Claude Desktop

Connect Bridgable to Claude Desktop as a custom connector. Claude Desktop doesn't use the same plugin marketplace as Claude Code — it talks to Bridgable directly over MCP via a URL you configure once.

Prerequisites

• Claude Desktop — download from claude.ai/download.
• Paid Claude plan (Pro / Max / Team) — Anthropic gates custom connectors to paid plans.
• Bridgable account — sign-in is handled in the OAuth popup the first time you connect.

Step 1 — Open the connector settings

1. Open Claude Desktop.
2. Open the sidebar (click your profile in the top-left, or the sidebar toggle).
3. Click Customize.
4. Click Connectors.

Step 2 — Add the custom connector

1. Click the + button (top-right of the Connectors list).
2. Choose Add custom connector.
3. Fill in the form:
   • Name: Bridgable
   • Remote MCP server URL: https://mcp.bridgable.no/mcp
4. Click Add.

Step 3 — Authenticate

Claude opens a browser tab for OAuth.

1. Sign in on bridgable.ai (or create an account if you don't have one).
2. Approve the connector when prompted.
3. The tab closes — Claude shows the connector as Connected.

That's it. You're ready to chat with the Bridgable plugin.

Usage

In a new chat, ask your agent about OpenBridge components or open the visual studio:

> How do I use obc-slider in React?
> Open the Bridgable studio so I can tinker with a compass before you write the code.

The last prompt triggers the Bridgable Studio — an interactive widget that renders inline in your chat. Use it to dial in real prop values visually (heading, course, palette, etc.); the agent picks up the bundle and writes code with your exact selections.

Troubleshooting

"Couldn't reach the MCP server." — Anthropic's connector proxy sometimes caches stale state after a sign-out. Remove the connector, quit Claude Desktop fully (Cmd+Q on macOS), relaunch, then re-add.

"Failed to load MCP App: the resource may exceed the 5 MB size limit." — This error message is misleading and usually appears after a Claude Desktop update. Disconnect, fully quit Claude Desktop, relaunch, and reconnect with a fresh OAuth flow.

Globe icon next to the connector name instead of the Bridgable logo. — Known Claude UI limitation: the icons field from the MCP initialize response is spec-correct but not yet rendered by Claude Desktop (anthropics/claude-ai-mcp#152). Will resolve automatically when Anthropic ships icon rendering.

Tokens expired / OAuth loops. — Sign out at app.bridgable.ai, remove the connector, fully quit Claude Desktop, then re-add the connector and sign back in fresh.

Alternative: Claude Code (terminal)

If you prefer the terminal CLI, see the Claude Code installation guide — the plugin install is a single command. Both surfaces use the same underlying MCP server and have the same toolset; Claude Desktop just renders the visual studio iframe inline in chat.