Connect Claude Code or Claude Desktop
Studio speaks MCP, the standard that lets Claude Code and Claude Desktop use Studio's tools: read your data models, run queries, create apps, author functions, build workflows and read runs. You connect once per client.
The address
| URL | |
|---|---|
| All of Studio's tools | https://app.bicycle.ai/mcp |
| One family of tools only | https://app.bicycle.ai/mcp/<toolset> where toolset is dataapp, query, design, analysis, workflow, agent, function or functions |
The umbrella address is what you want unless you are deliberately limiting what the agent can do. Use https://preview.bicycle.ai/mcp only if Bicycle has given you access to the preview environment for testing.
Two ways to sign in
| Sign in with your Bicycle account (OAuth) | API token | |
|---|---|---|
| Good for | Claude Desktop, and Claude Code when you would rather not handle a token | Claude Code, scripts, and anything that needs function tools today |
| How | Add the connector; a Bicycle sign-in page opens; approve the access it asks for | Ask your workspace admin for a Bicycle API token, then pass it as a header |
| Tools you see today | Apps, queries, app design, analysis, workflows, registered agents | All of those, plus function authoring and calling (function_*, fn_*, wf_*) |
Function tools over OAuth are landing. Today an OAuth sign-in carries only the app scopes (apps:read, apps:write, apps:publish), so the agent sees no function_* or fn_* tools. The four functions:* scopes are being added to the sign-in consent; until then, use an API token when you want the agent to create or call functions. Publishing still needs a person either way.
Never paste a token into a chat message. It goes in the client's configuration only.
Claude Desktop
- Open Customize → Connectors → Add custom connector (on a Team or Enterprise plan an organization owner adds it under Organization settings → Connectors first).
- Name:
Bicycle Studio. MCP server URL:https://app.bicycle.ai/mcp. Leave client ID and secret empty; choose Claude's published identity if asked. - Choose Connect, sign in to Bicycle, pick the workspace if asked, approve.
- In a conversation, switch Bicycle Studio on under + → Connectors.
The existing Connecting Bicycle to Claude using MCP page covers the same connector in more depth, including the app-design tools and schedules.
Claude Code
With an API token (recommended today):
claude mcp add --transport http bicycle https://app.bicycle.ai/mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer $BICYCLE_TOKEN"
With a sign-in (apps-only scopes until the functions scopes land):
claude mcp add --transport http bicycle https://app.bicycle.ai/mcp
Then claude mcp list should show bicycle as connected.
Check it works
Ask:
List the data models available to me, with their names and the dates their data covers.
A working connection lists real models from your workspace. An empty list means the workspace has no models yet, or your account needs access: ask your admin.
Then check which tools the agent can see:
Which Bicycle Studio tools can you see? Do you see any tool whose name starts with function_ or fn_?
If it sees none, you are on an OAuth sign-in without function scopes (see above). Reconnect with an API token, or wait for the scopes to land. A studio_whoami tool that reports your scopes and any missing ones is landing.
Give the agent its guide
The agent works best when it starts from Studio's own guide for coding agents. Once the studio_guide tool lands it will read it by itself; until then paste the start-here guide or point it at the raw text:
https://docs.bicycle.ai/docs/studio/agent-guide/start-here.md
What the connection can and cannot do
- Reads as you: models, queries, apps, functions, workflows, runs. What it reads is what your account may read.
- Writes as you: creates apps and versions, authors functions, builds workflows, starts runs.
- Never without you: publishing an app version that adds a function, a function's first publish, a gated workflow publish, approving a send, sharing beyond yourself, exposing a function or workflow to agents or MCP. The tool answers with a Studio link; you do it there. See Limits, safety and permissions.
Disconnect
Claude Desktop: Customize → Connectors, remove Bicycle Studio. Claude Code: claude mcp remove bicycle. Removing the connection does not disable anything the agent created: apps, functions, workflows and schedules stay in Studio until you switch them off there.