Add the Mapbox MCP server to Claude Desktop
Config last verified Jun 1, 2026
The exact config to run Mapbox in Claude Desktop — paste it in, restart, and the tools load.
Prerequisites
- Claude Desktop installed.
- MAPBOX_ACCESS_TOKEN — Mapbox access token used to authenticate API calls when running the server locally.
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": {
"mapbox": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"mcp-remote",
"https://mcp.mapbox.com/mcp"
]
}
}
}Heads up
- Claude Desktop's config is stdio-only; this bridges the remote server with `mcp-remote`. (Pro/Team plans can use native Connectors instead.)
3. Restart Claude Desktop and confirm the Mapbox tools load.
Gotchas
- Claude Desktop's config is stdio-only; this bridges the remote server with `mcp-remote`. (Pro/Team plans can use native Connectors instead.)
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.