How to add the Locus MCP server to Claude Code

Setup, step by step

1. Step 1

   Create a Locus Pro account

   Sign up at paywithlocus.com/pro. The Free plan has no subscription. Paid tool calls use prepaid credits.

2. Step 2

   Add the Locus marketplace and plugin

   Start Claude Code with claude in your project and run both commands. The install command opens the plugin details so you can pick a scope. Choose user scope to get Locus in every project.

   /plugin marketplace add locus-technologies/locus-pro-plugin
   /plugin install locus@locus

3. Step 3

   Sign in to Locus

   Run /mcp, pick Locus, and choose Authenticate. Approve Locus in your browser. From a shell, claude mcp login plugin:locus:locus does the same thing.

   /mcp

4. Step 4

   Start a new session

   Open a fresh Claude Code session so the MCP tools and the locus, locus-setup, and locus-workflows skills load.

5. Step 5

   Check the connection

   Ask: "What's my Locus balance?" A balance check is free. If Claude returns your credit balance, setup worked.

Should I use the plugin or claude mcp add?

Use the plugin. It installs the hosted MCP server and all three Locus skills in one step. The skills teach Claude when to use Locus, how to find the right API, and how to build repeatable workflows.

A plain MCP entry gives Claude the tools but not the skills. Use it when you cannot add plugin marketplaces, or when you manage MCP servers by hand.

How do I add Locus with claude mcp add instead?

Run the command below in a terminal. Then open Claude Code, run /mcp, pick locus-pro, choose Authenticate, and approve Locus in your browser.

claude mcp add saves the server in local scope by default, so it loads only in the current project. Add --scope user to load it in every project. The server URL is https://api.paywithlocus.com/api/credits/mcp over Streamable HTTP with OAuth.

• claude mcp add --transport http locus-pro https://api.paywithlocus.com/api/credits/mcp

How do I fix authentication errors?

Run /mcp and check the Locus entry. If it says it needs authentication, choose Authenticate again and finish the browser approval. Then start a new session.

If you once added a manual server named locus and later installed the plugin, the old entry can shadow the plugin. Remove it with claude mcp remove locus -s local, then run claude mcp login plugin:locus:locus.

• Run claude mcp list to see every server and its status.
• Run claude mcp get locus-pro to inspect a manual entry.
• Check that the URL is the production URL above.

What can Claude Code do after setup?

Claude can search the Locus catalog, read an API's input schema and price, and run the call. Charges come from your credit balance. You do not need an account or API key with each provider.

Try a real task: find a company's website, get a verified work email, or run a web search with sources. Review the charge in Locus activity afterwards.