Claude Desktop MCP Troubleshooting: Server Not Showing Up

Corcava not appearing in Claude Desktop usually means the remote connector was not added, was not enabled for the conversation, or browser authorization did not finish. Corcava is a remote MCP server, so connect it through Claude's custom-connector interface rather than adding its URL directly to the local-server JSON file.

Quick diagnosis

What you see	Most likely cause	Start here
Corcava is absent from the connector list	Connector was not added or is disabled	Check the OAuth connector
Corcava is listed but asks you to connect	Authorization was cancelled, expired, or revoked	Reconnect with OAuth
A Corcava URL in claude_desktop_config.json is ignored	Remote server was added through the local-server configuration path	Move it to Custom Connectors
Corcava appears but advertises no tools	Connector, workspace, or authentication problem	Use the empty-tools guide
A tool returns 401 or 403	Authentication or workspace access problem	Use the 401 guide or 403 guide

OAuth custom connector

OAuth is the recommended path when Claude offers Add custom connector or Connect MCP server and asks for a server URL. It does not require an API key in a JSON file.

Check that Corcava is present and enabled

1. Open Claude's connector or integration settings.
2. Look for Corcava in the configured connectors.
3. If it is present but disconnected, select Connect and complete the Corcava authorization window in your browser.
4. Enable Corcava for the current conversation.

If Corcava is missing:

• On an individual Pro or Max account, select Add custom connector and use this server URL:

https://app.corcava.com/mcp

• On a Team or Enterprise plan, ask an Owner or Primary Owner to add Corcava under the organization's connector settings. Members can then select Connect and authorize their own Corcava account.

The exact menu name can vary by Claude version. Use Claude's custom-connector interface rather than editing claude_desktop_config.json when the interface is available.

Reconnect Corcava

If Corcava is listed but disconnected:

1. Disconnect your existing Corcava authorization without removing the connector definition.
2. Select Connect on the existing Corcava connector.
3. Sign in to Corcava in the browser window.
4. Confirm that you are authorizing the workspace containing the projects and tasks you expect to use.
5. Return to Claude and enable the connector in a new conversation.

Only change the connector definition if its URL is wrong or the connector is missing. Individual Pro and Max users can remove and re-add their own connector. On Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner or Primary Owner manages the organization-level connector definition; members reconnect only their own authorization.

You can review or revoke OAuth connections in Corcava under Settings → Integrations → AI Assistants → Connected AI Clients.

If you edited the Claude Desktop config JSON file

Claude Desktop's JSON configuration is the documented path for local MCP servers that Claude launches with fields such as command and args. A direct Corcava entry containing only a remote url and headers can be ignored because Corcava is hosted remotely.

For Corcava:

1. Do not rely on a direct https://app.corcava.com/mcp entry in the local-server JSON file.
2. Open Customize → Connectors in Claude.
3. If Corcava is already listed, select Connect and complete OAuth authorization in the browser.
4. If it is missing on an individual Pro or Max account, select Add custom connector and use https://app.corcava.com/mcp.
5. If it is missing on a Team or Enterprise plan, ask an Owner or Primary Owner to add the organization connector; then select Connect to authorize your account.
6. Enable Corcava for a new conversation.

If you intentionally run a local bridge or proxy, follow that bridge's documentation. Its Claude JSON entry normally launches the local bridge with command and args; it is not the same as putting Corcava's remote URL directly in the file.

Verify the connection from Claude

Open a new conversation with Corcava enabled and try:

• “List the Corcava tools available in this conversation.”
• “Show my Corcava projects.”
• “List my Corcava tasks.”

A browser visit or bare curl request to /mcp is not a complete MCP initialization test. It can return a method or transport error even when the endpoint and credentials are correct. Verify through Claude's connector status and an actual tool request instead.

If the server appears but still does not work

• No tools appear: follow MCP Tools Not Listed.
• 401 Unauthorized: reconnect OAuth with the 401 guide. If you intentionally run a documented local proxy, follow that proxy's authentication instructions instead.
• 403 Forbidden: confirm the authorized Corcava workspace and resource access with the 403 guide.
• JSON fails to load: use MCP Config JSON Errors.
• Network or transport error: use Connection Failed.

For the complete setup flow, see AI Assistant Integration (MCP).