The short answer
Choose an MCP server for the job you need—such as searching documentation or accessing CI/CD data—and verify the server’s Claude Code setup before connecting it. There is no single best server for every workflow. The sources reviewed here provide a Claude Code quickstart server for searching Claude Code documentation and a CircleCI-hosted server for CI/CD context. For other candidates, treat directory listings as leads until you confirm compatibility and setup in the server’s own documentation.
MCP connects Claude Code to external tools and data; it is not, by itself, a choice of production model API. This guide covers server selection and setup, not API-provider comparisons. Claude Code MCP documentation describes MCP as a way to connect Claude Code to external tools and data sources. (code.claude.com)
Choose by workflow
| If you need… | Candidate to consider | What the documentation supports |
|---|---|---|
| Search Claude Code documentation | Claude Code Docs MCP | Anthropic’s quickstart gives a hosted documentation-search server as a first connection to test. It requires no authentication or special configuration. (code.claude.com) |
| Inspect CI/CD activity while coding | CircleCI hosted MCP | CircleCI says its server works with Claude Code and provides CI/CD context such as build logs, test output, pipeline status, configuration changes, and workflow metrics. Its listed tools include actions such as rerunning workflows and running pipelines. (circleci.com) |
| Work with GitHub, local files, databases, or web search | Research a specific server first | Community directories list candidates in these categories, but a listing or brief description alone does not confirm Claude Code compatibility, maintenance, permissions, or setup. Check the candidate’s own documentation before treating it as a recommendation. |
Start with the smallest server that solves your immediate task. If you want to browse more options, Anthropic’s MCP reference points readers to its Directory and says to verify that you trust a server before connecting it. Anthropic also warns that servers fetching external content can expose you to prompt-injection risk. (code.claude.com)
Connect CircleCI’s hosted MCP server
CircleCI documents a Claude Code setup for its hosted server. This is a remote-server example; it is not a generic command that applies to other MCP servers.
Prerequisites: Claude Code must be installed and authenticated. CircleCI’s hosted server requires an MCP host that supports remote MCP over streamable HTTP. CircleCI recommends OAuth2 for this setup. (circleci.com)
-
In a terminal, add CircleCI’s hosted server:
claude mcp add --transport http circleci https://mcp.circleci.com/v1/mcp -
Start or return to Claude Code, run
/mcp, selectcircleci, then choose Authenticate to complete sign-in in your browser. -
Check the MCP status in Claude Code. Once connected, try a focused request such as asking why a recent build failed. CircleCI describes access to build logs, test results, and pipeline status; what is available depends on its server and your account access. (
circleci.com)
If OAuth2 is unavailable: CircleCI documents a personal-token fallback:
claude mcp add --transport http circleci https://mcp.circleci.com/v1/mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer <your-circleci-token>"
Treat the token like a password. CircleCI advises using an environment variable or secret store where the MCP host supports it. Avoid putting a real token in shared documentation, shell history, or a committed configuration file. (circleci.com)
CircleCI also documents a local MCP built into its CLI, but its example circleci mcp claude enable is labeled for Claude Desktop, not Claude Code. Don’t assume that command configures Claude Code. CircleCI says its original local server installed with npx or Docker is in maintenance mode and no longer recommended; that is distinct from the CLI MCP. (circleci.com)
Checks before you connect
- Capability: Does the server expose the tools you actually need? A product description is not a full tool list or guarantee that every action is available to your account.
- Access and authentication: Identify which account or token the server uses and what that account can access. Review the server’s own setup and permissions documentation.
- Local or hosted: Confirm where the server runs and where requests and data go. Do not infer data handling or security properties from a directory’s “local” or “cloud” label.
- Actions: Notice whether the tools can change external state. CircleCI lists workflow and pipeline actions, including reruns and rollback-related tools, so review the available actions before relying on them.
- Maintenance and compatibility: Confirm current Claude Code instructions, supported transport, and server version in first-party documentation. A community directory is useful for discovery, not a compatibility matrix.
MCP gives Claude Code access to tools and data; it does not establish which production model API, provider, price, or service plan you should use. The sources here do not establish TokenForge capabilities or API compatibility, so verify those separately in the relevant provider’s documentation rather than inferring them from MCP support.
Sources
Connect to MCP servers — Claude Code Docs
Connect Claude Code to tools via MCP — Claude Code Docs