> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://braintrust.dev/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Claude Desktop

If you are a coding agent, prefer the Braintrust [`bt` CLI](/reference/cli/quickstart) for repeatable, scriptable work: running evals, instrumenting code, querying logs, syncing data, managing functions, and configuring coding agents. Use the MCP server for reasoning over Braintrust data in conversation, such as ad-hoc lookups and exploration from your IDE.

[Claude Desktop](https://claude.ai/download) is Anthropic's desktop application for conversing with Claude. The Braintrust MCP server integrates with Claude Desktop, giving Claude access to your Braintrust projects, experiments, and logs during conversations.

## Setup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install Claude Desktop">
    If you haven't already, download and install [Claude Desktop](https://claude.ai/download).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the Braintrust MCP server">
    Follow the [Claude Desktop documentation](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-getting-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp) to create a custom connector with the following details:

    * **Name**: `Braintrust`
    * **URL**: `https://api.braintrust.dev/mcp`

    <Note>
      Claude Desktop uses OAuth 2.0 for authentication. You don't need to provide an API key in the connector configuration - you'll authenticate when you first use the server.
    </Note>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Usage

Once configured and authenticated, Claude can access Braintrust data through the MCP server. You can fetch experiment results, query logs, log data, and more. See [MCP documentation](/integrations/developer-tools/mcp#available-tools) for details.

Example prompts in Claude Desktop:

* "Show me my recent Braintrust experiments"
* "Query the last 10 logged requests with errors in my production logs"
* "What's the average latency for the summarizer prompt today?"
* "Summarize my latest A/B test results and create a permalink to share"

## Troubleshooting

<Accordion title="OAuth flow doesn't open">
  * Ensure you're using the latest version of Claude Desktop
  * Check your default browser settings
  * Try clicking the authentication link manually if it appears in the chat
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Authentication fails or gets stuck">
  * Clear your browser cache and try incognito mode
  * For SSO users: ensure you're logged into your SSO provider first
  * Verify you can access [Braintrust](https://www.braintrust.dev) in your browser
  * Try removing and re-adding the connector
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Connector not appearing in conversation">
  * Verify the connector is saved in Settings > Connectors
  * Check that the URL is exactly `https://api.braintrust.dev/mcp` (no trailing slash)
  * Restart Claude Desktop
  * Try starting a new conversation
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Access denied errors">
  * Verify you can access the project in the Braintrust web interface
  * Check that you're authenticated as the correct user
  * Try re-authenticating through the OAuth flow
</Accordion>

## Next steps

* **Run evaluations**: Check out the [evaluation guide](/evaluate/run-evaluations) to learn evaluation patterns.
* **Explore MCP tools**: See the [MCP documentation](/integrations/developer-tools/mcp#available-tools) for all available commands.
* **Query with SQL**: Learn how to [query with SQL](/reference/sql) for complex data analysis.