Claude Desktop Configuration

This guide shows you how to configure the Probo MCP Server with the Claude Desktop application, enabling Claude to interact with your compliance data directly from the desktop interface.

Prerequisites

• Claude Desktop application installed (available for macOS and Windows)
• A running Probo instance with API access
• API token from your Probo instance

Configuration Steps

1. Generate an API Token

First, generate an API token from your Probo instance:

1. Log into your Probo web interface
2. Navigate to Settings → API Tokens
3. Click “Generate New Token”
4. Copy the token - you’ll need it for configuration

2. Locate Claude Desktop Configuration File

The Claude Desktop configuration file location depends on your operating system:

macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows:

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

3. Configure the MCP Server

Edit the claude_desktop_config.json file and add the Probo MCP server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "probo-eu": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote@latest",
        "https://your-probo-instance.com/api/mcp/v1",
        "--transport",
        "http-only",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer your_api_token_here"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Replace:

• https://your-probo-instance.com/api/mcp/v1 with your Probo instance URL (note the /v1 suffix)
• your_api_token_here with the API token you generated

4. Restart Claude Desktop

After saving the configuration:

1. Quit Claude Desktop completely
2. Restart the application
3. The Probo MCP server will be loaded automatically

Verify Connection

To verify the MCP server is working:

1. Open Claude Desktop
2. Start a new conversation
3. Try asking: “List all organizations I have access to”
4. Claude should use the listOrganizations tool to fetch your data

You can also check the MCP server status by looking for the Probo server in Claude Desktop’s status indicators.

Example Interactions

Once configured, you can interact with your Probo data naturally:

List Risks

You: "Show me all high-priority risks in my organization"

Claude: I'll fetch the risks for you.
[Uses listRisks tool]

Here are the high-priority risks:
1. Data breach from vendor systems
2. Inadequate access controls
...

Add a Vendor

You: "Add a new vendor called 'CloudStore Inc' that provides storage services"

Claude: I'll add that vendor for you.
[Uses addVendor tool]

Successfully added CloudStore Inc as a vendor.

Track Compliance Measures

You: "What compliance measures are currently in progress?"

Claude: Let me check the measures.
[Uses listMeasures tool with state filter]

You have 5 measures in progress:
- Employee security training
- Password policy enforcement
...

Troubleshooting

MCP Server Not Loading

If the Probo MCP server doesn’t appear:

1. Check the configuration file syntax (must be valid JSON)
2. Verify the Probo URL is accessible from your machine
3. Ensure the API token is valid and not expired
4. Check Claude Desktop logs for errors

View Claude Desktop Logs:

macOS:

tail -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log

Windows:

type %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\mcp*.log

Authentication Errors

If you see authentication errors:

• Verify your API token is correct in the configuration file
• Check that the token hasn’t expired
• Ensure the token is properly formatted in the --header argument
• Test the API token with curl:

  curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
    https://your-probo-instance.com/api/mcp/health

Connection Timeouts

If requests timeout:

• Verify your Probo instance is running and accessible
• Check firewall settings
• Ensure your network allows connections to the Probo URL
• Try increasing timeout in the MCP configuration (if supported)

Tool Not Found Errors

If Claude says tools aren’t available:

• Restart Claude Desktop completely
• Verify the MCP server loaded without errors in the logs
• Check that your Probo instance supports the MCP API
• Ensure you’re using a compatible version of Claude Desktop

Security Best Practices

• Store tokens securely: Use environment variables or secure credential storage
• Use HTTPS: Always connect to Probo over HTTPS in production
• Rotate tokens: Regularly rotate API tokens
• Audit access: Review MCP access logs in your Probo instance
• Limit scope: Create tokens with minimal required permissions

Next Steps

• Explore all available MCP tools
• Learn about data types and schemas
• Configure MCP for other platforms: Claude Code, VS Code, or Cursor

Support

Need help with Claude Desktop configuration?

• Claude Desktop Documentation
• GitHub Issues
• Discord Community