Connect Claude to the Minecraft world (Step 4 of 4)

This is the final phase of the Minecraft Bedrock MCP setup. It assumes Phase 3 (setup-mcp-server) is done: the MCP server is running and its bridge handshake with the world succeeded.

Before starting, get two things from the user:

• The /mcp URL — http://<host>:<port>/mcp, e.g. http://localhost:8765/mcp. Use localhost only if Claude runs on the same machine as the MCP server; otherwise use the host's LAN IP or hostname. If the MCP server uses TLS, the scheme is https.
• The BRIDGE_CLIENT_TOKEN — the first secret from Phase 3 (the client token, not the agent token).

Name the server minecraft-bedrock. The builder agent and skills in this plugin expect MCP tools under that name (mcp__minecraft-bedrock__mc_*). Use exactly minecraft-bedrock as the server name below.

Ask the user which Claude they're connecting: Claude Code (CLI / IDE extension) or Claude Desktop. Follow the matching section.

Connecting Claude Code

The MCP server speaks the Streamable HTTP transport, which Claude Code supports natively. The simplest path is the claude mcp add command:

claude mcp add --transport http minecraft-bedrock "http://<host>:8765/mcp" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer <BRIDGE_CLIENT_TOKEN>"

Pick a scope with -s: local (default, this project only), project (shared via a committed .mcp.json), or user (all projects on this machine). For a personal setup, user is usually what the user wants: -s user.

Do not commit the token. If the user wants project scope, write the .mcp.json with the token pulled from an environment variable instead of inlining it. This plugin ships .mcp.json.example in its repo root showing that pattern:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "minecraft-bedrock": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "${MINECRAFT_MCP_URL:-http://localhost:8765/mcp}",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${MINECRAFT_MCP_TOKEN}" }
    }
  }
}

With that, the user sets MINECRAFT_MCP_URL and MINECRAFT_MCP_TOKEN in their environment and the committed file stays secret-free.

After adding it, the user restarts Claude Code (or reloads the window in the IDE extension). Confirm the server shows up with claude mcp list or /mcp — it should report minecraft-bedrock as connected.

Connecting Claude Desktop

Two options:

A — Native custom connector (preferred, if the user's Claude Desktop has it). In Settings → Connectors, add a custom connector with the URL http://<host>:8765/mcp and a header Authorization: Bearer <BRIDGE_CLIENT_TOKEN>.

B — Via the mcp-remote adapter. Edit Claude Desktop's config file:

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

Add under mcpServers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "minecraft-bedrock": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://<host>:8765/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization:${AUTH_HEADER}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AUTH_HEADER": "Bearer <BRIDGE_CLIENT_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

The token goes through the AUTH_HEADER env var so its space isn't mangled by argument parsing. Then fully restart Claude Desktop — the mc_* tools appear under the tools (🔌) menu once it reconnects.

Verify the connection

A registered server isn't a working one — confirm with a live call:

1. Make sure at least one player is in the world (many tools act relative to players or the world origin).
2. Call mc_world_get_info (or mc_server_get_status). A successful response — time, weather, dimensions — means the full chain is up: Claude → MCP server → bridge → behavior pack → world.
3. As a visible smoke test, call mc_world_send_message with a short greeting and confirm the user sees it in the in-game chat.

If a call fails:

• Auth / 401 — wrong token, or the agent token was used instead of the client token. The client token is the first secret from Phase 3.
• Connection refused / timeout — MCP server not running, wrong host:port, or a firewall between Claude and the host.
• Tools connect but calls hang or error about the bridge — the world side is down: re-check the Phase 3 handshake (BDS running, behavior pack active, secrets.json token).

Wrap up

Once mc_world_get_info returns cleanly, the setup is complete:

• minecraft-bedrock MCP server registered with Claude.
• mc_* tools visible.
• A live test call succeeded against the world.

Tell the user they're done — all four phases are complete. Suggest next steps:

• Try a simple prompt: "What's the time and weather? Set it to clear midday."
• Try building: "Build a small stone-brick house near the nearest player." Claude works through the mc_* tools to plan and place blocks in the world.

Source: chapmanjw/minecraft-bedrock-claude-plugin — distributed by TomeVault.