Claude Desktop Integration

Connect Knowledge AI to Claude Desktop for AI-powered assistance while you work with your knowledge base.

What is Claude Desktop Integration?

The Claude Desktop integration uses MCP (Model Context Protocol) to give Claude direct access to your Knowledge AI projects. This means Claude can:

• Search through your notes and documentation
• Help write and edit content based on your existing knowledge
• Suggest connections between related concepts
• Answer questions using your specific knowledge base

Prerequisites

• Claude Desktop installed on your computer
• A Knowledge AI project with some content
• Project API keys configured

Step 1: Get Your MCP URL

1. Go to your Project Dashboard
2. Look for the Claude Integration section - you'll see a purple card that says "🧠 Claude Desktop Ready"
3. Click "Copy URL" to copy your MCP connection URL
4. Keep this URL handy for the next step

Finding the Claude Integration

If you don't see the Claude Integration section, you may need to:

• Ensure you have the "owner" or "admin" role on the project
• Check that API keys are properly configured
• Contact support if the integration isn't showing up

Step 2: Configure Claude Desktop

Choose the configuration method that best fits your use case:

Option A: GUI Setup (Recommended for Individual Users)

Perfect for personal use and development

1. Open Claude Desktop
2. Go to Settings (gear icon)
3. Navigate to the MCP Servers section
4. Add this configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "knowledge-ai": {
      "url": "https://api.knowledge-ai.app/api/mcp",
      "description": "Knowledge AI MCP Server with OAuth authentication"
    }
  }
}

What happens next:

1. Restart Claude Desktop
2. Authorization prompt appears in your browser
3. Enter your API key: kn-proj-{project}-{secret}
4. Project auto-detected from API key
5. Full access to knowledge base within Claude

Option B: Headless Setup (Enterprise/Automation)

Perfect for servers, CI/CD, and headless environments

1. Locate your Claude Desktop config file:

   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
   • Linux: ~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "knowledge-ai-headless": {
      "url": "https://api.knowledge-ai.app/api/mcp/project/YOUR_PROJECT_ID/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_BEARER_TOKEN_HERE"
      },
      "description": "Knowledge AI MCP Server with pre-authorized bearer token"
    }
  }
}

Benefits:

• ✅ No OAuth web flow required
• ✅ Perfect for CI/CD pipelines
• ✅ Server deployments with no GUI
• ✅ Docker containers and cloud functions

Option C: API Key Method (Alternative)

For environments where you prefer API key authentication:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "knowledge-ai-apikey": {
      "url": "https://api.knowledge-ai.app/api/mcp/project/YOUR_PROJECT_ID/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
      },
      "description": "Knowledge AI MCP Server with API key"
    }
  }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop

Step 3: Test the Connection

1. In Claude Desktop, start a new conversation

2. Try asking questions about your knowledge base:

   • "What documentation do I have about authentication?"
   • "Show me notes related to API design"
   • "Help me write documentation for the user registration process"

3. Claude should now be able to access and reference your Knowledge AI content

Example Prompts

Once connected, try these types of prompts:

Knowledge Discovery

What topics have I documented related to database design?

Content Creation

Based on my existing notes about user authentication, 
help me write a quick start guide for new developers.

Connection Insights

What concepts in my knowledge base are related to 
performance optimization?

Documentation Review

Review my API documentation and suggest improvements 
based on best practices.

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

Problem: Claude says it can't connect to Knowledge AI

• Solution: Verify the MCP URL is correct and your project API keys are configured
• Check: Ensure you have an active internet connection
• Try: Restart Claude Desktop after configuration changes

Problem: Claude can access the knowledge base but returns empty results

• Solution: Make sure your project has content and the search index is built
• Check: Try searching directly in Knowledge AI to ensure content is searchable

Permission Issues

Problem: "Access denied" or authentication errors

• Solution: Verify you have the correct role (owner/admin) on the project
• Check: Ensure API keys haven't expired or been revoked
• Try: Regenerate the MCP URL from the project dashboard

Performance Issues

Problem: Claude responses are slow when accessing knowledge base

• Solution: This is normal for large knowledge bases - be patient
• Try: Use more specific prompts to narrow down the search scope

Security Considerations

Data Access

When you connect Claude Desktop to Knowledge AI, Claude can access all content in that specific project. Make sure you're comfortable sharing this information with Anthropic's systems.

• The MCP connection only accesses the specific project you configure
• API keys can be revoked at any time from the project settings
• Consider using separate projects for sensitive vs. public information

Advanced Usage

Multiple Projects

You can connect multiple Knowledge AI projects to Claude Desktop by adding multiple MCP servers in your configuration.

Custom Prompts

Create system prompts that reference your knowledge base structure for more effective interactions.

Workflow Integration

Use Claude's task planning with your knowledge base to create comprehensive documentation workflows.

Next Steps

• Learn best practices for AI-assisted documentation
• Explore linking strategies that work well with AI
• Check out search optimization to improve Claude's results

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Need Help? If you're having trouble with the integration, check your API key configuration in the API Keys guide or contact support.