Connect Claude to Your IT Map with MCP (Step-by-Step Tutorial)

You want to query your IT landscape in plain language — find out which applications depend on a given server, which processes run through a particular tool, or get a summary of your application portfolio in seconds. With the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and UrbaHive, this capability is within reach in under an hour. This tutorial walks you through every step, from generating your token to asking your first question.

Prerequisites: an active UrbaHive account (Starter plan or above), Claude Desktop installed on your machine, and at least a partial IT map in UrbaHive. If you do not yet have an account, start at app.urbahive.com/signup.

To understand what MCP is before you start, see What Is the Model Context Protocol? Simple Definition and Examples.

Step 1 — Check That Your IT Map Contains Data

Before configuring MCP, make sure your UrbaHive workspace contains at least a few elements: applications, servers, or business processes. The MCP connector only adds value if the data source it exposes is populated.

If you are just getting started, import or create around ten applications representative of your IT landscape, with their main dependencies. That is sufficient for a meaningful first test. To structure your map, you can draw on our guide IT System Mapping: Definition and Complete Guide.

Step 2 — Generate a Personal Access Token (PAT) in UrbaHive

1. Log in to your UrbaHive workspace at app.urbahive.com.
2. Go to Settings → Connectors.
3. Click Generate a new token, pick the target organisation and the lifetime (90 days by default), and enable the write option only if Claude should be able to create or update data (otherwise leave the token read-only).
4. Give your token a clear name — for example "Claude-Desktop-MCP" — so you can identify it in the audit log later.
5. Copy the generated token immediately. It will only be displayed once.

Security note: a PAT token grants access to your UrbaHive organisation's data (read-only by default, write if you enabled the "write" scope at creation). Treat it like a password: do not share it in an unencrypted email, and do not commit it to a code repository. If you suspect it has been compromised, revoke it from the same screen and generate a new one.

Step 3 — Install Claude Desktop

If Claude Desktop is not yet installed, download it from claude.ai/download. The application is available for macOS and Windows. Once installed, sign in with your Anthropic account (or create one).

Claude Desktop is required for this configuration. The web version of claude.ai also supports MCP, but the configuration procedure is slightly different — see the UrbaHive documentation for details.

Step 4 — Configure the MCP Server in Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop reads its MCP configuration from a JSON file. Here is how to edit it:

1. Open Claude Desktop.
2. Go to Settings (Claude menu > Settings on macOS, or the gear icon on Windows).
3. In the Developer tab, click Edit Configuration.
4. A claude_desktop_config.json file opens in your text editor.
5. Add the following block inside the mcpServers section (create the section if it does not exist):

`json

{

"mcpServers": {

"urbahive": {

"command": "npx",

"args": [

"-y",

"mcp-remote",

"https://app.urbahive.com/api/mcp",

"--header",

"Authorization: Bearer YOURPATTOKEN"

]

}

}

}

`

Replace YOUR_PAT_TOKEN with the token you copied in Step 2. The organisation is already bound to the token (chosen at creation), so there is nothing else to set. The mcp-remote bridge connects Claude Desktop to UrbaHive's HTTPS endpoint.

1. Save the file and restart Claude Desktop.

Technical note: this command uses npx, which requires Node.js to be installed on your machine. If Node.js is not present, download it from nodejs.org. Version 18 or later is recommended.

Step 5 — Verify the Connection

After restarting Claude Desktop:

1. Open a new conversation.
2. Click the Tools (or MCP) icon at the bottom of the input field. You should see "urbahive" in the list of connected servers, with a green indicator.
3. If the server appears in red or is not listed, verify that the token is correctly pasted (no leading or trailing spaces), that the organisation identifier is correct, and that Node.js is installed.

Step 6 — Ask Your First Questions to Claude About Your IT Landscape

Your connection is live. Here are some questions to get started:

• "What applications make up my IT landscape?"
• "Which applications depend on the [server name] server?"
• "Summarise my IT landscape in five points."
• "Which business processes use [application name]?"
• "Are there any applications with no associated business process?"

Claude queries the UrbaHive MCP server in real time and formulates answers based on your IT map data. Every call is logged in your UrbaHive workspace audit log — accessible at Settings > Audit Logs.

Managing Access and Revoking Tokens

Multiple team members can configure MCP with their own PAT token. Each token is individual and tied to a single user account, which allows precise access tracking in the audit log.

To revoke a token: Settings > Connectors / API > bin icon next to the relevant token. Revocation is immediate.

If you manage multiple organisations in UrbaHive (multi-tenant), create a separate token for each organisation. A token only grants access to the organisation for which it was generated.

What You Can (and Cannot) Do via MCP

By default, the UrbaHive MCP server is read-only; write is enabled at token creation (the "write" scope + a sufficient role). This means:

What Claude can do:

• List, describe, and summarise applications, servers, data flows, and processes.
• Cross-reference information (e.g. applications linked to a given server).
• Produce summaries and analyses from your IT map data.
• With a "write" token: create or update elements — handy to bootstrap your map from code (see the dedicated guide).

What Claude cannot do:

• Delete elements in UrbaHive: no delete tool is exposed.
• Write with a read-only token, or without a sufficient role.
• Access data from another organisation.
• Bulk-export data.

This scope is deliberate and documented — it is part of the connector's security guarantees. For a thorough look at security considerations, see IT Mapping and Cybersecurity: The CISO's Guide.

Going Further

Once the connection is established, the next step is to enrich your IT map to get the most from the MCP connector. The more complete your map — business processes linked to applications, server dependencies populated, DORA/NIS2 perimeter identified — the more precise and actionable Claude's answers will be.

See our full guide Model Context Protocol: Connecting AI to Your IT Systems for a strategic view of what MCP brings to your IT governance. And to structure your IT map, our article IT Architecture for Mid-Market Organisations is a good starting point.

Start for free at app.urbahive.com/signup and explore the connector at urbahive.com/connectors.

FAQ — MCP Configuration with UrbaHive

Do I need to be a developer to configure MCP?

No. The configuration is limited to copying a token and editing a JSON file. The steps in this tutorial are straightforward for any IT professional comfortable with basic tools. No development is required.

Is Claude Desktop the only compatible client?

No. claude.ai (web version) and Claude Code also support MCP. The configuration procedure varies slightly by client — see the UrbaHive documentation for environment-specific details.

My PAT token stopped working — what should I do?

UrbaHive PAT tokens have a lifetime (90 days by default, configurable at creation) and can also be revoked manually at any time. When a token expires or is revoked, create a new one and update the Claude configuration file — it takes less than a minute.

Does the MCP connector work offline?

No. The UrbaHive MCP server is online and requires an active Internet connection to respond to Claude Desktop queries.

Can I restrict what Claude sees in UrbaHive via MCP?

A PAT token grants access to all data in the organisation (read, plus write if the "write" scope is enabled). More granular scoping options (by application domain or perimeter) are on the Enterprise roadmap. Check the Connectors page or contact the UrbaHive team for more information.