How to add Confluent MCP Server to Claude Desktop

Manage Confluent Cloud, Confluent Platform & Apache Kafka via natural language — 50+ tools across Kafka, Flink, Schema Registry & more. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 14, 2026 · 160★ · stdio · apikey · official

Claude Desktop config for Confluent MCP Server

npx -y @confluentinc/mcp-confluent

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "confluent-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@confluentinc/mcp-confluent",
        "--config",
        "/path/to/config.yaml"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
2Paste the Confluent MCP Server 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 Confluent MCP Server's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

Node.js 22 or later
A config.yaml file (generate with `npx @confluentinc/mcp-confluent --init-config`)
For Confluent Cloud: a Confluent Cloud account with API keys, or OAuth sign-in credentials
For local/Confluent Platform: a Kafka and/or Schema Registry endpoint
pnpm only if building from source

What Confluent MCP Server can do in Claude Desktop

search-product-docs

Search Confluent product documentation (docs.confluent.io, developer.confluent.io, support.confluent.io) by keyword.

get-product-doc-page

Fetch the full markdown content of a Confluent product documentation page.

explain-disabled-tools

Explain why a tool is missing or unavailable (e.g., why a Kafka tool can't be listed).

list-configured-connections

List every configured connection and the connection-routable tools you can invoke against each.

describe-configured-connection

Describe one configured connection by id: its non-secret config (type, endpoints, resource ids) and tool availability.

list-topics

List all topics in the Kafka cluster.

create-topics

Create one or more Kafka topics with an optional partition count and replication factor.

delete-topics

Delete the topics with the given names.

Security

Authenticates to Confluent Cloud via static API keys in config.yaml or OAuth (PKCE). For HTTP/SSE transports, generate an API key with `npx @confluentinc/mcp-confluent --generate-key` and set it under server.auth.api_key; --disable-auth should only be used in development. Includes DNS rebinding protection via --allowed-hosts. Telemetry is collected by default and can be disabled with DO_NOT_TRACK=true.

Confluent MCP Server + 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 Confluent MCP Server config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is Confluent MCP Server safe to use with Claude Desktop?

Is this an official Confluent project?

Yes. It is published by the confluentinc organization on GitHub and distributed as the npm package @confluentinc/mcp-confluent under the MIT license.

How do I authenticate to Confluent Cloud?

Two ways: static API keys defined in config.yaml, or OAuth (PKCE) which opens a browser sign-in on the first tool call that needs Confluent access. OAuth currently covers a subset of tool categories (Kafka, Schema Registry, Cloud resource listing, Billing); the rest still require a direct connection with static API keys.

Why don't all the tools show up?

Tools are auto-enabled based on which service blocks are present in your resolved config.yaml. Run `npx @confluentinc/mcp-confluent --list-tools` or invoke the explain-disabled-tools MCP tool to see which are active and why others are absent.

View repo Full Confluent MCP Server page