What Are MCP Servers?

MCP servers are programs that expose tools to Claude. For example:

• Filesystem MCP — Gives Claude direct file system access
• GitHub MCP — Lets Claude interact with GitHub issues, PRs, and repos
• Database MCP — Lets Claude query databases
• Browser MCP — Pandev's built-in server that lets Claude interact with your browser preview

When an MCP server is connected, its tools appear automatically in Claude's available tool list.

Opening MCP Settings

1. Open Settings (Cmd+,)
2. Select "MCP Servers" from the left sidebar
3. Choose scope: Global (all projects) or a specific Project

Adding an MCP Server

Paste a JSON configuration or a claude mcp add command into the input area. Pandev auto-parses the input and shows a preview of the detected servers.

Supported input formats:

• CLI command: claude mcp add --transport stdio my-server -- npx my-mcp-server
• JSON config: { "mcpServers": { "my-server": { "command": "npx", "args": ["my-mcp-server"] } } }
• Bare config: { "command": "npx", "args": ["my-mcp-server"] } (you'll be asked for a name)

If you're adding to a project, choose the scope:

• Project-shared (.mcp.json) — Committed to git, shared with your team
• Project-local (~/.claude.json) — Personal project overrides, not committed
• Global (~/.claude.json) — Available across all projects

Click "Add MCP Server" to save. Quick-links below the input let you open ~/.claude.json or .mcp.json directly for manual editing.

Server List

Each configured server shows:

• Status indicator — Green (enabled), gray (disabled), red (auth error), yellow (authenticating)
• Type icon — Globe for remote (HTTP/SSE) servers, terminal for local (stdio) servers
• Server name and subtitle (URL or command)
• Source badge — Where the config lives (global, project-shared, project-local)
• Inherited badge — For global servers shown in project view

Click a server to expand it and see its available tools (tool name and description).

Server Controls

For each server:

Scopes

• Global servers — Available in all projects. Stored in ~/.claude.json.
• Project-shared servers — Only for that project, committed to git. Stored in .mcp.json in the project root.
• Project-local servers — Only for that project, personal (not committed). Stored in the projects section of ~/.claude.json.
• In project view, global servers appear with an "Inherited" badge.

Built-in: Browser MCP

Pandev automatically manages a Browser MCP server (pandev-browser) when you open the Browser Preview panel. This server:

• Starts automatically when the browser preview opens
• Stops automatically when the browser preview closes
• Gives Claude tools to navigate, click, type, screenshot, and interact with your app
• Registers itself in your Claude configuration automatically

You don't need to configure this manually — it's handled by Pandev.

Common MCP Servers

Here are some popular MCP servers you might want to add: