Skip to main content

Connect SixDegree to Claude

SixDegree exposes your environment's context graph as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. Once connected, Claude can search your entities, follow relationships, and invoke the tools your installed molecules provide. It answers questions about your real systems instead of guessing.

Before you start

You need a SixDegree environment with at least one molecule installed and discovery completed. See Your First Environment. The degree CLI must be installed and authenticated (degree auth login) for the token and Claude Code steps.

Connection options​

Choose the path that matches how you use Claude:

SurfaceBest forTransport
Claude CodeTerminal and editor workflowsRemote (HTTP)
Claude.ai / Claude DesktopChat in browser or desktop appRemote (HTTP) via OAuth
Claude Desktop (local)Self-hosted or local platform installsLocal (stdio)

All remote connections use the hosted MCP endpoint:

https://mcp.sixdegree.ai/mcp

Your environment is determined by the token you connect with. Each token maps to exactly one environment.

Claude Code​

The fastest path. The CLI provisions an MCP-scoped token and writes the server entry into your Claude Code config (~/.claude.json) automatically:

degree claude configure

This creates a token named claude-code (scopes: access:mcp, read:users) and adds an MCP server entry pointing at your environment. Re-running the command rotates the token.

FlagEffect
--name <name>Change the entry name in Claude Code (default: sixdegree)
--overrideReplace an existing entry instead of erroring

After running the command, restart Claude Code and confirm the connection:

/mcp

You should see a sixdegree server listed as connected, along with its available tools.

Manual setup​

If you prefer to wire it up yourself, create a token first (see Get a token), then run:

claude mcp add --transport http sixdegree https://mcp.sixdegree.ai/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Claude.ai and Claude Desktop​

Claude.ai (web) and the Claude Desktop app connect to remote MCP servers as custom connectors using browser-based OAuth sign-in. No token handling required.

  1. Open Settings → Connectors in Claude.
  2. Choose Add custom connector.
  3. Set the URL to https://mcp.sixdegree.ai/mcp.
  4. Save, then click Connect and complete the SixDegree sign-in in your browser.

Claude registers itself automatically through OAuth 2.1 dynamic client registration. After connecting, SixDegree's tools appear in the connectors menu and are available in any chat.

info

Custom connectors are available on Claude's paid plans. The exact menu labels vary by plan and client version.

Claude Desktop (local, stdio)​

Use this path if you run SixDegree self-hosted or locally. Claude Desktop connects to a local MCP process over stdio instead of the hosted endpoint.

Step 1. Install the MCP server binary:

go install github.com/sixdegree-ai/mcp-server/cmd/mcp-server@latest

Step 2. Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config and add the server block:

claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sixdegree": {
      "command": "mcp-server",
      "args": [
        "serve",
        "--transport", "stdio",
        "--sixdegree-url", "https://api.sixdegree.ai",
        "--sixdegree-token", "YOUR_TOKEN",
        "--environment-id", "YOUR_ENV_ID"
      ]
    }
  }
}

For a local platform instance, replace --sixdegree-url with http://localhost:8080.

Step 3. Restart Claude Desktop. SixDegree appears under the connectors (plug) icon.

Get a token​

Create a token scoped for MCP access using the mcp scope preset:

degree token create "Claude" mcp

Copy the token value from the output. It's shown only once. To find your environment ID:

degree env list

You can also create tokens and look up environment IDs from the dashboard at app.sixdegree.ai.

warning

Treat MCP tokens like passwords. They grant read access to your environment's entire context graph. Rotate or revoke compromised tokens immediately with degree token list and degree token delete <id>.

What Claude can do once connected​

SixDegree discloses tools to Claude based on what is present in your graph. The core graph tools are always available:

ToolWhat it does
search_entitiesFind entities across your environment by name, type, or keyword
get_entityFetch full details for a single entity
get_entities_batchFetch details for multiple entities in one call
get_entity_typesList all entity types present in your environment
traverse_fromFollow relationships outward from an entity
find_pathTrace the relationship path between two entities

On top of these, tools from your installed molecules (GitHub, Slack, Kubernetes, and others) are surfaced as they become relevant to the conversation. Claude isn't flooded with every tool upfront. They're disclosed based on what entity types appear in the graph context.

tip

Start with broad questions that let Claude orient itself before getting into specifics. SixDegree's relationship graph tends to surface connections that aren't obvious from any single system.

Try asking Claude:

Who owns the authentication service, and what depends on it?
If I change the payments API, what breaks downstream?
Which Kubernetes pods are running services owned by the platform team?

Troubleshooting​

SymptomFix
No SixDegree tools visibleConfirm the server is connected (/mcp in Claude Code, or check the connectors menu). Re-run degree claude configure, or verify your token is active with degree token list.
"Unauthorized" or sign-in loopThe token is invalid, expired, or the environment it maps to was deleted. Create a fresh token and reconnect.
Tools return no resultsDiscovery has not run or returned no data. Go to your environment in the dashboard and trigger a discovery run. See Your First Environment.

Next steps​