Client configuration
ToolHive automatically configures supported AI clients to work with MCP servers. This guide shows you how to set up and manage client configurations.
Understanding client configuration
Before an AI application can use ToolHive MCP servers, it needs to know where to find them. You can configure clients in two ways:
- Connect a supported client: Connect your client with ToolHive so it automatically manages and updates the client's configuration as you start, stop, and remove MCP servers.
- Manual configuration: For clients that ToolHive doesn't directly support, manually configure them to connect to ToolHive-managed MCP servers using the SSE or Streamable HTTP protocol.
For a complete list of supported clients and compatibility details, see the Client compatibility reference.
Manage client connections
ToolHive automatically discovers supported AI clients that are installed on your system. These are displayed on the Clients page. This discovery is dynamic: if you install a new client, ToolHive automatically updates the list.
Connect a client
To connect a client to ToolHive, toggle the switch under the client's name.
When you connect a client, ToolHive automatically configures it to use your currently running MCP servers. Any new servers you start are also added.
When you stop or remove an MCP server, ToolHive updates the client's configuration to remove the server.
Disconnect a client
When you disconnect a client, ToolHive removes all MCP server configurations from the client. The client will no longer be able to use any ToolHive-managed MCP servers.
Why don't I see my client?
If you don't see your client listed, ToolHive might not support it, or its configuration file might not be in a location ToolHive recognizes.
For a list of supported clients and how ToolHive detects them, see the client compatibility reference.
Why do I still see a client I uninstalled?
Many clients leave behind configuration files even after you uninstall them. ToolHive detects these files and continues to show the client in the UI. If you want to remove the client from ToolHive, delete its configuration files manually.
Manual client configuration
For clients that ToolHive doesn't support directly, you can still configure them to connect to ToolHive-managed MCP servers using the SSE (Server-Sent Events) or Streamable HTTP protocol.
To do this, you need the URL of the MCP server you want to connect to. You can get this URL from the MCP Servers page in ToolHive. Click the menu (︙) on the MCP server card to copy the URL.
You can then configure your client to use this URL. The exact steps depend on your client or library, so refer to its documentation for details. See the client configuration reference for some common examples.