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MCP Installation guide for Claude

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This guide walks you through connecting the ClickSend MCP (Model Context Protocol) server directly to Claude Code, enabling Claude to send SMS and manage your ClickSend account directly from your terminal. Whether you prefer a quick terminal setup or a manual configuration file, you'll be up and running in minutes.

Option A — CLI (recommended)

Run the following command from your terminal:

            
                claude mcp add clicksend \
  -e CLICKSEND_USERNAME=<your-clicksend-username> \
  -e CLICKSEND_API_KEY=<your-clicksend-api-key> \
  -- npx -y @clicksend/clicksend-mcp-server@latest

Notes on flags:

  • -e KEY=VALUE – passes an environment variable. Repeat the flag for each variable you need to set.

  • Everything after -- is the exact command Claude Code uses to start the server.

  • The default scope is user, which makes the server available across all your projects. Add --scope project to write the entry to .mcp.json at the repo root instead – useful for sharing the config with your team via source control.

  • Keep your API key out of source control – if you're using project scope, don't commit your API key as plain text. Use shell variable substitution instead: -e CLICKSEND_API_KEY=$CLICKSEND_API_KEY. This reads the value from your local environment at runtime, so no secrets end up in your repo.

Option B — Manual config file

Edit the global configuration file for your operating system:

  • macOS / Linux : ~/.claude.json

  • Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.claude.json

(Alternatively, if you are using project-level scope, edit the .mcp.json file located in your project's root directory).

            
                {
  "mcpServers": {
    "clicksend": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@clicksend/clicksend-mcp-server@latest"],
      "env": {
        "CLICKSEND_USERNAME": "<your-clicksend-username>",
        "CLICKSEND_API_KEY": "<your-clicksend-api-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Verify the connection

Once configured, run the following to confirm the server is listed and started successfully: claude mcp list

This lists all configured servers and flags any that failed to start. Inside an active Claude Code session, use the /mcp slash command to check live status – a green indicator means the server is connected and shows the available tool count.

FAQs