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Claude Desktop setup

Why Custom Connector asks for OAuth Client ID, and how to connect with a personal access token instead.

problem
Claude Desktop → Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector shows OAuth fields (Client ID, Client Secret). trefolio MCP does NOT use OAuth — it uses a personal access token (`tfp_pat_…`). There is no Client ID to provide.
do not use
Do not enter your PAT in the OAuth Client ID field. That field is for OAuth client registration, not API keys.
supported path
Edit the Claude Desktop config file and pass the token in an Authorization header.
config file macos
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
config file windows
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
steps
  • Mint `tfp_pat_…` at https://user.trefolio.com/account/developer or trefolio Profile → Devices → Generate access token.
  • Quit Claude Desktop completely.
  • Paste the JSON below into claude_desktop_config.json (merge with existing mcpServers if needed).
  • Replace tfp_pat_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE with your real token.
  • Restart Claude Desktop.
claude desktop config
mcpServers
trefolio
type
http
headers
Authorization
Bearer tfp_pat_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE
claude code cli
claude mcp add --transport http trefolio https://trefolio.com/api/mcp/user/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer tfp_pat_YOUR_TOKEN"
cursor note
Cursor uses ~/.cursor/mcp.json with the same url + headers pattern (see /api/docs/mcp).
claude web note
claude.ai Connectors Directory uses OAuth 2.0 (not static Bearer tokens). See /docs/claude-connectors for marketplace listing. Custom connectors in Claude Desktop can still use PAT via claude_desktop_config.json.

JSON API: https://trefolio.com/api/docs/claude-desktop