The Complete Guide to Finding and Using MCP Servers with Claude Code

<p><strong>London, 26 May 2025</strong> — As Claude Code continues to revolutionise AI-assisted development, the Model Context Protocol (MCP) has emerged as the standard for connecting AI to external tools and data sources. But with hundreds of MCP servers available, developers often struggle to find and implement the right tools for their needs. This comprehensive guide demystifies the MCP ecosystem and shows you exactly how to leverage these powerful integrations.</p> <h2>Understanding MCP: The Universal Language of AI Integration</h2> <p>Think of MCP as a USB port for AI. Just as USB allows any device to connect to your computer using a standard protocol, MCP enables Claude to connect with any tool, database, or API through a unified interface. This standardisation eliminates the need for custom integrations and allows developers to focus on building features rather than maintaining connections.</p> <p>"Before MCP, we had to write custom code for every AI integration," explains Marcus Thompson, Lead Developer at a London fintech startup. "Now, we simply configure an MCP server, and Claude can instantly access our entire development stack. It's transformed how we work."</p> <h2>How MCP Servers Work with Claude Code</h2> <p>MCP servers act as bridges between Claude and external resources. Here's the basic flow:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Server Setup</strong>: You configure an MCP server (typically a Node.js or Python application) that implements the MCP protocol</li> <li><strong>Tool Registration</strong>: The server registers available tools (functions Claude can call) with specific capabilities</li> <li><strong>Claude Integration</strong>: Claude Code connects to the server and gains access to all registered tools</li> <li><strong>Seamless Usage</strong>: You can ask Claude to use these tools naturally in conversation</li> </ol> <p>For example, with the Puppeteer MCP server, you can simply tell Claude: "Take a screenshot of my website" and it will automatically launch a browser, navigate to your site, and capture the image—all without you writing any code.</p> <h2>The Six Essential MCP Server Directories</h2> <h3>1. Official MCP Servers Repository</h3> <p><strong>Location</strong>: <code>github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers</code></p> <p><strong>What You'll Find</strong>: The authoritative collection of MCP servers maintained by Anthropic and the core team. These servers are thoroughly tested and follow best practices.</p> <p><strong>Key Servers</strong>:</p> <ul> <li>Filesystem operations</li> <li>Git integration</li> <li>Google Drive access</li> <li>Slack communication</li> <li>PostgreSQL database connections</li> </ul> <h3>2. Awesome MCP Servers</h3> <p><strong>Location</strong>: <code>github.com/wong2/awesome-mcp-servers</code></p> <p><strong>What You'll Find</strong>: A curated list of the best community-created MCP servers, organised by category. This is often the best starting point for discovering new tools.</p> <p><strong>Categories Include</strong>:</p> <ul> <li>Development tools</li> <li>Data sources</li> <li>Communication platforms</li> <li>AI/ML tools</li> <li>Productivity applications</li> </ul> <h3>3. MCP Hub</h3> <p><strong>Location</strong>: <code>mcphub.com</code></p> <p><strong>What You'll Find</strong>: A searchable directory with detailed documentation, user ratings, and implementation guides for each server.</p> <p><strong>Unique Features</strong>:</p> <ul> <li>Search by functionality</li> <li>User reviews and ratings</li> <li>Installation statistics</li> <li>Direct integration with Claude Desktop</li> </ul> <h3>4. Smithery MCP Directory</h3> <p><strong>Location</strong>: <code>smithery.ai/mcp</code></p> <p><strong>What You'll Find</strong>: A beautifully designed showcase of MCP servers with visual previews and live demos.</p> <p><strong>Best For</strong>: Discovering innovative and experimental MCP servers that push the boundaries of what's possible.</p> <h3>5. NPM Package Registry</h3> <p><strong>Location</strong>: <code>npmjs.com</code> (search for "mcp-server")</p> <p><strong>What You'll Find</strong>: JavaScript/TypeScript MCP servers published as NPM packages for easy installation.</p> <p><strong>Pro Tip</strong>: Look for packages with the <code>mcp-server-</code> prefix for official naming convention compliance.</p> <h3>6. GitHub Topic Search</h3> <p><strong>Location</strong>: <code>github.com/topics/mcp-server</code></p> <p><strong>What You'll Find</strong>: The latest MCP servers as they're being developed, including experimental and beta versions.</p> <p><strong>Advanced Search</strong>: Use filters like "recently updated" or "most starred" to find actively maintained servers.</p> <h2>Popular MCP Servers to Get Started</h2> <h3>For Web Development</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Puppeteer MCP</strong>: Browser automation for testing and screenshots</li> <li><strong>Playwright MCP</strong>: Cross-browser testing with modern APIs</li> <li><strong>Lighthouse MCP</strong>: Performance and SEO auditing</li> </ul> <h3>For Data Work</h3> <ul> <li><strong>PostgreSQL MCP</strong>: Direct database queries and management</li> <li><strong>MongoDB MCP</strong>: NoSQL database operations</li> <li><strong>BigQuery MCP</strong>: Google Cloud data warehouse access</li> </ul> <h3>For DevOps</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Docker MCP</strong>: Container management and deployment</li> <li><strong>Kubernetes MCP</strong>: Cluster operations and monitoring</li> <li><strong>AWS MCP</strong>: Full AWS service integration</li> </ul> <h2>Real-World Example: Web Testing with Puppeteer MCP</h2> <p>Let's walk through a practical example of using the Puppeteer MCP server:</p> <h3>Step 1: Install the Server</h3> <pre><code>npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-puppeteer</code></pre> <h3>Step 2: Configure Claude Code</h3> <p>Add to your MCP settings in Claude Desktop:</p> <pre><code>{ "mcpServers": { "puppeteer": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-puppeteer"] } } }</code></pre> <h3>Step 3: Use It in Conversation</h3> <p>Now you can simply tell Claude:</p> <ul> <li>"Take a screenshot of example.com"</li> <li>"Test if my login form works"</li> <li>"Extract all links from this webpage"</li> <li>"Check if my site is mobile-responsive"</li> </ul> <p>Claude will automatically use Puppeteer to perform these tasks, returning results directly in the conversation.</p> <h2>Creating Your Own MCP Server</h2> <p>Can't find an MCP server for your specific needs? Creating one is straightforward:</p> <pre><code>// Basic MCP server structure import { Server } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/index.js'; import { StdioServerTransport } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/stdio.js'; const server = new Server({ name: 'my-custom-server', version: '1.0.0' }, { capabilities: { tools: {} } }); // Register a tool server.setRequestHandler('tools/call', async (request) => { if (request.params.name === 'my_tool') { // Your custom logic here return { content: [{ type: 'text', text: 'Tool executed!' }] }; } }); // Start the server const transport = new StdioServerTransport(); await server.connect(transport); </code></pre> <h2>Best Practices for MCP Server Usage</h2> <h3>Security Considerations</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Credential Management</strong>: Use environment variables for sensitive data</li> <li><strong>Access Control</strong>: Implement proper authentication for production servers</li> <li><strong>Data Validation</strong>: Always validate inputs from Claude before processing</li> </ul> <h3>Performance Optimisation</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Connection Pooling</strong>: Reuse database connections</li> <li><strong>Caching</strong>: Implement caching for frequently accessed data</li> <li><strong>Rate Limiting</strong>: Protect external APIs from excessive requests</li> </ul> <h3>Debugging Tips</h3> <ul> <li>Enable verbose logging during development</li> <li>Use the MCP Inspector tool for protocol debugging</li> <li>Test tools individually before integration</li> </ul> <h2>The Future of MCP</h2> <p>The MCP ecosystem is rapidly evolving with new developments:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Standardisation</strong>: More platforms adopting MCP as their integration standard</li> <li><strong>Enterprise Features</strong>: Advanced security and compliance capabilities</li> <li><strong>Performance Improvements</strong>: Faster protocol implementations and better caching</li> <li><strong>Cross-Platform Support</strong>: MCP servers running on edge devices and embedded systems</li> </ul> <h2>Getting Help and Contributing</h2> <p>The MCP community is vibrant and welcoming:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Discord</strong>: Join the official MCP Discord for real-time help</li> <li><strong>GitHub Discussions</strong>: Participate in technical discussions and feature requests</li> <li><strong>Stack Overflow</strong>: Tag questions with 'mcp-server' for community support</li> <li><strong>Contributing</strong>: Submit your own MCP servers to the awesome-mcp-servers list</li> </ul> <h2>Conclusion</h2> <p>MCP servers transform Claude Code from a helpful assistant into a powerful development platform. By understanding how to find, use, and create MCP servers, you unlock Claude's full potential to interact with your entire development ecosystem. Start with the directories listed above, experiment with popular servers, and don't hesitate to create your own when needed. The MCP revolution is just beginning, and you're now equipped to be part of it.</p> <p><em>Ready to supercharge your Claude Code experience? Start exploring MCP servers today and discover how they can transform your development workflow.</em></p>

The Complete Guide to Finding and Using MCP Servers with Claude Code

Pete Gypps

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