Connect Claude Desktop

Connect the Claude desktop chat app using a local helper and your Acquisity key.

Use this guide for chat in the Claude Desktop app on Mac or Windows. For the terminal coding tool, use Connect Claude Code.

Claude Desktop needs a small helper called mcp-remote to send your Acquisity API key. It is a community-maintained package that runs on your computer. This setup uses Claude's local MCP configuration; it does not add a connector to Claude's website or Cowork.

1. Get your key and install the helper's runtime

1. Create a workspace API key in Acquisity. Select workspaces:read and campaigns:read for your first read-only request.
2. Install the current LTS version of Node.js for your computer, using its installer, even if you have an older version installed. The helper needs a recent Node.js runtime; Node 18 and 19 cannot run it. After installation, run node --version in Terminal on Mac or PowerShell on Windows and check that it matches the LTS version you installed.
3. Quit and reopen Claude Desktop after installation.

Node.js lets Claude run the helper. The helper itself will download from npm the first time this connection starts. Your key should go in the configuration below, never into a chat.

2. Open Claude's connection settings

In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Developer → Edit Config. In some versions, Developer is under Desktop app. Open the file named claude_desktop_config.json in a plain-text editor, such as Notepad or TextEdit.

If you need to find it yourself:

• Mac: in Finder, choose Go → Go to Folder and paste ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/.
• Windows: paste %APPDATA%\Claude into File Explorer's address bar.

On Mac, use plain text in TextEdit and turn off Smart Quotes. Keep the file's exact name, without an extra .txt ending.

3. Copy the connection settings

If the file is empty or contains only {}, replace it with this:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "acquisity": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote@0.8.3",
        "https://api.acquisity.ai/mcp",
        "--transport",
        "http-only",
        "--header",
        "Authorization:${ACQUISITY_AUTH_HEADER}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ACQUISITY_AUTH_HEADER": "Bearer YOUR_ACQUISITY_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace only YOUR_ACQUISITY_API_KEY with the complete key you copied. Leave Bearer and its space in place. Save the file.

Already have other connections? Keep them and add the acquisity entry inside the existing mcpServers section. Do not replace your whole file or create a second mcpServers section. Ask your administrator to help combine the entries if you are unsure.

This file contains your key. Keep it private and do not share it with support. The pinned helper version keeps this example reproducible; the helper is not an Acquisity or Anthropic desktop extension.

4. Restart Claude and enable Acquisity

Quit Claude fully, then reopen it. Closing the window alone may leave it running. The first start needs internet access to download the helper.

Start a new chat. Open the + menu beside the message box, choose Connectors, and enable Acquisity if it is listed but switched off. You can also check its status in Settings → Developer.

Paste this into the chat:

Use Acquisity to list my workspaces. Ask me which one to use, then show its campaigns and statuses. Do not change anything.

Approve the read-only request if asked. You should see your workspace, followed by its campaigns after you choose one. An empty campaign list is valid if you have not created any yet.

If Acquisity does not appear

• npx not found or ENOENT: Node.js is missing or Claude cannot find it. Reinstall Node.js LTS, fully quit Claude, then reopen it. An administrator can help set the full path to npx if needed.
• Configuration error: check the quotes and commas. JSON does not allow comments or a comma after the final entry.
• OAuth login opens: this connection uses a key. Check the header and key above; do not add it through the web custom-connector screen.
• 401 or 403: check your complete key, permissions and workspace Public API access. More fixes.
• Your employer blocks local MCP tools: ask your Claude administrator to allow the connection.

Disconnect or allow campaign changes

To disconnect, remove only the acquisity entry and restart Claude. Revoke the key in Acquisity to stop it working in other clients too. Neither action pauses an existing campaign.

To let Claude create or change campaigns later, use a workspace key with the appropriate scopes. campaigns:write also allows real launches and pauses. Read about permissions before enabling it.

References: Claude local-server setup, Claude Desktop support, and mcp-remote configuration.