title: "Why MCPs Don't Show Up in Claude Desktop" description: "Diagnose why Claude Desktop cannot see your MCP servers on macOS or Windows and fix discovery issues." slug: "mcp-not-showing" category: "testing" updatedAt: "2025-09-21T00:00:00.000Z" faqs:

q: "Where does Claude Desktop read MCP configurations from?" a: "The app scans the ~/.config/claude/mcp/ directory on macOS/Linux and %APPDATA%\Claude\mcp\ on Windows."
q: "Do I need to restart Claude Desktop after editing MCP configs?" a: "Yes. Restart to reload the manifest, or use the in-app 'Reload MCPs' option in recent builds."
q: "Why does the MCP appear but return errors?" a: "The server might be running on a blocked port, missing permissions, or failing health checks. Open the logs to investigate."

Testing & Debugging

MCP SDK v2.1.0

Updated Sep 21, 20254 min read

claude

desktop

visibility

troubleshooting

Why MCPs Don't Show Up in Claude Desktop

Overview

Claude Desktop automatically detects MCP servers defined in its configuration folder. If your server is missing from the MCP panel, follow this checklist for macOS and Windows to restore visibility.

Verify Configuration Paths

| OS | Config Path | | --- | --- | | macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/mcp/ | | Windows | %APPDATA%\Claude\mcp\ | | Linux | ~/.config/claude/mcp/ |

Each MCP has a JSON or YAML manifest describing the command to run.

{
  "mcp_servers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "/usr/local/bin/mcp-filesystem",
      "args": ["--root", "~/Projects"],
      "env": {
        "NODE_ENV": "production"
      }
    }
  }
}

Checklist

Confirm the manifest exists in the correct directory.
Validate JSON/YAML syntax with jq or yamllint.
Ensure the command path is executable (chmod +x on macOS/Linux).
Check port conflicts if the MCP binds to a TCP port.
Restart Claude Desktop after changes.

macOS Specific Fixes

# Grant execute permission
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/mcp-filesystem

# Allow network access in macOS firewall
sudo /usr/libexec/ApplicationFirewall/socketfilterfw --add /usr/local/bin/mcp-filesystem

If the MCP binary is quarantined (com.apple.quarantine attribute), remove it with xattr -d.
Use Activity Monitor to confirm the MCP process starts when Claude Desktop launches it.

Windows Specific Fixes

# Unblock downloaded binaries
Unblock-File "C:\\mcp\\server.exe"

# Allow through Windows Defender
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="MCP Server" dir=in action=allow program="C:\\mcp\\server.exe" enable=yes

Run Claude Desktop as administrator if the MCP requires elevated filesystem access.
Ensure the manifest uses Windows paths (C:\\path\\to\\server.exe).

Logs & Diagnostics

Open Claude Desktop > Settings > MCP > "View Logs" to inspect startup failures.
Check the MCP server logs for stack traces or permission errors.
Use the MCP Inspector tooling to run a handshake manually and verify capabilities.

FAQ

Where does Claude Desktop read MCP configurations from?

macOS uses ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/mcp/, Windows uses %APPDATA%\Claude\mcp\, and Linux uses ~/.config/claude/mcp/.

Do I need to restart Claude Desktop after editing MCP configs?

Yes. Restart or use the "Reload MCPs" control to refresh the manifest.

Why does the MCP appear but return errors?

The server may lack permissions, fail to start, or bind to a blocked port. Inspect logs and apply the fixes above.

Was this guide helpful?

Last updated: September 21, 2025

Edit this page: mcp-not-showing/page.mdx