# Connect LogTapper to Claude Code

Claude Code connects to the MCP server LogTapper runs over HTTP. One command,
no binary path, and nothing to redo after a LogTapper update.

> **This page is for Claude Code** (the CLI, desktop app, or IDE extension). If
> you use Claude Desktop, follow [claude-desktop.md](claude-desktop.md) instead —
> plugins and the `claude mcp` command are not available there.

**Before you start:** LogTapper installed, and the MCP bridge enabled under
**Settings → General → MCP Integration**. The MCP server starts and stops with
the bridge. See [the setup guide](README.md#step-1--enable-the-mcp-bridge).

## Register the server

```
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user logtapper http://127.0.0.1:40405/mcp
```

The same command is one click away in LogTapper: **Settings → General → MCP
Integration → Connect an AI agent → Copy claude mcp add command**.

Notes:

- `--scope user` makes LogTapper available in every project. Use
  `--scope project` instead if you only want it in the current repository.
- Keep the name `logtapper` exactly as written — the tools are namespaced from
  it (`mcp__logtapper__*`).

> **Do not add `mcpServers` to `~/.claude/settings.json`.** That key belongs to
> Claude Desktop's config format; Claude Code ignores it, and the server will
> silently never load. Use `claude mcp add`, which writes the correct file.

### Or let the plugin do it

```
/plugin marketplace add https://github.com/jpicklyk/logtapper
/plugin install logtapper@logtapper-plugins
```

Then ask Claude:

> attach the LogTapper MCP

The `attach-mcp` skill registers the URL at user scope and runs a test tool
call. The plugin also installs a `log-analysis` skill for working with sessions
conversationally — searching for crashes, tracing state transitions, and running
processor pipelines by chat.

## Verify

```
claude mcp get logtapper
```

Then start a new session (or run `/mcp` to reconnect — servers are attached at
session start), open a log file in LogTapper, and ask:

> What LogTapper sessions are open?

## Launching by path instead

If you need the stdio form — for a tool that wraps Claude Code and cannot use
HTTP, say — the `logtapper-mcp` binary is installed next to the LogTapper
executable, and the **Launch by path (stdio)** row in Settings shows its path:

```
claude mcp add logtapper --scope user -- "/path/to/logtapper-mcp"
```

From a source checkout, use Node as the command:

```
claude mcp add logtapper --scope user -- node --experimental-strip-types "/path/to/repo/mcp-server/src/index.ts"
```

The path changes if LogTapper moves between per-user and all-users installs,
which is why the URL is the default.

## Removing or updating

```
claude mcp remove logtapper --scope user
```

With the URL route there is nothing to update after a LogTapper release. Only a
path-based registration needs re-adding when the app moves.

The one thing that does change the URL is the MCP port. If you changed it in
LogTapper because another program owned 40405, remove the registration as above
and re-add it with the new address — the **Copy claude mcp add command** button
in Settings already carries it. See
[Changing the MCP port](README.md#changing-the-mcp-port) for the other clients.

## If something isn't working

| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| Tools don't appear after adding | Start a new session, or run `/mcp` to reconnect |
| The connection fails outright | The bridge is off — the MCP server runs only while it is on. Enable it, then `/mcp` |
| Tools appear but every call fails | LogTapper isn't running, or the bridge is off |
| `claude: command not found` | Claude Code's CLI isn't on your PATH — reinstall it, or use the plugin route from inside Claude Code |
| Wrong or stale path registered (stdio route) | `claude mcp remove logtapper --scope user`, then add the URL instead |

More detail in the [main troubleshooting table](README.md#troubleshooting).