Setup with API Token

Claude Desktop needs a helper tool called mcp-remote to send your token to ShipBob. This requires Node.js to be installed on your computer.

Before you start: Download and install Node.js (LTS). After installing, open a terminal (Command Prompt on Windows, Terminal on Mac) and type node --version to confirm it’s working. You should see a version number like v24.15.0.

1. Open Claude Desktop

2. Open the configuration file:

   • Windows: Click File → Settings → Developer → Edit Config
   • Mac: Click Claude in the menu bar → Settings → Developer → Edit Config

   

3. A file called claude_desktop_config.json opens in your text editor (Notepad on Windows)

   

4. Add the ShipBob connection:

   Empty config file

   File already has other servers

   If the file is empty or contains only {}, delete everything and paste this:

   1
   {
   2
     "mcpServers": {
   3
       "shipbob-developer-api": {
   4
         "command": "npx",
   5
         "args": [
   6
           "mcp-remote",
   7
           "https://api.shipbob.com/developer-api/mcp",
   8
           "--header",
   9
           "Authorization:${AUTH_HEADER}"
   10
         ],
   11
         "env": {
   12
           "AUTH_HEADER": "Bearer PASTE_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE"
   13
         }
   14
       }
   15
     }
   16
   }

   

   For sandbox, swap the URL to https://sandbox-api.shipbob.com/developer-api/mcp.

5. Find the line that says PASTE_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE and replace it with the token you copied in Step 1.

   Keep the word Bearer and the space before your token. The line should look like: "AUTH_HEADER": "Bearer D4AC36BF5C5...4-1"

   

6. Save the file (Ctrl+S on Windows, Cmd+S on Mac)

7. Fully close Claude Desktop - don’t just minimize it:

   • Windows: Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) → find Claude → right-click → End Task
   • Mac: Right-click Claude in the Dock → Quit

   

8. Reopen Claude Desktop

   

   Open a new chat and you should see the ShipBob connector listed. Ask Claude, What ShipBob tools are available?, to verify the connection.

VS Code can connect to ShipBob directly with your token - no extra tools needed.

Add the following to .vscode/mcp.json or your user MCP config:

1
{
2
  "servers": {
3
    "shipbob-developer-api": {
4
      "type": "http",
5
      "url": "https://api.shipbob.com/developer-api/mcp",
6
      "headers": {
7
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:shipbob_token}"
8
      }
9
    }
10
  },
11
  "inputs": [
12
    {
13
      "type": "promptString",
14
      "id": "shipbob_token",
15
      "description": "ShipBob API Token",
16
      "password": true
17
    }
18
  ]
19
}

When you start the server for the first time, VS Code asks you to enter your token. Paste the token you copied in Step 1 (without Bearer - VS Code adds that automatically).

For sandbox, swap the URL to https://sandbox-api.shipbob.com/developer-api/mcp.

If your app lets you add a remote server with custom headers, configure it with:

If your app uses a JSON config file, the entry typically looks like:

1
{
2
  "type": "http",
3
  "url": "https://api.shipbob.com/developer-api/mcp",
4
  "headers": {
5
    "Authorization": "Bearer PASTE_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE"
6
  }
7
}

If your app only supports running a local command (not a URL), you can use mcp-remote as a bridge. This requires Node.js:

$
npx mcp-remote https://api.shipbob.com/developer-api/mcp --header "Authorization:Bearer PASTE_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE"