# Connect an AI client

> Turn on MCP, create a token, and configure Claude, ChatGPT, or your own client.

Source: https://notate.md/docs/mcp/connect/

Category: MCP

Updated: 2026-08-12

---

Connecting takes three steps: turn MCP on, create a token, and paste the token and URL into your AI client. You only do it once per client.

## 1. Turn MCP on

MCP is **off by default**, on every account. Open **Settings, Features, MCP** and switch on **Enable MCP**.

Until you do, the endpoint refuses every request, including from a token you have already created. That ordering is deliberate: turning the switch off is a reliable way to cut off every connected client at once, without hunting down tokens.

## 2. Create a token

In the same settings section, create a token and give it a name describing where it will be used, such as `claude-desktop` or `work-laptop`.

**The token is shown once.** Notate stores only a hash of it, so it cannot be shown again later. If you lose it, revoke it and create another.

Use a separate token per client. It costs nothing and it means you can revoke one without disturbing the others.

## 3. Configure your client

Notate is a remote MCP server over HTTP. Most clients take a URL and a header.

```json
{
  "notate": {
    "type": "http",
    "url": "https://api.notate.md/mcp",
    "headers": {
      "Authorization": "Bearer notate_st_your_token_here"
    }
  }
}
```

Where that goes depends on the client:

- **Claude Code** — add it to the `mcpServers` block in your Claude configuration
- **Claude Desktop** — Settings, then Connectors, then add a custom connector
- **Anything else** — anywhere the client asks for a remote or HTTP MCP server

Restart or reconnect the client after saving, then ask it something like *"what folders do I have in Notate?"* to confirm it is working.

## Checking it worked

A connected client lists the Notate tools it can see. If tools appear and a simple question returns your folders, you are done.

## If it does not connect

The endpoint explains itself rather than failing blankly. What you see tells you what to fix:

| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| MCP access is turned off for this account | Step 1: switch on Enable MCP in Settings |
| Your plan does not include MCP access | MCP needs the Sync plan or above |
| Service token revoked, expired, or unknown | The token was revoked or mistyped; create a new one |
| This account has end-to-end encryption enabled | MCP cannot serve encrypted accounts. See the [overview](https://notate.md/docs/mcp/overview/) |

If a specific action is missing rather than the whole connection failing, that is the approval settings rather than a connection problem. See [permissions](https://notate.md/docs/mcp/permissions/).

## Revoking access

Revoke a token in **Settings, Features, MCP**. It stops working immediately, and the others keep working.

Revoking stays available even if your plan changes, so a token you created while subscribed can always be cleaned up afterwards.