> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.claude-mem.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Claude Desktop MCP

> Use claude-mem memory search in Claude Desktop with MCP tools

<Note>
  **Availability:** Claude-mem MCP tools work with Claude Desktop on macOS and Windows.
</Note>

## Overview

Claude Desktop can access your claude-mem memory database through **MCP tools**. This allows you to search past sessions, decisions, and observations directly from Claude Desktop conversations.

## Prerequisites

Before configuring MCP tools, ensure:

1. **claude-mem is installed** and the worker service is running
2. **MCP server is configured** in Claude Desktop (uses the `mcp-search` MCP server)

### Verify Worker is Running

```bash theme={null}
curl http://localhost:37777/api/health
# Should return: {"status":"ok"}
```

## Installation

### Step 1: Configure MCP Server

The skill requires the `mcp-search` MCP server. Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="macOS">
    Edit `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`:

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "mcp-search": {
          "command": "node",
          "args": [
            "/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/thedotmack/plugin/scripts/mcp-server.cjs"
          ]
        }
      }
    }
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Windows">
    Edit `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`:

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "mcp-search": {
          "command": "node",
          "args": [
            "C:\\Users\\YOUR_USERNAME\\.claude\\plugins\\marketplaces\\thedotmack\\plugin\\scripts\\mcp-server.cjs"
          ]
        }
      }
    }
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Warning>
  Replace `YOUR_USERNAME` with your actual username. Restart Claude Desktop after editing the configuration.
</Warning>

### Step 2: Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop for the MCP server configuration to take effect.

## Usage

Once installed, the skill auto-activates when you ask about past work:

```
"What did we do last session?"
"Did we fix this bug before?"
"How did we implement authentication?"
"What decisions did we make about the API?"
"Show me changes to worker-service.ts"
```

## Available MCP Tools

The skill provides three core MCP tools following a 3-layer workflow pattern:

| Tool               | Description                                                                     |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `search`           | Search memory index. Returns compact results with IDs for filtering             |
| `timeline`         | Get chronological context around a query or observation ID                      |
| `get_observations` | Fetch full observation details by ID (use after filtering with search/timeline) |

### Token-Efficient Workflow

1. **Search** → Get index with IDs (\~50-100 tokens/result)
2. **Timeline** → Get context around interesting results
3. **Get Observations** → Fetch full details ONLY for filtered IDs

This 3-layer approach provides \~10x token savings compared to fetching full details upfront.

## Troubleshooting

### Skill Not Appearing

1. Verify the zip file was properly installed
2. Check Claude Desktop's skill installation logs
3. Restart Claude Desktop

### MCP Server Connection Failed

1. Verify the worker is running: `curl http://localhost:37777/api/health`
2. Check the MCP server path in configuration
3. Look for errors in Claude Desktop logs

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="macOS">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # View Claude Desktop logs
    tail -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/claude.log
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Windows">
    Check `%APPDATA%\Claude\logs\`
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Search Returns No Results

1. Ensure claude-mem has recorded sessions (check [http://localhost:37777](http://localhost:37777))
2. Verify the database exists: `ls ~/.claude-mem/claude-mem.db`
3. Test the API directly: `curl "http://localhost:37777/api/search?query=test"`

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Search Tools" icon="magnifying-glass" href="/usage/search-tools">
    Complete search API reference
  </Card>

  <Card title="Platform Integration" icon="plug" href="/platform-integration">
    Build custom integrations
  </Card>
</CardGroup>