Claude Code MCP Tool Installation

Connect Anysite MCP Server to Claude Code using CLI commands

Overview

The Anysite MCP Tool for Claude Code provides seamless CLI-based integration between Claude Code and the Anysite API through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This allows you to access LinkedIn, Instagram, Reddit, and other social media data extraction tools directly in your Claude Code sessions using terminal commands.

Prerequisites

Why Claude Code Integration?

CLI Control

Full command-line control for developers and power users

Scope Management

Configure per-project, per-user, or locally with flexible scopes

CI/CD Ready

Perfect for automation, scripts, and continuous integration pipelines

Version Control

Project-scoped configs can be committed and shared via `.mcp.json`

Installation Steps

Step 1: Get Connection URL

First, obtain your connection URL from the Anysite dashboard:

  1. Visit anysite.io and log in to your account
  2. Navigate to MCP Server Integration section
  3. You'll see two connection options:
    • OAuth URL: https://mcp.anysite.io/mcp (for GUI clients)
    • Direct URL: Contains API key directly (recommended for Claude Code)
Anysite MCP Server Integration - Get Connection URL
  1. In the "Or add to your client" section, select Claude Code
  2. The "Auto" tab will display the complete terminal command

For Claude Code, use the Direct URL which includes your API key in the connection string.

Keep your connection URL secure - it contains your API key. Never share it publicly or commit it to version control.

Step 2: Install via Terminal

There are two installation methods available:

CLI Command (Recommended)

Copy and run the command in your terminal:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http anysite "https://mcp.anysite.io/mcp?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"
```

**Command breakdown:**
- `claude mcp add` - Add a new MCP server
- `--transport http` - Use HTTP transport (streamable)
- `anysite` - Name for this server (you can customize)
- `"URL"` - Your MCP URL with API key

**Optional parameters:**

```bash
# Add with specific scope
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user anysite "https://mcp.anysite.io/mcp?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

# Add with environment variable (more secure)
export ANYSITE_API_KEY="your_key_here"
claude mcp add --transport http anysite "https://mcp.anysite.io/mcp?api_key=$ANYSITE_API_KEY"
```

NPX Configuration

Alternatively, you can configure MCP via JSON configuration file.

**For macOS:**
Edit `~/.claude.json` or `.mcp.json` in your project root:

**For Windows:**
Edit `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`

Add the following configuration:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anysite": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anysiteio/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ANYSITE_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY",
        "ANYSITE_ACCOUNT_ID": ""
      }
    }
  }
}
```

The NPX method automatically downloads and runs the latest Anysite MCP package. It requires Node.js and npm installed on your system.


**Configuration breakdown:**
- `command: "npx"` - Uses npx to run the package
- `args: ["-y", "@anysiteio/mcp"]` - Auto-confirms and runs the Anysite MCP package
- `ANYSITE_API_KEY` - Your API key from the Anysite dashboard
- `ANYSITE_ACCOUNT_ID` - Optional account ID (leave empty if not needed)

Understanding Scopes:

local (default)

**Project-specific, private**

- Configuration stored in current directory
- Not shared or version controlled
- Best for: Personal API keys, temporary setups

```bash
claude mcp add --scope local anysite "URL"
```

project

**Shared via version control**

- Stored in `.mcp.json` in project root
- Can be committed to git
- Team members get same configuration
- Best for: Shared resources, team projects

```bash
claude mcp add --scope project anysite "URL"
```

Don't commit API keys! Use environment variables with project scope.

user

**Cross-project, personal**

- Stored in `~/.claude.json`
- Available across all projects
- Best for: Personal utilities, global tools

```bash
claude mcp add --scope user anysite "URL"
```

Step 3: Verify Installation

After installation, verify the MCP server is working:

List all configured servers:

claude mcp list

Expected output:

anysite (http)
  ✔ connected
  https://mcp.anysite.io/mcp?api_key=***

Test specific server:

claude mcp get anysite

This command:

Check within Claude Code conversation:

During a Claude Code session, use:

/mcp

This shows real-time MCP server status and available tools.

If you see "✔ connected" status, the installation was successful!

Managing Your Connection

View Installed Servers

# List all MCP servers
claude mcp list

# Get details for specific server
claude mcp get anysite

Update Server Configuration

To update the server URL or configuration:

  1. Remove existing server:

    claude mcp remove anysite

  2. Re-add with new configuration:

    claude mcp add --transport http anysite "https://mcp.anysite.io/mcp?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

Remove Server

claude mcp remove anysite

Known Issue: claude mcp remove may not properly remove project-scoped servers. If this happens, manually edit:

Debug Mode

For troubleshooting connection issues:

claude --mcp-debug

This runs Claude Code with detailed MCP debug output, showing:

Configuration Files

Claude Code stores MCP configurations in different locations based on scope:

Scope Location Purpose
local ./.claude-local.json Current directory only
project ./.mcp.json Project root, version control
user ~/.claude.json User's home directory

Troubleshooting

Server shows as added but won't connect

**Solutions:**
- Restart Claude Code completely
- Verify the API key is valid and active
- Check internet connectivity
- Test the URL in browser (should return JSON)
- Use debug mode: `claude --mcp-debug`
- Check Anysite dashboard for API quota

Tools not appearing after installation

**Solutions:**
- Restart Claude Code application
- Run `claude mcp get anysite` to test connection
- Verify subscription includes the tools you need
- Remove and re-add the server:
  ```bash
  claude mcp remove anysite
  claude mcp add --transport http anysite "https://mcp.anysite.io/mcp?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"
  ```
- Check if API key has expired

Error: 'claude' command not found

**Solutions:**
- Ensure Claude Code is properly installed
- Add Claude Code to your PATH:
  - macOS: Add to `~/.zshrc` or `~/.bashrc`
  - Windows: Add to System Environment Variables
- Restart terminal after installation
- Try full path: `/Applications/Claude.app/Contents/MacOS/claude` (macOS)

Connection timeout or slow responses

**Solutions:**
- Check your internet connection speed
- Increase timeout with environment variable:
  ```bash
  MCP_TIMEOUT=30000 claude  # 30 seconds
  ```
- Try during off-peak hours
- Contact Anysite support if persistent

Configuration conflicts between scopes

**Issue:** Same server configured at multiple scopes

**Solutions:**
- List all servers to identify duplicates:
  ```bash
  claude mcp list
  ```
- Remove from specific scope:
  ```bash
  # Remove from local
  rm ./.claude-local.json

  # Remove from project
  rm ./.mcp.json

  # Remove from user
  claude mcp remove anysite
  ```
- Re-add with desired scope only

API key security concerns

**Best practices:**

1. **Use environment variables:**
   ```bash
   export ANYSITE_API_KEY="your_key"
   claude mcp add --transport http anysite "https://mcp.anysite.io/mcp?api_key=$ANYSITE_API_KEY"
   ```

2. **Never commit keys to git:**
   ```bash
   # Add to .gitignore
   echo ".claude-local.json" >> .gitignore
   echo ".mcp.json" >> .gitignore
   ```

3. **Use project scope with env vars:**
   ```bash
   # Team can share config, but not keys
   claude mcp add --scope project --transport http anysite "https://mcp.anysite.io/mcp?api_key=$ANYSITE_API_KEY"
   ```

4. **Rotate keys regularly** from Anysite dashboard

Advanced Configuration

Multiple Environments

Configure different servers for dev/staging/production:

# Development
claude mcp add --transport http --scope local anysite-dev "https://mcp.anysite.io/mcp?api_key=DEV_KEY"

# Production
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user anysite-prod "https://mcp.anysite.io/mcp?api_key=PROD_KEY"

Custom Server Names

Use descriptive names for better organization:

# By team
claude mcp add --transport http marketing-anysite "https://mcp.anysite.io/mcp?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

# By project
claude mcp add --transport http project-alpha-anysite "https://mcp.anysite.io/mcp?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

# By environment
claude mcp add --transport http anysite-staging "https://mcp.anysite.io/mcp?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

Alternative: NPX Package

You can also use the NPX package method for more flexibility:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anysite": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anysiteio/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ANYSITE_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY",
        "ANYSITE_ACCOUNT_ID": ""
      }
    }
  }
}

This method:

Comparison: Claude Code vs Other Integrations

Feature Claude Code (CLI) Claude Desktop (GUI) Local Server
Interface Command line Graphical settings Config files
Setup Terminal command Click-through OAuth Python server
Best For Developers, automation General users Full control
Scope Control ✅ local/project/user ❌ Global only ✅ Per config
CI/CD Ready ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Auto Updates ❌ Manual ✅ Automatic ❌ Manual
Debugging ✅ --mcp-debug ⚠️ Limited ✅ Full logs
Team Sharing ✅ Via .mcp.json ❌ Per machine ✅ Via git
Security ⚠️ API key in config ✅ OAuth tokens ⚠️ API key in env

Environment Variables

Useful environment variables for Claude Code MCP:

# Connection timeout (milliseconds)
export MCP_TIMEOUT=15000

# Maximum output tokens from MCP tools
export MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_TOKENS=50000

# Warning threshold for large outputs
export MCP_OUTPUT_WARNING_THRESHOLD=10000

# Run with debug mode
export CLAUDE_MCP_DEBUG=1

Add to your shell profile (~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc) for persistent settings.

Security Best Practices

Environment Variables

Store API keys in environment variables, never hardcode in commands

Scope Selection

Use `local` scope for sensitive keys, `project` for shared configs

Git Ignore

Always add `.claude-local.json` and `.mcp.json` to `.gitignore`

Key Rotation

Regularly regenerate API keys from Anysite dashboard

Audit Access

Review configured servers periodically with `claude mcp list`

Remove Unused

Clean up old server configs to reduce security surface

Next Steps

Need Help?

Get Support

Contact our support team for assistance with Claude Code MCP integration