Claude Desktop Integration

Complete guide to setting up seamless integration between the ActivityPub MCP Server and Claude Desktop. Enable AI-powered exploration of the fediverse with natural language commands.

🎯 Overview

Claude Desktop integration allows you to:

  • Natural Language Queries: Ask Claude to explore the fediverse using plain English
  • Automated Workflows: Let Claude chain multiple MCP tools together
  • Intelligent Analysis: Get AI-powered insights about fediverse content and communities
  • Seamless Experience: No need to remember specific tool names or parameters

📋 Prerequisites

Claude Desktop

Download and install Claude Desktop from Anthropic

Download Claude Desktop

ActivityPub MCP Server

Install the server using npm or npx

npx activitypub-mcp install

Node.js 18+

Required for running the MCP server

Download Node.js

⚙️ Configuration Setup

Step 1: Locate Configuration File

Find your Claude Desktop configuration file:

macOS

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Linux

~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Step 2: Create or Edit Configuration

If the file doesn't exist, create it. Add the ActivityPub MCP Server configuration:

Basic Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "activitypub": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "activitypub-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "LOG_LEVEL": "info"
      }
    }
  }
}

Advanced Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "activitypub": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "activitypub-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "LOG_LEVEL": "debug",
        "USER_AGENT": "Claude-ActivityPub-Explorer/1.0",
        "REQUEST_TIMEOUT": "60000",
        "CACHE_TTL": "600",
        "RATE_LIMIT_REQUESTS": "100"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop

Close Claude Desktop completely and restart it to load the new configuration.

macOS

# Force quit and restart
killall Claude
open -a Claude

Windows

Use Task Manager to end Claude processes, then restart from Start Menu

Linux

# Kill and restart
pkill claude
claude &

✅ Verification

1. Check Server Connection

In Claude Desktop, ask:

"Can you check if the ActivityPub MCP server is working?"

Claude should respond with server status information.

2. Test Basic Functionality

Try a simple discovery command:

"Can you discover information about @mastodon@mastodon.social?"

Claude should use the discover-actor tool and return actor information.

3. Test Complex Queries

Try a more complex request:

"Help me find interesting technology communities in the fediverse and show me what people are discussing there."

Claude should chain multiple tools together to fulfill this request.

💬 Usage Examples

Discovery Queries

Find Communities

"Find me some active art communities in the fediverse"

Explore Instances

"What can you tell me about fosstodon.org?"

Actor Information

"Get information about @gargron@mastodon.social"

Content Exploration

Timeline Analysis

"Show me recent posts from @mozilla@mozilla.social and summarize the main topics"

Trend Discovery

"What are people talking about on technology-focused Mastodon instances?"

Community Comparison

"Compare the communities on mastodon.social and fosstodon.org"

Research Queries

Topic Research

"Help me research what the fediverse community thinks about AI and machine learning"

Instance Analysis

"Analyze the rules and policies of different Mastodon instances"

Network Mapping

"Map out the connections between different fediverse instances"

🔧 Troubleshooting

Server Not Found

Symptoms:

  • Claude says "I don't have access to ActivityPub tools"
  • No MCP tools appear in Claude

Solutions:

  1. Verify configuration file location and syntax
  2. Restart Claude Desktop completely
  3. Check that Node.js and npm are installed
  4. Test server manually: npx activitypub-mcp

Connection Errors

Symptoms:

  • Tools timeout or fail to respond
  • Error messages about server connection

Solutions:

  1. Check internet connectivity
  2. Increase timeout in configuration
  3. Check firewall settings
  4. Try with debug logging enabled

Performance Issues

Symptoms:

  • Slow responses from tools
  • Claude takes a long time to process requests

Solutions:

  1. Reduce cache TTL for faster updates
  2. Limit concurrent requests
  3. Use more specific queries
  4. Clear server cache periodically

🚀 Advanced Features

Custom Prompts

Create custom prompts for common workflows:

"Create a weekly report of trending topics in the tech fediverse"

Automated Monitoring

Set up regular checks for specific actors or instances:

"Monitor @mozilla@mozilla.social for new announcements"

Data Analysis

Use Claude's analysis capabilities with fediverse data:

"Analyze the sentiment of recent posts about climate change"

🔗 Next Steps

Basic Usage Guide

Learn the essential commands and workflows for everyday use.

Practical Examples

See real-world examples and use cases with Claude Desktop.

Complete Tool Reference

Detailed documentation for all available MCP tools.