Config Import / Export

Export your Clevername MCP configuration for use in IDEs, or import existing configurations from claude_desktop_config.json to bulk-add servers. OAuth-capable clients should use the exported gateway URL and sign in in the browser.

Key Concepts

Export

Exporting generates a JSON configuration file compatible with Claude Code and other MCP clients. It includes your gateway connection, installed servers, and custom connections in the standard mcpServers format.

Import

Importing reads a claude_desktop_config.jsonfile and creates MCP connections for each server defined in it. This is useful when migrating from a local MCP setup to Clevername's managed gateway. You can selectively toggle which servers to import.

What gets imported

HTTP servers — Imported as MCP connections with their URLs and headers
stdio servers — Listed but cannot be imported (local-only transport)
Authentication — Bearer tokens from headers are preserved; OAuth-capable clients can sign in again after import; other auth methods require manual setup

Exporting Your Configuration

Open the export dialog

Navigate to Dashboard → Integrations → Gateway tab and click Export Config.

Gateway tab with the Export Config button highlighted

The Export Config button generates a downloadable JSON file.

Choose the export format

Select your target format:

Gateway (recommended) — Single entry pointing to the Clevername gateway endpoint
Individual servers — Separate entries for each installed server

Tip

The gateway format is simpler and automatically picks up new server installations. OAuth-capable clients can usually use this export without adding any bearer header manually. Individual server export is useful if you need to use servers directly without the gateway.

Download and place the file

Click Downloadto save the JSON file. Place it in your IDE's expected location:

Claude Code: ~/.claude/claude_desktop_config.json
VS Code: .vscode/mcp.json in your project
Cursor: import via Settings → MCP Servers

Importing a Configuration

Open the import dialog

On the same Gateway tab, click Import Config. Select or drag your claude_desktop_config.json file.

Import Config dialog showing a file drop zone and a Browse button

Drop your config file or click Browse to select it.

Review discovered servers

Clevername parses the file and lists all discovered MCP servers. Each server shows its name, URL, and transport type. Servers using stdio transport are flagged as incompatible since they require local execution.

Import review screen showing a list of servers with toggles and compatibility indicators

Toggle on the servers you want to import. Incompatible servers are grayed out.

Important

Servers using stdiotransport (local command execution) cannot be imported. These require a local process and are not compatible with Clevername's cloud gateway.

Select and import

Toggle on the servers you want to import and click Import Selected. Each selected server is created as an MCP connection. If a server with the same URL already exists, it is skipped to avoid duplicates.

Configure credentials

Imported servers that require authentication will show an Action Required badge. Click each one to enter the necessary credentials (Bearer token, API key, etc.).

Note

Bearer tokens from the imported config file are preserved automatically. Other authentication methods may need manual configuration after import. OAuth-capable clients can usually just reauthenticate in the browser.

Integrations Overview IDE Gateway MCP Connections Integration Directory