Gadwal
Coming soon

Connect Claude Desktop

One click installs Gadwal as a Claude Desktop extension. No Node.js or Terminal needed.

Before you start

  1. Open Gadwal and click AI & MCP in the sidebar of the Connections window (⌘2). The same page is also a tab in Gadwal › Settings (⌘,).
  2. Turn on MCP server. The Address line shows http://127.0.0.1:55183/mcp (you can change the port below it). The server only listens on this Mac.
  3. Check each connection's AI level: Off, Read-only, Ask before write or Full. Production connections start at Read-only. The AI only sees connections that aren't Off. See AI levels and hidden columns.
  4. Keep Gadwal open. The server runs inside the app, so AI tools stop working when you quit it.

AI tools need an active trial or the lifetime unlock. After the trial, turning the server on opens Unlock, and a server that is still running answers every tool call with a message saying so.

In Gadwal

Find the Claude Desktop row under AI Apps on the AI & MCP page. Its button reads Install, and How to connect under it lists the same steps as this page.

The Home window's AI & MCP page in dark mode: a sidebar with Connections, AI & MCP (Off), Backups and Settings, and the page “Connect your AI apps” with the MCP server switch, the address http://127.0.0.1:55183/mcp, port 55183, and AI Apps rows for Claude Desktop (Install), Claude Code (Copy Command), Codex (Copy config.toml Block) and Cursor (Install), each with “How to connect”.
The AI & MCP page (⌘2). Each AI app has a row with its status, its button and “How to connect”.
The Home window's AI & MCP page in light mode: a sidebar with Connections, AI & MCP (Off), Backups and Settings, and the page “Connect your AI apps” with the MCP server switch, the address http://127.0.0.1:55183/mcp, port 55183, and AI Apps rows for Claude Desktop (Install), Claude Code (Copy Command), Codex (Copy config.toml Block) and Cursor (Install), each with “How to connect”.
The AI & MCP page (⌘2). Each AI app has a row with its status, its button and “How to connect”.

Install the extension

  1. On the AI & MCP page, under AI Apps, click Install on the Claude Desktop row.
  2. Gadwal creates a token for Claude Desktop, copies it to the clipboard for 90 seconds, and opens a Gadwal.mcpb extension file with Claude.
  3. Claude shows its extension install dialog. Click Install.
  4. When Claude asks for the Gadwal token, paste it (⌘V). Claude stores it encrypted.
  5. In a new chat, open + › Connectors: gadwal is listed and on.
  6. Ask something like “List my Gadwal connections.” The row in Gadwal changes to “Connected · last call …”.

If Claude Desktop isn’t installed yet, Gadwal shows Gadwal.mcpb in Finder instead. Open it after you install Claude.

How it works

The extension is a small bridge that Claude runs with its own built-in Node. It passes MCP messages between Claude and http://127.0.0.1:55183/mcp. It doesn’t download anything or talk to any other server.

If it doesn’t work

  • “Gadwal is not running, or its MCP server is off”: open Gadwal and turn on MCP server on the AI & MCP page.
  • The clipboard was empty when Claude asked: choose ⋯ › Show Token on the Claude Desktop row and copy it from there.
  • Your work account only allows approved extensions: use the JSON from the Other MCP clients row instead, if your admin allows it.