mcp-integration

You connect an external API to Claude Code by creating a configuration-driven MCP server setup using .mcp.json or plugin.json. This exposes the API as local tools, enabling automated tool discovery and invocation directly within Claude Code plugins.

MCP integration in Claude Code plugins supports stdio, SSE, HTTP, and WebSocket transport protocols. You can wire external services across these connection types while applying optional OAuth authentication and environment-variable configurations.

Automatic tool discovery for bundled MCP servers works by reading your .mcp.json or plugin.json configuration to expose external services as standardized tools. It applies automatic tool naming prefixes to organize plugin-local and external service tools.

Yes, you can configure OAuth and environment variables for MCP servers in Claude Code. The integration supports flexible environment variable expansion and OAuth authentication across stdio, SSE, HTTP, and WebSocket connections for secure external service access.

The best way to manage lifecycle and security for MCP tools is to follow the integration's lifecycle management and security best practices. This involves using configuration-driven server wiring and environment-variable expansion to ensure reliable operation.

You need .mcp.json or plugin.json to expose external services because it provides the standardized configuration required to bridge Claude Code plugins to external services. This configuration defines server types, connections, and tool naming prefixes for automated invocation.