Install by client

Step-by-step setup for every supported app. Clients marked Local install support the full paperclip command set; all clients can connect to the hosted MCP server. See the main docs for what Paperclip can do once connected.

Claude Code (terminal)

Local installMCP server

Claude Code supports both connection methods. The local install is recommended — it gives the agent the full paperclip command set (pipes, grep across the corpus, repos).

Option A — Local install (recommended)

Run the installer, then sign in when prompted:

your terminalbash

curl -fsSL https://paperclip.gxl.ai/install.sh | bash

Teach your agent the commands — install the skill file into your project, selecting Claude Code:

your terminalbash

paperclip install

Start a new Claude Code session (or run /reload), then mention /paperclip in a prompt.

Option B — MCP server

Add the server from your terminal:

your terminalbash

claude mcp add --transport http paperclip https://paperclip.gxl.ai/mcp

Start claude, enter /mcp, and select Authenticate under the paperclip server.

Claude Desktop, claude.ai & Cowork

MCP server only

Claude Desktop, claude.ai web, and Claude Cowork all connect to Paperclip through custom connectors — no local install required.

Open Customize → Connectors. (If you go to Settings → Connectors, it points you to Customize — connectors are managed there now.)

Click the + button and choose Add custom connector.

Name it Paperclip and paste the Remote MCP server URL, then click Add. Leave the Advanced OAuth fields empty.

Claude app — Add custom connectortext

https://paperclip.gxl.ai/mcp

Select Paperclip in the connector list and click Connect to complete the sign-in in your browser. Its tools appear in new chats once connected.

Don't add remote servers to claude_desktop_config.json — that file only supports local stdio processes. Custom connectors require a Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan.

Codex (CLI & Desktop)

Local installMCP server

The Codex CLI and the Codex desktop app share the same configuration (~/.codex/config.toml) — set up either one and both work.

Option A — Local install

Run the installer, then sign in when prompted:

your terminalbash

curl -fsSL https://paperclip.gxl.ai/install.sh | bash

Install the skill into your project (writes .agents/skills/paperclip/SKILL.md):

your terminalbash

paperclip install   # select Codex

Start a new Codex session and mention /paperclip in a prompt.

Option B — MCP server (desktop app)

In Settings, open MCP servers in the sidebar and choose Connect to a custom MCP.

Name it paperclip, select the Streamable HTTP tab, and paste the server URL:

Codex app — Settings → MCP serverstext

https://paperclip.gxl.ai/mcp

Under Headers, add a header with key X-API-Key and an API key created at paperclip.gxl.ai/keys as the value, then click Save.

Prefer browser sign-in instead? Save without headers, then run codex mcp login paperclip in your terminal — the desktop app and CLI share the same config.

Option C — MCP server (CLI)

your terminalbash

codex mcp add paperclip --url https://paperclip.gxl.ai/mcp

Authenticate (opens your browser):

your terminalbash

codex mcp login paperclip

Verify with codex mcp list — paperclip should show as connected. The desktop app shares the same config.

Codex supports streamable-HTTP MCP servers only (no legacy SSE). If tools don't appear after login, update to the latest Codex version.

ChatGPT

MCP server only

ChatGPT (chatgpt.com) connects to Paperclip as a custom connector. This requires Developer mode, available on paid plans on the web. Once linked, the connector also works in the ChatGPT mobile apps.

Enable Developer mode: Settings → Apps → Advanced settings → toggle Developer mode.

Back in Apps, click Create app (this button only appears with Developer mode on). In the New App dialog, name it Paperclip, keep Connection on Server URL, paste the MCP server URL, and leave Authentication as OAuth:

ChatGPT — New App dialogtext

https://paperclip.gxl.ai/mcp

Check "I understand and want to continue" under the custom-server risk notice, then click Create and complete the sign-in in your browser. If the connection succeeds, ChatGPT lists the tools Paperclip advertises.

In a new chat, add the Paperclip connector to the conversation (via the + / tools menu in the composer) and ask away.

Cursor

Local installMCP server

Option A — Local install (recommended)

Run the installer, then sign in when prompted:

your terminalbash

curl -fsSL https://paperclip.gxl.ai/install.sh | bash

Teach your agent the commands — install the skill file into your project:

your terminalbash

paperclip install   # select Cursor

Reload the window (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → Reload Window) and mention /paperclip in a prompt.

Option B — MCP server

Open Cursor Settings (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + J) → Tools & MCPs → New MCP Server (shown as Add Custom MCP when the list is empty). Cursor opens ~/.cursor/mcp.json for you — add:

~/.cursor/mcp.jsonjson

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "paperclip": {
      "url": "https://paperclip.gxl.ai/mcp",
      "type": "http"
    }
  }
}

To share the server with your team instead, create .cursor/mcp.json in the project root with the same content.

Back in Tools & MCPs, find paperclip under Installed MCP Servers and sign in (Cursor opens your browser). Once connected it shows Logout and the enabled tool count.

Windsurf

MCP server only

Connect Cascade via the hosted MCP server.

Open Windsurf Settings → Cascade tab. Under MCP Servers, click Open MCP Registry.

Create an API key at paperclip.gxl.ai/keys. Then, in the registry, click the gear icon (next to Installed) to open ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json in the editor, and add:

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.jsonjson

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "paperclip": {
      "serverUrl": "https://paperclip.gxl.ai/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "gxl_..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Save, then refresh the MCP server list in Cascade. Paperclip's tools are now available to the agent.

Windsurf also supports browser OAuth (omit headers), but the sign-in prompt only triggers on the first tool call and is easily lost to popup blockers — an API key is the reliable path. If you try OAuth and it stalls, clear the cache with rm -rf ~/.mcp-auth and restart Windsurf.

Antigravity (App & IDE)

MCP server only

Works in both the standalone Antigravity app and the Antigravity IDE — they share the same MCP configuration. The Add MCP + button only lists Google's pre-built catalog, so custom servers like Paperclip are added via the config file.

First, create an API key at paperclip.gxl.ai/keys, then follow the steps for the surface you're using. Both read the same config, and the entry to add is:

~/.gemini/config/mcp_config.jsonjson

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "paperclip": {
      "serverUrl": "https://paperclip.gxl.ai/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "gxl_..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Antigravity requires serverUrl — not url — for remote servers, and the JSON cannot contain comments.

Standalone app

The app has no built-in editor, so open the config in any editor from your terminal and add the entry above:

your terminalbash

mkdir -p ~/.gemini/config
open -e ~/.gemini/config/mcp_config.json   # macOS TextEdit (or: code ...)

In the app, open Settings (gear, bottom-left) → Customizations and click Refresh next to Installed MCP Servers. Paperclip appears with its tools enabled.

IDE

Click the … menu at the top of the agent panel → MCP Servers → Manage MCP Servers → View raw config. The IDE opens mcp_config.json in the editor — add the entry above and save.

Back in Manage MCP Servers, click Refresh. Paperclip's tools become available to the agent.

Windows

MCP server only

On Windows, the preferred method is to use the apps or websites listed above (Claude Desktop, claude.ai, ChatGPT, Cursor, etc.) — MCP connections work natively on Windows, so follow those sections as-is. The local CLI isn't supported on native Windows: the installer is a bash script and the CLI's interactive prompts use Unix terminal APIs.

Other MCP clients

MCP server only

Paperclip works with any client that supports remote MCP servers over streamable HTTP with OAuth sign-in (Zed, Continue, and others). Point your client at:

MCP server URLtext

https://paperclip.gxl.ai/mcp

Most clients accept this as an "HTTP" or "remote" MCP server and open a browser window to authenticate on first use. If your client supports custom headers instead of OAuth, see API keys for header-based authentication.