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Claude Desktop Setup

Connect Claude Desktop to graph8 Studio so you can ask Claude about your campaigns, accounts, and intelligence.

Prerequisites

  • Claude Desktop installed (download)
  • A graph8 Studio account
  • Node.js installed (for the MCP client)

Setup Steps

  1. Connect in graph8 Studio

    Go to Profile and click “Connect” in the MCP card. Complete the sign-in flow.

  2. Copy the configuration

    After connecting, expand “Setup Instructions” and select the Claude Desktop tab. Copy the JSON configuration.

  3. Open Claude Desktop’s config

    The configuration file is located at:

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

    Create the file if it doesn’t exist.

  4. Add the G8 Studio server

    Paste the configuration you copied. It should look like:

    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "g8studio": {
          "command": "npx",
          "args": [
            "-y",
            "@anthropic-ai/mcp-client-sse",
            "https://mcp-production-c2f3.up.railway.app/mcp?session_id=YOUR_SESSION_ID"
          ]
        }
      }
    }

  5. Restart Claude Desktop

    Quit and reopen Claude Desktop to load the new configuration.

  6. Verify the connection

    Start a new conversation and ask: “What campaigns do I have in G8 Studio?”

Example Questions

Once connected, try asking Claude:

Show me my active campaigns in G8 Studio
What accounts are in the healthcare industry?
Get the intelligence report for [account name]
Search G8 Studio for content about competitive positioning
What deals are in my pipeline?

How It Works

Claude Desktop uses MCP (Model Context Protocol) to connect to graph8 Studio:

  1. When you mention G8 Studio data, Claude recognizes it needs external information
  2. Claude calls the appropriate G8 Studio tool (like list_campaigns or search)
  3. The MCP server authenticates with your session and fetches the data
  4. Claude formats and presents the results in the conversation

Troubleshooting

”MCP server failed to start”

  • Make sure Node.js is installed: node --version
  • Try running the npx command manually to see errors:
    Terminal window
    npx -y @anthropic-ai/mcp-client-sse "https://mcp-production-c2f3.up.railway.app/mcp?session_id=TEST"

“Session expired” or “Authentication failed”

  1. Go to Profile in graph8 Studio
  2. Revoke the expired session
  3. Click “Connect” to create a new session
  4. Copy the new configuration
  5. Update claude_desktop_config.json
  6. Restart Claude Desktop

”Permission denied” errors

The AI can only access what your graph8 account can access. Check your role permissions in Settings.

Claude doesn’t recognize G8 Studio commands

  • Make sure you restarted Claude Desktop after adding the config
  • Check that the JSON syntax is valid
  • Verify the config file is in the correct location

Multiple Accounts

If you have access to multiple graph8 organizations, the AI uses the organization you had active when you connected. To switch organizations:

  1. Switch organizations in graph8 Studio
  2. Create a new connection from the Profile page
  3. Update your config with the new session ID
  4. Restart Claude Desktop

Session Management

Sessions expire after 24 hours of inactivity. When your session expires:

  1. Claude will show an authentication error
  2. Go to Profile in graph8 Studio
  3. Click “Connect” for a new session
  4. Update your config with the new session ID
  5. Restart Claude Desktop

Privacy & Security

  • Your graph8 data is fetched in real-time and not stored by Claude
  • All requests use your authenticated session
  • You can revoke access anytime from the Profile page
  • API calls are logged for audit purposes

Frequently Asked Questions

How often do I need to refresh my session?

Sessions expire after 24 hours of inactivity. If you use graph8 daily, your session stays active. After a weekend or vacation, you’ll likely need to reconnect.

Can I connect multiple graph8 organizations?

Each session is tied to one organization. To access a different organization, switch orgs in graph8 Studio, create a new connection, and update your config with the new session ID.

Does Claude store my graph8 data?

No, data is fetched in real-time and not stored by Claude. Each query retrieves fresh data from graph8 Studio. Revoking your session immediately cuts off access.

Why isn’t Claude recognizing my G8 Studio questions?

Make sure you restarted Claude Desktop after adding the config. Verify the JSON syntax is valid (no trailing commas, proper quotes). Check that the session ID is current and not expired.

Can I use this alongside other MCP servers?

Yes, add multiple servers to the mcpServers object in your config. Each server has its own key name. Claude can use tools from all configured servers.