first MCP server in Claude Code — with screenshots and zero assumed knowledge.
You've installed Claude Code. You've heard about MCPs. Now let's connect one — the filesystem MCP — so Claude can read and write files on your computer without you copy-pasting everything.
What you'll build
By the end of this guide, Claude Code will be able to read files in a specific folder on your machine — no copy-paste required. We'll use the filesystem MCP as a stepping stone, but the pattern is identical for every MCP.
Step 1: Open the Claude Code config
Claude Code stores MCP connections in a single config file. On macOS:
open ~/.config/claude-code/mcp.jsonIf the file doesn't exist yet, create it:
mkdir -p ~/.config/claude-code && touch ~/.config/claude-code/mcp.jsonStep 2: Add the filesystem MCP
Paste this into mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"filesystem": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
"/Users/YOU/Documents/my-project"
]
}
}
}Replace /Users/YOU/Documents/my-project with the path to a folder you want Claude to access. Only list paths you're comfortable with an AI reading. You can add multiple paths separated by commas.
Step 3: Restart Claude Code
Quit Claude Code completely (not just close the window — fully quit). Then reopen it. The MCP server loads on startup.
Step 4: Verify it's connected
In a new Claude Code session, type:
/mcpYou should see filesystem listed as connected. If it's not, check mcp.json for syntax errors — a missing comma is the #1 culprit.
Step 5: Try it out
Ask Claude something only the filesystem MCP can answer:
List the files in my project folder and tell me what each one does.
Claude will now read the folder you configured and respond with actual file names. No copy-paste.
What's next?
Now that one MCP works, adding more is the same three-step recipe: add entry → restart → verify. Try:
- GitHub MCP for repo access
- Notion MCP for your notes
- Playwright MCP for browser control
We have individual guides for each — or just ask Claude to help you set one up (meta, but it works).
TL;DR: One config file, one entry per MCP, restart, done. The hardest part is finding the right path to paste.
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