Install & connect

One command. The shell expands $ARACHNE_TOKEN when you run it, and Claude Code stores the header in its local (per-project, private) configuration.

claude mcp add --transport http arachne https://arachne.withaadhi.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $ARACHNE_TOKEN"

To share the server with your team without sharing a token, check in a project .mcp.json that references an environment variable; each person sets their own ARACHNE_TOKEN:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "arachne": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://arachne.withaadhi.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${ARACHNE_TOKEN}" }
    }
  }
}

Check it with claude mcp list, or run /mcp inside a session: arachne should show as connected with 8 tools (fewer if your role is member or viewer).

Option A: custom connector with a request header. In Claude, go to Customize → Connectors → Add → Add custom connector, enter the name Arachne and the URL https://arachne.withaadhi.com/mcp. Under authentication choose No sign-in, open Request headers, pick authorization and enter the value Bearer arpat_… (include the word Bearer and the space). Anthropic documents request-header authentication as a beta that only some organisations have; if you do not see Request headers, use option B.

Option B: the mcp-remote bridge. mcp-remote is a community package (not made by Anthropic or Arachne) that runs locally as a stdio server and forwards to a remote HTTP server with your header. It needs Node.js. Open the config file from Settings → Developer → Edit Config, or directly:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "arachne": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y", "mcp-remote",
        "https://arachne.withaadhi.com/mcp",
        "--header", "Authorization:${ARACHNE_AUTH}"
      ],
      "env": { "ARACHNE_AUTH": "Bearer arpat_REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_TOKEN" }
    }
  }
}

The header value goes through env with no space after the colon in args: that is the workaround the mcp-remote README gives for Claude Desktop on Windows splitting arguments at spaces, and it works everywhere. Restart Claude Desktop afterwards. This file holds the token in plain text, so keep it out of backups you share.

Add the server to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (all projects) or .cursor/mcp.json (one project). Cursor expands ${env:NAME} in url and headers, so the token stays in your environment:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "arachne": {
      "url": "https://arachne.withaadhi.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:ARACHNE_TOKEN}" }
    }
  }
}

Start Cursor from a shell where ARACHNE_TOKEN is set, then check Settings → MCP: arachne should list its tools.

Create .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace (or run MCP: Open User Configuration for all workspaces). An inputs entry with "password": true makes VS Code prompt for the token once and store it securely, so the file itself is safe to commit:

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "arachne-token",
      "description": "Arachne MCP token (arpat_...)",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "arachne": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://arachne.withaadhi.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:arachne-token}" }
    }
  }
}

Start the server from the mcp.json editor (or MCP: List Servers), enter the token when asked, and the tools appear in Copilot Chat's agent mode tool picker.

Any MCP client that can send a custom header to a remote Streamable-HTTP server works. Configure:

{
  "url": "https://arachne.withaadhi.com/mcp",
  "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer arpat_REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_TOKEN" }
}

If your client only speaks stdio, put the mcp-remote bridge from the Claude Desktop tab in front of it. To call the server by hand, see the next section.