How to Use the Cerbos MCP in Claude

Q: How do I install the Cerbos MCP Server in Claude Desktop?

Open your claudedesktopconfig.json file and add the server details under the mcpServers key. Restart the app, and you will see the hammer icon confirm the tools are ready.

Connect Claude Desktop to your Cerbos MCP Server and evaluate access policies directly from your chat window.

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Connect Cerbos MCP to Claude Desktop

Create your Vinkius account to connect Cerbos to Claude Desktop and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup Cerbos with Claude Desktop

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Evaluate AuthZEN policies inside Claude Desktop

The `authzen_evaluation` tool lets your agent test single-action permissions against your active Cerbos policies. You just ask Claude if a specific user can edit a specific document, and it fires the request to your local or remote instance. For bulk checks, `authzen_evaluations` processes multiple requests at once. Your client runs the batch using semantics like deny-on-first-deny, giving you immediate feedback on complex access scenarios without writing a custom test script.

Audit resource permissions via MCP Server

The `check_resources` tool evaluates exactly what a principal can do across a defined set of assets. Claude reads the read-only evaluation and tells you immediately if your new role definitions actually work. When you need to filter database records, `plan_resources` generates a query plan based on user permissions. You paste your schema into the chat, and the agent maps the allowed resources directly to your SQL or ORM logic.

Check instance health and configuration

The `get_server_info` tool pulls the exact version and build details of your running Cerbos environment. This prevents debugging nightmares when your local policy engine drifts from production. Routing gets handled by the `get_authzen_config` tool. Claude fetches the endpoint URLs for your AuthZEN APIs so it always sends evaluation requests to the correct destination.

Setup guide

Set up Cerbos MCP in Claude Web or Desktop

1

Open Claude Settings

Go to claude.ai, click your profile icon, then navigate to Customize → Connectors.
2

Add Custom Connector

Click the "+" button and select Add custom connector. Paste your Vinkius endpoint URL: https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your token from cloud.vinkius.com. For OAuth-protected servers, expand Advanced settings to add credentials.
3

Start a conversation

Open a new chat. The Cerbos MCP tools are available immediately — no restart needed.

Endpoint URL

https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp

No configuration file needed — paste the URL directly in the Claude web interface.

Available on Free (1 connector), Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.

Prerequisites

Claude Desktop installed (macOS or Windows)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open Claude Desktop Settings

Click the menu icon at the top-left corner, go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config. This opens claude_desktop_config.json in your default text editor.
2

Paste the Cerbos MCP configuration

Copy the JSON snippet on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen the application. Claude needs a full restart to load new MCPs — refreshing a conversation is not enough.
4

Verify the connection

Open a new conversation. Click the 🔌 icon at the bottom of the message input. You should see tools listed under cerbos-mcp.

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cerbos-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Get your connection token →

Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by Cerbos. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about Cerbos MCP in Claude Desktop

Open your claude_desktop_config.json file and add the server details under the mcpServers key. Restart the app, and you will see the hammer icon confirm the tools are ready.

Yes. The batch tool handles multiple access requests in one go. You define the permit-on-first-permit rules, and the agent processes the entire array.

You can plug the MCP URL into custom connectors in the browser if your instance is publicly reachable. Just paste the remote HTTPS string into the integrations settings.

Chat interfaces give you conversational context while debugging policies. You paste a user payload, and your agent explains why a specific rule failed instead of just returning a 403 error.

Your agent only transmits principal IDs, resource attributes, and action names for evaluation. Vinkius runs the connection through an ephemeral V8 isolate, meaning your user identities and internal role matrices never leak into persistent storage.

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