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Connecting Your IDE

Add the Clevername MCP gateway URL to your IDE, sign in through the browser, and start using your tools.

Key Concepts

IDE Gateway

The Clevername IDE Gateway is a single HTTP endpoint that any MCP-compatible client can connect to. It gives your IDE access to all your configured MCP tools, provider keys, and governance policies — the same ones you use in the browser. One endpoint, every tool.

Browser login by default

Modern MCP clients should connect to Clevername with OAuth. Add the gateway URL, approve the browser prompt, and your client keeps a refreshable login session automatically.

Supported clients

  • Claude Code (Anthropic CLI)
  • VS Code with the MCP extension
  • Cursor
  • Any client that supports the MCP HTTP transport
Step-by-Step Guide
1

Add the Clevername gateway URL

Use this MCP server URL in your IDE:

https://clevername.net/api/hub/mcp/gateway
IDE configuration page showing Clevername added as an MCP server via a single gateway URL
Add the gateway URL first. OAuth-capable clients will guide the rest.
Tip
Do not add a bearer header unless your MCP client lacks OAuth support.
2

Configure Claude Code

The quickest way is one command in your terminal:

claude mcp add --transport http clevername-mcp https://clevername.net/api/hub/mcp/gateway

Then run /mcp inside Claude Code. The first connection opens a browser window so you can sign in. To check the server into a project instead, add it to a .mcp.json file at the repo root:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "clevername-mcp": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://clevername.net/api/hub/mcp/gateway"
    }
  }
}
Important
Claude Code does not read mcpServers from ~/.claude/settings.json. Use claude mcp add, or a project .mcp.json.
3

Configure VS Code

Create .vscode/mcp.json in your project and add the server:

{
  "servers": {
    "clevername-mcp": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://clevername.net/api/hub/mcp/gateway"
    }
  }
}

Then run MCP: List Servers from the Command Palette to confirm the connection.

4

Configure Cursor

Add the server to ~/.cursor/mcp.json, then open Settings → MCP to confirm it connected:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "clevername-mcp": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://clevername.net/api/hub/mcp/gateway"
    }
  }
}
5

Use a fallback token only if needed

If your IDE supports MCP OAuth, you are done after browser sign-in. If it does not, create a gateway token in the dashboard and add Authorization: Bearer cnk_... manually.

IDE tool list showing Clevername MCP tools available after authentication
Once connected, all your Clevername MCP tools appear in the IDE's tool list.
Tip
If tools don't appear, make sure you completed browser login and that you have at least one MCP server activated in the Clevername dashboard.