kaivaBRIDGE
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How to add an MCP server to Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor

Updated

Copy your MCP server's address and add it as a connector in your AI client. In Claude, use Settings, Connectors, Add custom connector. In ChatGPT, turn on developer mode and add it as a connector. In Cursor and Claude Code, the Kaiva Bridge CLI writes the configuration for you. With Kaiva Bridge, Claude and ChatGPT sign in with your account, so no key is needed.

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Step by step

  1. ClaudeOpen Settings, then Connectors, then Add custom connector. Paste the server's address as the connector URL, click Add, then Connect and sign in with your Kaiva Bridge account.
  2. ChatGPTIn settings, turn on developer mode. Add a new connector, paste the address as the MCP server URL, choose OAuth if asked how to authenticate, and sign in. Developer mode depends on your ChatGPT plan, and the menu names change from time to time.
  3. CursorRun npx @kaiva/bridge install <server> --client cursor. It adds the server to ~/.cursor/mcp.json and keeps your other entries.
  4. Claude CodeRun npx @kaiva/bridge install <server> --client claude-code in your project. It adds the server to the project's .mcp.json (add --global for every project).
  5. Check it worksAsk your AI client to use one of the server's tools. To diagnose a problem, run npx @kaiva/bridge doctor <server>: it checks sign-in, publication, the MCP handshake and the tool list, and says what to fix.

Other clients

Any client that speaks MCP over Streamable HTTP works, including VS Code, Codex, the Claude API's MCP connector and the official TypeScript and Python SDKs. Each server's Connect tab shows the exact steps for each client.

Other ways to do it

  • Local servers over stdioSome MCP servers run on your own machine and are started by the client. They need no address, but they run only where they are installed.

Questions

Do I need an API key?
Not for Claude or ChatGPT: they sign in with your Kaiva account. Clients that do not support sign-in use a key made for that one server.
Why does ChatGPT need developer mode?
ChatGPT treats connectors you add yourself as unreviewed, so it asks you to turn on developer mode first.
My client cannot connect. What now?
Run npx @kaiva/bridge doctor <server>. It runs each step of the connection and tells you which one failed and how to fix it.

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