Last week, the announcement of the new DigitalOcean MCP Server was made. This tool integrates with Claude Desktop, as well as other IDEs like Cursor and Windsurf, enabling them to perform various actions such as deploying apps, fetching logs, and restarting services.

In this guide, we will go through the steps to set up the MCP Server with Claude Code, which is a terminal-based CLI by Anthropic. Claude Code operates locally in your terminal and utilizes your project folder, making it an ideal choice for deploying apps with the context provided by MCP Servers.

If you’re new to MCP and want to understand its potential, check out our introductory resources that cover what this technology unlocks as well as practical examples.

Step 1: Obtain Your DigitalOcean API Token

To allow the MCP server to interact with your DigitalOcean account, you must create a personal access token with App Platform access.

1. Navigate to the API Tokens page on DigitalOcean.
2. Click on Generate New Token.
3. Assign a name like mcp-server-token.
4. Ensure it includes the App Platform read/write scopes.
5. Save the token securely for later use.

Step 2: Install Claude Code CLI

If you haven’t installed Claude Code yet, follow the relevant installation instructions. After installation, verify its functionality:

claude --help

This command will display a list of commands available in Claude’s CLI.

Step 3: Add the DigitalOcean MCP Server (Local Scope)

Next, you will add the DigitalOcean MCP server using the default local scope, which keeps the server available only within your current project folder. Execute the following command, replacing YOUR_DO_API_TOKEN with your actual API token:

claude mcp add digitalocean-mcp-local   -e DIGITALOCEAN_API_TOKEN=YOUR_DO_API_TOKEN   -- npx "@digitalocean/mcp"

Step 4: Verify the Server

To confirm that your registered servers list includes the MCP server, run:

claude mcp list

If everything is set up correctly, you should see digitalocean-mcp-local in the list. For further details about its configuration, execute:

claude mcp get digitalocean-mcp-local

If it’s not listed, double-check your API token and ensure Claude Code is installed correctly.

Step 5: Run a Natural Language Prompt

Now that your setup is complete, start using Claude by running:

claude

You can then try natural language prompts such as:

• List all my apps on DigitalOcean
• Create a new app from this GitHub repo: https://github.com/do-community/do-one-click-deploy-flask

Claude will prompt you for approval regarding the tool call, and upon confirmation, it will execute the request.

What’s Next?

With Claude Code connected to your DigitalOcean account via the MCP server, you can:

• Deploy applications from GitHub repositories
• Review logs and environment settings
• Restart or remove services

If you’re interested in exploring more functionalities, we provide comprehensive video tutorials that detail the full workflow of connecting Claude to DigitalOcean, including app building and deployment.

To discover more about the features and tools of the DigitalOcean MCP server, refer to the official GitHub repository for additional guidance.

Welcome to DediRock, your trusted partner in high-performance hosting solutions. At DediRock, we specialize in providing dedicated servers, VPS hosting, and cloud services tailored to meet the unique needs of businesses and individuals alike. Our mission is to deliver reliable, scalable, and secure hosting solutions that empower our clients to achieve their digital goals. With a commitment to exceptional customer support, cutting-edge technology, and robust infrastructure, DediRock stands out as a leader in the hosting industry. Join us and experience the difference that dedicated service and unwavering reliability can make for your online presence. Launch our website.