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The Model Context Protocol ecosystem, verified

Current spec 2026-07-28

Claude Desktop

Spec Support Unverified Confidence: Good (0.85)

MCP client · by Anthropic · Last verified:

Claude Desktop is an MCP client published by Anthropic; its MCP spec-revision support has not been verified yet. Last verified 2026-08-14.

Does Claude Desktop support the current MCP specification (2026-07-28)?

Undetermined. We have not verified which MCP specification revision Claude Desktop supports (as of 2026-08-14).

Which MCP client features does Claude Desktop support?

Claude Desktop supports: tools, resources, prompts (last verified 2026-08-14).

When were Claude Desktop's facts last verified?

2026-08-14. Each fact on this page links to the sources used to verify it.

Claude Desktop is Anthropic's desktop client for Claude and was the first shipping MCP client: local MCP server support was part of the protocol's launch announcement in November 2024. Remote servers connect as custom connectors under Customize > Connectors, running over streamable HTTP; the legacy HTTP+SSE transport is supported but being deprecated in its favor.

The feature surface is now grounded in Anthropic's connector docs: tools, prompts, and resources are supported, including image tool results and binary resources, while resource subscriptions and sampling are explicitly not yet supported. OAuth uses the hosted callback at claude.ai with Dynamic Client Registration, and Anthropic states support for the 2025-03-26, 2025-06-18, and 2025-11-25 authorization specifications. Tool results are capped around 150,000 characters with a 300-second timeout.

No Anthropic surface names a full MCP spec revision for the client, so spec status remains unknown; the dated authorization-spec list is the closest revision-shaped statement the vendor makes.

How was this verified, and what are the sources?

Verified · method: vendor-docs · confidence 0.85 (Good).

  1. Claude connector building docs - "Claude supports both Streamable HTTP and the legacy HTTP+SSE transport. The legacy HTTP+SSE transport is being deprecated in favor of Streamable HTTP"; protocol features supported: tools, prompts, and resources with text and image tool results and text and binary resources; not yet supported: resource subscriptions, sampling, advanced/draft capabilities; auth specs 2025-03-26, 2025-06-18, and 2025-11-25 with Dynamic Client Registration; OAuth callback https://claude.ai/api/mcp/auth_callback for hosted surfaces; Claude.ai/Desktop max tool result ~150,000 characters, timeout 300 seconds; servers added via Customize > Connectors - accessed
  2. Anthropic announcement (2024-11-25) - launch shipped "local MCP server support in the Claude Desktop apps"; all Claude.ai plans support connecting MCP servers to the Claude Desktop app - accessed

Where can I learn more about Claude Desktop?