Claude Desktop

Set up ContextPin with Claude Desktop for macOS and Windows.

Claude Desktop is Anthropic's official desktop application for Claude. This guide walks you through connecting ContextPin to Claude Desktop via MCP.

Setup on macOS

Step 1: Get Your Configuration

  1. Open ContextPin
  2. Go to Settings → MCP
  3. Click Copy Configuration

Step 2: Open Claude Desktop Config File

The config file is located at: 

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

You can open it with: 

open ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Or navigate there via Finder: Go → Go to Folder... and paste the path.

Step 3: Add the Configuration

If the file doesn't exist, create it. The file should contain: 

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "contextpin": {
      "command": "/Applications/ContextPin.app/Contents/MacOS/contextpin-mcp",
      "args": ["--workspace", "YOUR_WORKSPACE_ID"]
    }
  }
}
Replace YOUR_WORKSPACE_ID with the actual workspace ID from ContextPin's settings.

If you already have other MCP servers configured, add ContextPin to the existing mcpServers object: 

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "existing-server": {
      "command": "..."
    },
    "contextpin": {
      "command": "/Applications/ContextPin.app/Contents/MacOS/contextpin-mcp",
      "args": ["--workspace", "YOUR_WORKSPACE_ID"]
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Restart Claude Desktop

  1. Quit Claude Desktop completely (⌘Q)
  2. Reopen Claude Desktop

Setup on Windows

Step 1: Get Your Configuration

Same as macOS — open ContextPin Settings → MCP → Copy Configuration.

Step 2: Open Claude Desktop Config File

The config file is located at: 

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Open it by pressing Win+R, typing the path, and pressing Enter.

Step 3: Add the Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "contextpin": {
      "command": "C:\\Program Files\\ContextPin\\contextpin-mcp.exe",
      "args": ["--workspace", "YOUR_WORKSPACE_ID"]
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop.

Verify the Connection

To confirm ContextPin is connected:

  1. Open a new conversation in Claude Desktop
  2. Look for the MCP tools indicator (usually a small icon near the input)
  3. Ask Claude: "List my ContextPin contexts"
  4. You should see your contexts listed

Using ContextPin with Claude

Once connected, you can: 

// List all contexts
"What contexts do I have in ContextPin?"

// Read specific context
"Read my Code Standards context"

// Use context for tasks
"Using my API Guidelines, review this endpoint code"

// Search contexts
"Search my contexts for authentication"

Troubleshooting

ContextPin Not Showing in MCP Tools

  • Verify the config file path is correct
  • Check that the JSON is valid (no trailing commas, proper quotes)
  • Ensure ContextPin is running
  • Restart Claude Desktop after config changes

Command Failed to Execute

  • Verify ContextPin is installed in the expected location
  • On macOS, check if the app is in /Applications
  • Try running the MCP command directly in Terminal to see errors

No Contexts Found

  • Make sure you have at least one context in ContextPin
  • Verify the workspace ID is correct
  • Check ContextPin's MCP status in Settings

JSON Parse Error

Common JSON mistakes:

  • Trailing comma after the last item
  • Missing quotes around strings
  • Using single quotes instead of double

Use a JSON validator to check your config file.

Next Steps