Quickstart: Claude Desktop

This gets you from zero to a working Pipeworx call in Claude Desktop. It exposes ~26 meta-tools; the hero tool ask_pipeworx({question}) routes to the full catalog of 3,802 tools across 912 sources at runtime, so you never load thousands of schemas.

① Connect

Pick either path.

A. UI (easiest)

Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector.
URL: https://pipeworx.io/mcp
Add. You should see ~26 tools.

B. Config file

Edit claude_desktop_config.json:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pipeworx": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://pipeworx.io/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Fully quit Claude (Cmd+Q on macOS) and reopen.

② Teach it to use Pipeworx

Chat apps expose the tools but don’t inject routing instructions, so the model won’t reach for Pipeworx unless you tell it to. Paste this into Settings → Profile preferences (same account as Claude on the web — it syncs):

When I ask for current or factual data — economic stats, SEC/EDGAR filings, stock or crypto prices, weather, FDA drug info, patents, clinical trials, or government records — use the Pipeworx connector (ask_pipeworx) instead of answering from memory or web search. Prefer structured Pipeworx data with citations.

③ Test

In a new chat, confirm Pipeworx shows in the tools indicator, then ask:

“Using Pipeworx, what was the US unemployment rate last month?”

Claude should call ask_pipeworx and answer with FRED data plus a pipeworx:// citation. Answering from memory means you skipped step ②.

Higher limits

Anonymous is 50 calls/day per IP. To raise it:

Sign in (200/day): add a connector with URL https://gateway.pipeworx.io/oauth/mcp and click Connect to authorize with GitHub.
API key (200/day): sign up free at pipeworx.io/signup, get your key at pipeworx.io/account, and use https://pipeworx.io/mcp?apikey=YOUR_KEY.

Tiers: anonymous 50/day · free account 200/day · Paid unlimited.

Troubleshooting

Tools indicator shows nothing. Check the config path — Claude is strict about location. With the UI path, confirm the connector URL is exactly https://pipeworx.io/mcp.

Claude answers from memory. Add the Teach rule from step ② and start a fresh chat.

Connection failed. Re-run with the config-file path (npx -y mcp-remote ...), then fully restart Claude.