Add MCP Servers to Give Claude Superpowers
Out of the box, Claude Code can read files and run commands. MCP servers extend it with entirely new capabilities — databases, APIs, browser automation, and more.
// .claude/settings.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"postgres": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres"],
"env": {
"DATABASE_URL": "postgresql://localhost:5432/mydb"
}
}
}
}
With that configured, Claude can now query your database directly during conversations — no copy-pasting SQL results back and forth.
Some popular MCP servers worth setting up:
- Postgres/MySQL — query databases, inspect schemas, run migrations
- GitHub — create PRs, review issues, manage repos without leaving the terminal
- Brave Search — let Claude search the web for documentation and examples
- Filesystem — give Claude controlled access to directories outside the project
You can configure them globally (~/.claude/settings.json) or per-project (.claude/settings.json). Per-project is usually better since different codebases need different tools.
# Check which MCP servers are active
claude /mcp
MCP servers are inherited by subagents too, so any parallel workers you spin up get the same capabilities.
MCP servers turn Claude from a code assistant into a fully connected development environment.
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MCP servers aren't just for third-party integrations — you can build your own to give Claude direct access to your internal tools, databases, APIs, and workflows. A custom MCP server turns any system your team uses into a tool Claude can call natively from your session.
MCP servers can be scoped at three levels — user (available everywhere you work), project (shared with the team via version control), or enterprise (managed by your organization). Pick the right scope so each project gets exactly the tools it needs without cluttering unrelated ones.
Instead of manually editing settings JSON to add MCP servers, use the claude mcp command — add servers with one line, list what's configured, remove ones you don't need, and scope them to the right level, all from the terminal.