Add the Tavily MCP server to Claude Code

Config last verified Jun 1, 2026

The exact config to run Tavily in Claude Code — paste it in, restart, and the tools load.

Prerequisites

  • Claude Code installed.
  • TAVILY_API_KEY — Tavily API key used to authenticate requests and govern usage limits.

Setup

1. Open ~/.claude.json

2. Add this configuration

Add to ~/.claude.json

~/.claude.json
json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tavily": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.tavily.com/mcp/"
    }
  }
}
Or via CLI
bash
claude mcp add --transport http tavily https://mcp.tavily.com/mcp/

Heads up

  • First tool call opens a browser to authorize.

3. Restart Claude Code and confirm the Tavily tools load.

Gotchas

  • First tool call opens a browser to authorize.

Claude Code stores MCP servers under an "mcpServers" object in ~/.claude.json. It also reads a project-scoped .mcp.json and supports adding servers from the command line with "claude mcp add". Each entry must declare either a "type" or a "command"; Claude Code refuses an entry that has neither. Remote servers connect natively over Streamable HTTP with OAuth.

← Back to the Tavily MCP server