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Claude Code Setup

A step-by-step guide for installing Claude Code and configuring all MCP integrations.

Prerequisites

Ensure the following are installed and configured before proceeding:

  • Claude Code CLI installed and authenticated
  • Node.js and npm (for stdio servers using npx)
  • uv / uvx (for Python-based servers like BigQuery)
  • gh CLI authenticated (for GitHub MCP)
  • gcloud CLI authenticated with a default project (for BigQuery MCP)
  • API keys/tokens for: Figma, dbt Cloud, CircleCI

Installation

# Install Claude Code CLI
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

# Authenticate (opens browser for login)
claude login

After authenticating, navigate to any CRED repo and run claude to start a session. The CLI automatically reads the repo's CLAUDE.md for project-specific instructions.

Key CLI Commands

claude mcp list              # List all configured servers and status
claude mcp get <name>        # Check a specific server's details
claude mcp remove <name>     # Remove a server
claude mcp add ...           # Add a new server (see below)

MCP Server Setup

MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers extend Claude Code with external tool integrations. Replace all placeholder values (e.g. <YOUR_TOKEN>) with your actual credentials.

1. Linear [HTTP]

Project management, issues, and sprints.

claude mcp add --transport http linear https://mcp.linear.app/mcp

Authentication: OAuth (browser prompt on first use).

2. Vercel [HTTP]

Deployments, domains, and project management.

claude mcp add --transport http vercel https://mcp.vercel.com

Authentication: OAuth (browser prompt on first use).

3. Sentry [HTTP]

Error tracking and monitoring.

claude mcp add --transport http sentry https://mcp.sentry.dev/mcp

Authentication: OAuth (browser prompt on first use).

4. Figma [stdio]

Design files, components, and styles.

claude mcp add-json figma \
  '{"command":"npx",
   "args":["-y","figma-developer-mcp","--stdio"],
   "env":{"FIGMA_API_KEY":"<YOUR_FIGMA_API_KEY>"}}'

Authentication: Figma Personal Access Token. Generate at: Figma > Settings > Personal access tokens.

5. GitHub [stdio]

Repos, PRs, issues, and code search.

claude mcp add-json github \
  '{"command":"npx",
   "args":["-y","@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
   "env":{"GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN":
     "'$(gh auth token)'"}}'

Authentication: GitHub PAT (auto-pulled from gh CLI). Requires gh CLI to be authenticated. Alternatively, use a manual PAT from GitHub > Settings > Developer settings > Personal access tokens.

6. BigQuery [stdio]

SQL queries and dataset exploration.

claude mcp add-json bigquery \
  '{"command":"uvx",
   "args":["mcp-server-bigquery"],
   "env":{"BIGQUERY_PROJECT":
     "'$(gcloud config get-value project)'",
     "BIGQUERY_LOCATION":"US"}}'

Authentication: GCP credentials (auto-pulled from gcloud CLI). Requires gcloud CLI to be authenticated and a default project set.

7. dbt Cloud [HTTP]

Models, lineage, Semantic Layer, and Discovery API.

claude mcp add-json dbt \
  '{"type":"http",
   "url":"https://<SUBDOMAIN>.us1.dbt.com/api/ai/v1/mcp/",
   "headers":{
     "Authorization":"Token <DBT_CLOUD_API_TOKEN>",
     "x-dbt-prod-environment-id":"<PROD_ENV_ID>"}}'

Authentication: dbt Cloud API Token + Production Environment ID.

  • Token: dbt Cloud > Account Settings > API Access > Personal tokens
  • Environment ID: Found in the URL on the Environments page (deploy/<account_id>/projects/<project_id>/environments/<env_id>)

8. CircleCI [stdio]

Pipelines, workflows, and job management.

claude mcp add-json circleci \
  '{"command":"npx",
   "args":["-y","@circleci/mcp-server-circleci@latest"],
   "env":{"CIRCLECI_TOKEN":"<YOUR_CIRCLECI_TOKEN>",
     "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL":"https://circleci.com"}}'

Authentication: CircleCI Personal API Token. Generate at: circleci.com > User Settings > Personal API Tokens.

Troubleshooting

Issue Solution
"Needs authentication" Normal for HTTP/OAuth servers. Launch Claude Code and the browser auth flow will trigger automatically on first use.
"Failed to connect" Remove the server (claude mcp remove <name>) and re-add it. For stdio servers, ensure npx, uvx, gh, and gcloud are accessible in your PATH.

Quick Reference

Server Type Auth Method
Linear HTTP OAuth
Vercel HTTP OAuth
Sentry HTTP OAuth
Figma stdio Personal Access Token
GitHub stdio PAT (via gh CLI)
BigQuery stdio GCP credentials (via gcloud)
dbt Cloud HTTP API Token + Environment ID
CircleCI stdio Personal API Token

All servers added with these commands are scoped to the local project. They will not affect other projects.