Claude Setup

Connect Claude, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and the Claude API to COLA Cloud.

Choose a Claude Path

Path	Authentication	Best for	Status
Claude custom connector	OAuth	Claude.ai and Claude Desktop connector UI on supported paid Claude plans	Preferred connector path
Claude Code or Agent SDK	API key in HTTP headers	Self-serve developer workflows and fallback setup	Supported
Claude API MCP connector	Bearer token parameter	Server-side applications using Anthropic’s Messages API MCP connector	Supported when you provide a COLA Cloud API key as the bearer token

Claude Code with API Key

Create a COLA Cloud API key in Dashboard > API Keys, then add this to your project .mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "colacloud": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.colacloud.us/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${COLA_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Then export your key before starting Claude Code:

export COLA_API_KEY=cola_xxxx

Use prompts like:

• “Use COLA Cloud to find California wine approvals from the last 90 days.”
• “Fetch details for cola:24001001000001.”
• “Create a monthly saved search for new imported tequila approvals.”

Claude Custom Connector with OAuth

Claude’s remote custom connector UI is the path for Claude.ai and current Claude Desktop remote connectors on supported paid Claude plans. It uses OAuth rather than a static COLA Cloud API key.

1. Open Connectors

   In Claude, open Customize > Connectors. Team and Enterprise owners can add organization connectors from organization settings.

2. Add a custom connector

   Choose a custom web connector and enter:

   https://mcp.colacloud.us/mcp
   
3. Authenticate

   Complete the OAuth flow and grant the requested COLA Cloud scopes.

4. Enable per conversation

   In a chat, use Claude’s tools/connectors menu to enable the COLA Cloud connector for that conversation.

Claude Desktop remote connectors are configured through Claude’s Connectors UI. Current Anthropic guidance says remote MCP servers are not connected by adding them directly to claude_desktop_config.json. The local Desktop JSON mechanism is for local MCP servers and desktop extensions.

Claude API MCP Connector

If you call Claude through the Anthropic API, pass the COLA Cloud MCP endpoint as a remote MCP server and use your COLA Cloud API key as the bearer token for that server.

import anthropic

client = anthropic.Anthropic()

response = client.beta.messages.create(
    model="claude-opus-4-7",
    max_tokens=1000,
    messages=[
        {
            "role": "user",
            "content": "Use COLA Cloud to find recent Kentucky bourbon approvals.",
        }
    ],
    mcp_servers=[
        {
            "type": "url",
            "url": "https://mcp.colacloud.us/mcp",
            "name": "colacloud",
            "authorization_token": "cola_xxxx",
        }
    ],
    tools=[{"type": "mcp_toolset", "mcp_server_name": "colacloud"}],
    betas=["mcp-client-2025-11-20"],
)

Team and Enterprise Notes

• Owners may need to add the connector at the organization level before members can connect.
• Members still authenticate individually; the connector only receives data allowed by that user’s COLA Cloud account.
• Review and disable write tools such as create_scheduled_search if your organization does not want assistants creating durable alerts.
• Research modes can invoke connector tools automatically. Disable write tools before using research workflows.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	What to check
Claude Code cannot connect	Confirm .mcp.json uses "type": "http" and that COLA_API_KEY is exported in the same shell.
Claude custom connector asks for OAuth	Expected. The hosted Claude connector UI does not use static API-key headers.
OAuth connection fails after login	The OAuth subject may not be linked to your COLA Cloud account yet.
Tools are not called	Explicitly say “Use COLA Cloud” and enable the connector for the conversation.