Connect the MCP to your agent

The same search powering this site is exposed as a Model Context Protocol server, so Claude (Code, Desktop, or any MCP client) can query the library directly — tools search_inspiration, get_inspiration, list_facets, kit_target_for.

Option A — Desktop “Connectors” panel (URL)

The Connectors panel takes a remote (HTTP) URL. First start the server in HTTP mode, then paste the URL.

1. Start the MCP in HTTP mode (keep it running)

cd "/Users/h/Desktop/Projects/Design Inspiration Library/design_inspiration_mcp"
MCP_HTTP=1 uv run python server.py

2. Claude Desktop → Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector → paste this URL

http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp

Default host/port are 127.0.0.1:8765; override with MCP_HOST / MCP_PORT. The server must stay running while you use the connector.

Option B — Local config file (recommended)

More reliable for a local server: register it once and the client launches it for you — nothing to keep running. For Claude Code it's already registered in ~/.mcp.json. For Claude Desktop, add the same block to its config:

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "design-inspiration": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["run", "--directory", "/Users/h/Desktop/Projects/Design Inspiration Library/design_inspiration_mcp", "python", "server.py"]
    }
  }
}

Restart the app after editing. This uses stdio (no URL, no port) — the client starts/stops the server automatically.

Verify

After connecting, ask the agent: “search the inspiration library for dark editorial SaaS heroes with oversized type”. It should call search_inspiration and return ranked items. Re-run the indexer after adding library items:

cd "/Users/h/Desktop/Projects/Design Inspiration Library/design_inspiration_mcp"
uv run python build_index.py --rebuild