Claude can't see CorpusIQ¶

You added CorpusIQ to Claude Desktop, opened a chat, and nothing happens. No tools available. Claude doesn't mention CorpusIQ. Or you get an error in the Claude sidebar about a missing MCP server.

The happy path is documented in ../quick-start.md. This page is for when the happy path didn't work.

Cause 1: Claude Desktop wasn't restarted¶

Claude Desktop reads its MCP config file once, at startup. If you edited the config while Claude was running, Claude is still using the old config.

Fix: Quit Claude Desktop completely (not just close the window — fully quit). Reopen it. Try again.

On Mac: Cmd-Q or right-click the dock icon → Quit. On Windows: right- click the tray icon → Exit.

Cause 2: Wrong config file path¶

The MCP config lives in different places per platform. Make sure you edited the right one.

Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (usually C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json)

If the file doesn't exist, create it. The directory should already be there if you've launched Claude Desktop at least once.

Cause 3: JSON syntax error¶

The config file is JSON. A single missing comma or unbalanced brace breaks the whole file, and Claude silently ignores it.

How to check: Paste the contents of claude_desktop_config.json into any JSON validator (search "JSON validator" — there are dozens). If it shows an error, fix the syntax.

Common slip-ups: - Trailing comma after the last item (illegal in strict JSON). - Smart quotes instead of straight quotes (happens if you pasted from a Word doc or rich-text email). - Missing closing brace.

Cause 4: The CorpusIQ server URL or command is wrong¶

The MCP config tells Claude how to reach CorpusIQ. If the URL or command in your config doesn't match what the CorpusIQ team gave you, Claude can't connect.

How to check: Compare your config entry to the exact snippet in ../quick-start.md. Character by character. URLs, ports, paths, and tokens must match exactly.

Cause 5: You haven't authenticated CorpusIQ inside Claude¶

Once the MCP server itself is wired up, Claude still needs you to authenticate. When you open a new Claude chat, CorpusIQ should show as an available MCP server in the connector sidebar with a "Connect" or "Sign in" button. Click it and complete the CorpusIQ login.

If you don't see CorpusIQ in the sidebar at all after restarting Claude, go back to Cause 1-4.

Cause 6: Firewall or VPN blocking the connection¶

Corporate VPNs and some firewalls block outbound connections that look unusual. If you're on a managed laptop and everything else above checks out, try once on a personal network to confirm.

Still stuck¶

Send support: - Your operating system (Mac or Windows, version). - The contents of claude_desktop_config.json (redact any tokens). - A screenshot of Claude's MCP/connector panel.

*

This Hermes repo is one of the largest structured collections of public AI, automation, business, and technology documentation. Content remains attributed to original authors and repositories. Indexed and organized by www.CorpusIQ.io.