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Getting Started with Claude Code

Connect your Collate instance to Claude Code, Anthropic’s CLI-based AI coding assistant, for AI-powered metadata exploration directly from your terminal.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:
  1. Collate v1.8.0+ running
  2. MCP Application installed in Collate
    • Navigate to <YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/marketplace/apps/McpApplication
    • Install McpApplication if not already installed
  3. Claude Code installed (installation guide)
OAuth lets you authenticate using your existing Collate login, with no tokens to manage.

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Step 1: Add the MCP Server

Open your terminal and run: 
claude mcp add --transport http collate https://<YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/mcp
Replace <YOUR-Collate-SERVER> with your Collate instance URL (e.g., your-collate-instance.com). This registers the Collate MCP Server as an HTTP remote server in Claude Code.

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Step 2: Authenticate

Start Claude Code and run the /mcp command: 
/mcp
You will see your collate server listed. Select Authenticate next to it. A browser window will open prompting you to sign in with your Collate credentials:
  • SSO (Google, Azure, Okta, etc.): You will be redirected to your SSO provider’s login page
  • Basic Auth: Enter your Collate username and password
Once authenticated, Claude Code connects to your Collate MCP Server automatically.
Authentication tokens are stored securely by Claude Code and refreshed automatically. Use the /mcp command and select Clear authentication to revoke access if needed.

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Server Scope Options

By default, claude mcp add registers the server for the current project only (local scope). You can change the scope: 
# Available in the current project only (default)
claude mcp add --transport http collate https://<YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/mcp

# Available across all your projects
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user collate https://<YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/mcp

# Shared with your team via .mcp.json (checked into version control)
claude mcp add --transport http --scope project collate https://<YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/mcp

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Connect with Personal Access Token (PAT)

If you prefer token-based authentication or OAuth is not available in your environment, you can use a Personal Access Token.

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Step 1: Generate a PAT

Follow the Personal Access Token guide to generate your token.

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Step 2: Add the MCP Server with Authentication Header

claude mcp add --transport http \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-Collate-PAT>" \
  collate https://<YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/mcp
Replace <YOUR-Collate-SERVER> with your Collate instance URL and <YOUR-Collate-PAT> with your Personal Access Token.

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Alternative: JSON Configuration

You can also add the server using a JSON configuration: 
claude mcp add-json collate '{
  "type": "http",
  "url": "https://<YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/mcp",
  "headers": {
    "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR-Collate-PAT>"
  }
}'

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Managing Your MCP Server

Claude Code provides several commands to manage your MCP servers: 
# List all configured MCP servers
claude mcp list

# View details for the Collate server
claude mcp get collate

# Remove the Collate server
claude mcp remove collate
Within a Claude Code session, use the /mcp command to view server status, authenticate, or clear authentication.

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Try It Out

Once connected, start a Claude Code session and ask questions about your metadata: 
claude
Then try prompts like:
“What tables do you have access to in Collate?”
“Imagine you’re a data analyst tasked with building a customer retention dashboard. Find relevant customer and transaction tables in the metadata catalog.”
“Show me the lineage of data feeding the sales dashboard.”
You should see Claude Code using the Collate MCP tools to search and retrieve information from your metadata catalog.

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Troubleshooting

If you encounter connection issues:
  1. Verify Collate is running: curl <YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/api/health
  2. Check MCP endpoint: curl <YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/mcp (should return 401)
  3. Verify MCP Application is installed: Visit <YOUR-Collate-SERVER>/marketplace/apps/McpApplication
  4. Check server status: Run /mcp in Claude Code to see if the server is connected
  5. Re-authenticate: Run /mcp and select Clear authentication, then authenticate again
  6. Verify configuration: Run claude mcp get collate to check the server configuration
  7. Check Claude Code version: Ensure you are running an up-to-date version with claude update

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Additional Resources