Connect ContextBolt to Claude Desktop via MCP

Claude Desktop is Anthropic’s native macOS and Windows app for Claude. It supports MCP (Model Context Protocol), which means you can give Claude direct access to external tools and data sources, including your ContextBolt bookmarks.

Once connected, you can ask Claude to search your saved content from Twitter/X, Reddit, and LinkedIn during any conversation. This is particularly useful when you’re researching a topic and want to pull in articles, threads, or posts you’ve previously saved.

What this integration gives you

Most people save content with good intentions but never find it again. The Claude Desktop integration solves this by making your bookmarks searchable from inside your AI conversations.

Instead of switching between Claude and your browser extension to look things up, you can ask Claude directly. It searches your bookmarks semantically, meaning it finds relevant content even when the exact words don’t match your query.

This is especially powerful for research workflows. If you’re writing about a topic and want to reference things you’ve previously saved, Claude can pull them in without you leaving the conversation.

Configuration file example

Add this to the mcpServers section of your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "contextbolt": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@contextbolt/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "CONTEXTBOLT_TOKEN": "your-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace your-token-here with the token from your ContextBolt extension settings.

Tips for getting the most out of this integration

Be specific with platform filters. If you know the content was a tweet, mention Twitter in your prompt. This narrows the search and returns more relevant results.

Use natural language. The search is semantic, so describe what you’re looking for in plain English rather than trying to guess exact keywords.

Combine with Claude’s analysis. Ask Claude not just to find bookmarks but to summarise or compare them. For example: “Find my saved articles about MCP and summarise the key differences in their approaches.”

Save broadly, search narrowly. The more content you save across platforms, the more useful this integration becomes. ContextBolt works best as a catch-all for interesting content that you search through later.

Setup guide

1. Get your MCP token from ContextBolt

   Open the ContextBolt extension popup in Chrome and click Settings. Under the MCP section, click 'Copy MCP Token'. This token authenticates Claude Desktop with your bookmark collection. You'll need a Pro subscription (£4/month) as MCP is a Pro feature.

2. Add ContextBolt to your Claude Desktop config

   Open Claude Desktop, go to Settings, then Developer, and click 'Edit Config'. Add the ContextBolt MCP server entry to the mcpServers object in your claude_desktop_config.json file. Paste your token in the configuration. Save and restart Claude Desktop.

3. Test the connection

   Start a new conversation in Claude Desktop and ask something like 'Search my bookmarks for articles about productivity'. If the connection is working, Claude will use the ContextBolt MCP tools to search your saved content and return relevant results.

Example prompts

Once connected, try asking Claude Desktop:

What you can do