How Can I Connect Claude to Salesforce Using Salesforce Hosted MCP Servers?

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How Can I Connect Claude to Salesforce Using Salesforce Hosted MCP Servers?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a key driver of business automation—and with tools like Claude by Anthropic, integrating AI directly into Salesforce is easier than ever. Leveraging Salesforce hosted Managed Connected Platform (MCP) servers (currently in beta), users can securely connect external AI providers like Claude (and similarly, ChatGPT or Cursor) to their Salesforce orgs.

This blog post walks you through the process step-by-step: enabling Salesforce hosted MCP servers, creating an external client app for secure authentication, activating an out-of-the-box MCP server, and finally connecting Claude to Salesforce. Let’s dive in!

Enabling Salesforce Hosted MCP Servers

As of this writing, Salesforce hosted MCP servers are in beta, so steps may change. For now, to enable the feature, log into your Salesforce org, click the gear icon in the top right, and navigate to Setup. In the Quick Find menu, search for “User Interface,” then scroll down and select the User Interface option. Look for a checkbox labeled “Enable Salesforce MCP” (or “Enable Salesforce Hosted MCP,” likely noted as beta). Ensure it is checked. In some demo orgs, this may be enabled by default.

Creating an External Client App for Authentication

An external client app manages authentication between Claude and Salesforce and controls access levels. To set this up:

In Setup, search for “External Client App Manager” in the Quick Find box.
Click “New External Client App” and fill in details, such as the app name and contact email. Set the distribution state as Local, and add a relevant description.
Expand the API section and enable OAuth settings. Here, add the callback URL from the AI platform you’re connecting (Salesforce documentation provides specific URLs for Claude, ChatGPT, and others).
Add the correct OAUTH scopes—specifically, select:
- “Access Salesforce Hosted MCP Servers”
- “Perform requests at any time”
Under Security, ensure these are checked:
- Require proof key for code exchange (selected by default)
- Issue JSON Web Token
  Uncheck other unnecessary options.
Click “Create” to save the external client app.
After creation, expand the OAuth Settings in your app settings, revealing the Consumer Key and Consumer Secret. Store these securely—do not share them.

Activating a Salesforce MCP Server

Next, navigate to MCP Servers from the Setup menu (search “MCP” if needed). Salesforce provides several MCP servers out of the box:

sobject_all: Read, create, and update Salesforce objects
sobject_reads: Read-only access

You may also create custom servers, but here we focus on the standard options. Pick the server you wish to use (e.g., “sobject_all” for broader capability) and click “Activate” if it’s not already. Review its tool access and note the server URL—you’ll need this to connect Claude.

Connecting Claude to Salesforce

Now, transition to Claude (the free plan allows one custom connector):

Go to the Customize section in Claude, then to Connectors.
Click “+” to add a new custom connector.
Name your connector, and paste the Salesforce MCP server URL noted earlier.
In Advanced Settings, provide your OAuth client ID (Consumer Key from Salesforce).
Save the settings.
You will be prompted to connect/authorize; follow the on-screen instructions to authenticate with Salesforce.

Once connected, you’ll see available MCP server tools reflected inside Claude. You can control permission levels (e.g., require approval for updates or allow queries always).

Simple Use Cases and Demo

You can now use Claude to:

Query Salesforce data: e.g., “What opportunities in Salesforce are set to close this month? Order them by highest amount to lowest amount.”
Create or update records: e.g., “Create a new opportunity related to the Harmon Consulting account…”

These actions execute through the MCP connector, providing powerful, AI-driven Salesforce automation possibilities. You can use this foundation for more complex AI workflows—like updating opportunities directly from meeting transcripts or driving pipeline forecasts with AI insights.

Final Thoughts

This process unlocks a range of automation and AI-powered workflows right inside Salesforce, all with a secure integration using Salesforce hosted MCP servers. As features evolve, stay tuned for updates and more advanced use case guides.

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