Claude Code

Before you start

• Claude Code installed and authenticated on the machine.
• A project directory you want to attach the server to.
• The Vectoralix endpoint URL, plus the endpoint token if the server is private.

Project-scoped vs user-scoped servers

Claude Code separates MCP server registration into two scopes. Project scope lives inside the repo and applies to anyone who clones it; user scope lives in your home directory and follows you across projects. The right choice depends on whether the server's tools belong to the codebase or to your personal workflow.

• Project scope — commit the server registration so every contributor inherits the same MCP endpoint. Each developer supplies their own private-server token out-of-band rather than committing it.
• User scope — keep the server private to your machine. Useful for personal scratchpad servers or for testing servers you do not want the rest of the team to see yet.

Add the server with claude mcp add

Claude Code exposes a CLI command to register MCP servers. The exact flag names and scope syntax have evolved across releases, so consult the Claude Code documentation for the version you have installed; the canonical shape is the friendly name, the URL, and an Authorization header for private servers.

Public server

claude mcp add vectoralix-docs https://vectoralix.com/mcp/<serverUid>

Private server

claude mcp add vectoralix-docs https://vectoralix.com/mcp/<serverUid> \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer <endpoint-token>"

The flag for headers and the precise scope flag name (project vs user) are owned by Claude Code itself; run claude mcp add --help to see the current syntax for your version. The shape above — name, URL, Authorization header — is the canonical pattern.

Keeping the token out of the committed config

For project-scoped private servers, do not check the endpoint token into the repository. Commit the URL only, and have each developer set the Authorization header from an environment variable read by their shell or a local override file. The Vectoralix endpoint treats every developer's token as identical for that server — there is no per-developer scoping at the protocol layer.

Verify the connection

1. Reload Claude Code (restart the session or run the relevant reload command for your version).
2. Inside a session, run /mcp to list connected servers; the friendly name you registered should appear with its tool count.
3. Ask Claude Code a prompt that exercises a Vectoralix tool — for File Search, "Find files about X in my docs" — and confirm the response references real content.

Team workflow note

A common pattern is to commit the project-scoped server URL so every contributor automatically picks it up after pulling, while each developer sources their own private-server token from a local file or password manager. New hires get the same MCP wiring on day one without anyone re-running registration commands.

Troubleshooting

• /mcp shows zero servers — the registration was applied to a different scope. Re-run with the explicit scope flag and confirm with claude mcp list.
• Server is listed but tools fail with 401 — the Authorization header was not picked up. Check the env var the project config references actually has a value in your shell.
• Tools appear but call results are empty — verify the server has an active (or default) version and the tool is enabled on it.