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Watch this quick demo to see Pica's MCP Server in action with Claude Desktop

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Overview

Claude Desktop is Anthropic’s desktop application that supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP). By integrating Pica’s MCP Server with Claude Desktop, you can execute actions on 150+ third-party integrations, generate integration code, and get insights about how integrations work—all through natural conversation with Claude.

Download Claude Desktop

Get the latest version of Claude Desktop from Anthropic

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Prerequisites

Before setting up, make sure you have:
  1. Claude Desktop Installed - Download here
  2. Pica Account - Create a free account
  3. Pica API Key - Get from Settings > API Keys
  4. Connected Integrations - Connect at least one integration from the Connections page

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Installation

1

Locate the Claude Desktop config file

Find your Claude Desktop configuration file:On MacOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
On Windows:
%APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
If the file doesn’t exist, create it in the appropriate directory.
2

Add Pica MCP Server configuration

Open the claude_desktop_config.json file and add the following configuration:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pica": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@picahq/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "PICA_SECRET": "your-pica-secret-key"
      }
    }
  }
}
Replace your-pica-secret-key with your actual Pica API key.
Make sure to keep your API key secure. Never share the config file publicly.
3

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect.
4

Verify the installation

Start a new conversation in Claude and ask:
What connections do I have access to?
If configured correctly, Claude will list your connected Pica integrations.

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What You Can Do

Once set up, you can use Claude to interact with your integrations in three main ways:

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Execute Actions Directly

Ask Claude to perform actions on your connected platforms:

Email Management

  • “Get my last 5 emails from Gmail”
  • “Send an email to hello@picaos.com with subject ‘Hello’”
  • “Search my emails for messages from John”

Calendar Operations

  • “Create a meeting tomorrow at 2pm”
  • “Show my calendar events for this week”
  • “Find free time slots on Friday”

Slack Communication

  • “Send a message to #general: ‘Meeting in 10 minutes’”
  • “List all channels in my Slack workspace”
  • “Post an update to the #announcements channel”

CRM Management

  • “Create a lead in Salesforce for Jane Doe at Acme Corp”
  • “Show me recent leads from HubSpot”
  • “Update the status of contact ID 12345”

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Advanced Configuration

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Using Docker

If you prefer running the MCP server in Docker, you can configure Claude Desktop to use a Docker container instead of the NPX command. Step 1: Build the Docker image First, build the Pica MCP Server Docker image: 
docker build -t pica-mcp-server .
Or pull from the repository if available. Step 2: Configure Claude Desktop Update your Claude Desktop configuration file: On MacOS: ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json On Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pica": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e", "PICA_SECRET=YOUR_PICA_SECRET_KEY",
        "pica-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}
Replace YOUR_PICA_SECRET_KEY with your actual Pica API key.

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Using Local Build

For development or custom modifications: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pica": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/pica-mcp-server/build/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PICA_SECRET": "YOUR_PICA_SECRET_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Troubleshooting

Problem: Claude doesn’t respond to integration-related questions.Solutions:
  1. Verify the config file path is correct
  2. Check that the JSON syntax is valid
  3. Ensure your API key is correct
  4. Restart Claude Desktop completely
  5. Check Claude’s developer console for errors (if available)
Problem: Getting 401 or authentication errors.Solutions:
  1. Verify your API key at Settings > API Keys
  2. Check that integrations are connected at Connections
  3. Ensure connections haven’t expired
  4. Try re-authenticating the integration
Problem: Claude says no connections are available.Solutions:
  1. Connect integrations at app.picaos.com/connections
  2. Verify connections are active (not expired or revoked)
  3. Check that your API key has access to the connections
  4. Restart Claude Desktop after connecting
Problem: Claude can’t execute actions on platforms.Solutions:
  1. Ask Claude to check action requirements first
  2. Verify all required parameters are provided
  3. Check connection permissions for the action
  4. Look for rate limits or API restrictions
  5. Test the action in the Pica dashboard first

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Tips for Better Results

Instead of “send an email,” say “send an email to john@example.com with subject ‘Meeting’ and body ‘Let’s meet tomorrow at 2pm’”
Start conversations with “What connections do I have?” to see what’s available
For complex actions, ask “What parameters does [action] require?” before executing
When asking for code, specify:
  • Framework/language (React, Next.js, etc.)
  • UI requirements
  • Error handling needs
  • Authentication approach
Start with simple actions before building complex workflows

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Next Steps

Browse Integrations

Explore all 150+ available integrations and their actions

Setup Guide

General setup instructions for other MCP clients

API Reference

Learn about the underlying Pica APIs

GitHub Repository

View source code and contribute

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Get Help

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