Add the DeepL MCP server to Claude Desktop
Config last verified Jun 1, 2026
The exact config to run DeepL in Claude Desktop — paste it in, restart, and the tools load.
Prerequisites
- Claude Desktop installed.
- DEEPL_API_KEY — DeepL API key from your DeepL account. Works with the free or pro API plan. Required.
Setup
1. Open ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
On Windows the file lives at %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json.
2. Add this configuration
Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
json
{
"mcpServers": {
"deepl": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"deepl-mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"DEEPL_API_KEY": "<DEEPL_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}3. Restart Claude Desktop and confirm the DeepL tools load.
Gotchas
Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from an "mcpServers" object, but the config file is stdio-only: it cannot dial a remote URL directly. To reach a remote server you bridge it locally by running "npx mcp-remote <url>" as the command. Native remote Connectors exist on paid plans, but not through this config file, so the bridge is the portable path.