How to add LLM Context to Claude Desktop

Smart context management for LLM workflows — rule-based file selection shared via MCP or clipboard. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 14, 2026 · 301★ · stdio · no auth

Claude Desktop config for LLM Context

uv tool install "llm-context>=0.6.0"

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "llm-context": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "llm-context",
        "lc-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

Setup steps

1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
2Paste the LLM Context config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
5Open a chat and confirm LLM Context's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

uv / uvx installed (used to install and run the lc-* commands and the MCP server)
A project initialized with lc-init (creates .llm-context/)

What LLM Context can do in Claude Desktop

lc_outlines

Generate excerpted context (code structure outlines) from the current rule.

lc_preview

Validate a rule's effectiveness — check file selection and context size before use.

lc_missing

Fetch specific files or implementations on demand (by param_type and data, with a timestamp).

Security

The server exposes filesystem read access (file selection, outlines, and on-demand file fetching) scoped to the project root path you provide. It runs locally over stdio with no authentication; only grant it access to projects you intend the AI to read.

LLM Context + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the LLM Context config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is LLM Context safe to use with Claude Desktop?

Do I need the MCP server, or can I just use the clipboard?

Both work. The clipboard workflow (lc-select / lc-context) requires no server. The MCP integration (lc-mcp) is recommended so the AI can fetch additional files during a conversation without manual copying.

How do I add it to Claude Desktop?

Add an mcpServers entry to claude_desktop_config.json with command "uvx" and args ["--from", "llm-context", "lc-mcp"], then restart Claude Desktop.

What are rules?

Rules are YAML+Markdown files describing what context to provide for a task. They come in five categories (prm-, flt-, ins-, sty-, exc-) and can be composed from simpler reusable rules.

View repo Full LLM Context page