Give Claude Desktop access to skill discovery through one MCP connection. Describe your task, and your agent can find and load relevant instructions without installing each skill separately.
Before you start
Use an updated Claude Desktop app and an account that can add custom connectors. Organization members may need an owner to add the connector first.
You need a 9octopus account to approve access. You can sign in or create one during connection. Use the account for this environment; staging and production accounts are separate.
1. Add 9octopus to Claude Desktop
Use this server URL with remote MCP over Streamable HTTP and OAuth:
https://app.9octopus.work/mcp- Open your account’s Connectors. In Claude, open Customize → Connectors, then + Add → Add custom connector. For managed accounts, an owner adds it through Organization settings → Connectors → Add → Custom → Web.
- Add the remote connector. Use 9octopus as the name and paste the server URL above. Continue through authentication settings, choose Sign in now, and choose Register automatically for the OAuth client if that choice is offered. Finish adding the connector.
The examples name the connection 9octopus. If you choose another name, use that name in commands and prompts. If you already have a connection, inspect it before adding another.
2. Sign in and approve access
Select Connect for 9octopus and complete browser sign-in. This remote connector belongs to your Claude account; it is separate from local servers configured in claude_desktop_config.json.
On the 9octopus consent page, check the client name, sign in, and approve access. Keep the agent open until it finishes connecting. You do not need to paste a bearer token into your configuration.
3. Check the connection and try a task
Return to Claude Desktop, enable 9octopus in the conversation’s connector controls, and try the example task below.
You can also open Connected agents in 9octopus to confirm that the connection is active. Then send this prompt to Claude Desktop:
Use the 9octopus MCP connection to find public skills for reviewing a landing page’s accessibility. Show me the relevant descriptions and sources. Load the best fit, confirm its exact version, and explain what access you need before starting the review.
Your agent should discover skills, load the selected release, and read its instructions. It still needs the tools and permissions required to perform the task. If no suitable skill exists, refine the task or browse public skills.
Public task recommendations may send your task description to OpenAI. Keep secrets and private repository contents out of discovery prompts.
Optional: help your agent discover skills as you work
Open Connections and select Agent instructions. Copy the guidance into your client’s persistent instructions, or merge the downloaded AGENTS.md into a supported instruction file. Keep existing rules; supported filenames and settings vary by agent.
Troubleshooting
- If the connector is missing, confirm Desktop uses the same Claude account. Remote connectors run through Anthropic’s servers, so the endpoint must be publicly reachable.
- Expired consent or HTTP 401: restart authentication from the agent and complete the new browser flow. An old consent URL cannot be reused.
- Pending in Connected agents: the agent has not finished the token exchange. Retry sign-in, then revoke any abandoned pending entry.
- Need to disconnect? Revoke this connection in Connected agents. To reconnect later, clear its saved authentication in the client and sign in again.
Setup reference: Claude Desktop MCP documentation. Instructions reviewed October 27, 2026; client menus and plan availability can change.
Using a different agent? Choose another setup guide or follow the general MCP connection instructions.