Claude Desktop
MCP Server Setup Guide
Claude Desktop is Anthropic's official MCP reference client. anonym.legal MCP Server connects over HTTP transport — no Node.js, no npm package, no local install. Just a URL and an API key. Setup takes under 2 minutes.
Prerequisites
- Claude Desktop — download at claude.ai/download
- anonym.legal account and API key — Pro or Business plan required. Get one at anonym.legal
Installation
Open Claude Desktop Config File
The config file is created automatically on first launch. Open it in your editor:
code ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
code %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
code ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
{}.Add the MCP Server Entry
Add the mcpServers block. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual key:
{
"mcpServers": {
"anonym-legal": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://anonym.legal/mcp",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
}
}
}
}
Prefer not to manage a config file at all? On Claude.ai (web) you can add anonym.legal as a Custom Connector instead — sign in with your anonym.legal account and approve access via Settings → Connectors (OAuth 2.1 with PKCE). No config file required.
Restart Claude Desktop
Fully quit Claude Desktop (not just close the window) and reopen it. On macOS: Cmd+Q. The MCP server starts automatically when Claude Desktop launches.
Verify the Connection
Look for the MCP icon (hammer 🔨) in the Claude Desktop interface. Click it to see available tools. You should see 7 tools with the anonym_legal_ prefix.
Multiple MCP Servers
Claude Desktop supports multiple MCP servers simultaneously. Just add more entries to mcpServers:
{
"mcpServers": {
"anonym-legal": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://anonym.legal/mcp",
"headers": {"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"}
},
"filesystem": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/files"]
}
}
}
Available Tools (7)
All tools are invokable by Claude automatically or on request. Tool names use the anonym_legal_ prefix.
free
tokens
free
free
free
free
free
Operators (6)
Control how each entity type is anonymized. Pass via entity_operators in anonym_legal_anonymize_text:
John Smith → [CLIENT] or [PERSON]
john@acme.com → (removed)
John Smith → a3f9b1...
4111-xxxx → enc:U2FsdGVkX1...
john@acme.com → jo**@****.com
John Smith → John Smith (tracked)
Usage Examples
Analyze text for PII
Use anonym_legal_analyze_text to scan the following and tell me what PII it contains: "Please review the contract for John Smith (john@acme.com, +1-555-0123) regarding project Alpha at 123 Main St, New York."
Anonymize before sending to Claude
1. Use anonym_legal_anonymize_text to anonymize this text with replace operator for all entities. 2. Then summarize the anonymized contract. 3. Finally use anonym_legal_detokenize_text to restore the original names in your summary. Text: "Contract between Sarah Miller (sarah@corp.eu) and TechCorp GmbH..."
Advanced: operator per entity type
Use anonym_legal_anonymize_text with these operators:
- PERSON: replace (with [CLIENT])
- EMAIL: redact
- CREDIT_CARD: hash
- PHONE: mask
Text: "Call Maria Garcia at +49-30-1234567, email: maria@example.de.
Card ending 4111-1111-1111-1111 on file."
Advanced Configuration
Entity Groups
Use entity_groups to process specific regions instead of all 267+ types:
UNIVERSAL — Names, emails, phones, addresses, IPs (all regions) FINANCIAL — IBAN, SWIFT, credit cards, account numbers DACH — German/Austrian/Swiss-specific IDs, tax numbers HEALTHCARE — Medical record numbers, insurance IDs, diagnoses NORTH_AMERICA— SSN, SIN, driver's licenses (US/CA) EU_GENERAL — EU-wide VAT, passport formats
Custom Regex Recognizers
Use anonym_legal_anonymize_text with ad_hoc_recognizers to also detect
project codes matching pattern "PROJ-[0-9]{4}" as entity type PROJECT_ID.
Text: "Assigned to PROJ-4821, contact: alice@example.com"
Troubleshooting
Tools not appearing in Claude Desktop
Double-check the url is exactly https://anonym.legal/mcp and the Authorization header is formatted as Bearer YOUR_API_KEY (no missing "Bearer" prefix, no extra quotes). Check the Claude Desktop logs: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/ (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\ (Windows).
JSON parse error on startup
Validate your claude_desktop_config.json with a JSON linter. Common mistake: trailing commas (JSON doesn't allow them). Use jsonlint.com to check.
Authentication failed / 401 error
Your API key is incorrect or has insufficient plan. Verify at anonym.legal — MCP requires Pro or Business plan.
Corporate firewall or proxy blocks the connection
Since the connector uses standard HTTPS to anonym.legal/mcp, allowlist that host if your network filters outbound traffic. No local process or port needs to be opened.
Claude says "I don't have access to that tool"
Claude Desktop must be fully restarted (Cmd+Q / Alt+F4), not just the window closed. Also confirm the MCP hammer icon is visible — if it shows 0 tools, the server failed to start.