Connect Claude Desktop, Cursor or any MCP client

Cortex is an MCP server at:

https://mcp.cortexlayer.net/mcp

Point any MCP client at that URL. What happens next depends on whether the client supports OAuth (no key needed) or expects a static key in its config.

Claude (web, mobile, desktop)

Uses your Cortex account directly. No API key, no client ID to paste anywhere.

1. In Claude, open Settings → Connectors and add a custom connector.
2. Paste the server URL above and add it. Leave the advanced settings empty.
3. Claude opens a page on the Cortex web app asking you to approve the connection. Check that it shows your account, then choose Allow.
4. Turn the connector on in a chat. The first time, Claude asks permission to use each Cortex tool.

If your version of Claude asks for a client ID under Advanced settings, most register themselves automatically — check the Setup page in the web app (signed in) for one specific to your account, and leave the secret field blank.

Cursor and other MCP clients (mcp.json)

Clients that read a JSON config and don't do the OAuth dance yet take a static API key instead. Create one on the Setup or Keys page of the Cortex web app, then add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cortex": {
      "url": "https://mcp.cortexlayer.net/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

Claude Code and Hermes are two API-key clients with their own quickstart pages: Claude Code, Hermes.

What your agent gets

Five tools, all scoped to your account: memory_add, memory_retrieve, memory_update, memory_delete and memory_relink. The web dashboard is read-only — adding, editing and deleting memories happens through a connected agent.

Check that it works

1. Tell your agent: "Use Cortex to remember that I prefer dark mode."
2. In a new conversation, ask: "What do I prefer for my editor theme?"
3. Open Memory or Graph in the web app to see what was stored and how memories link together.

Used Cortex with an API key before and now want to sign in with an account? Sign in and attach the old key once on the Memory page to bring those memories into the signed-in account.