Claude Code Setup

Otto works alongside Claude Code — you bring your own Claude Code subscription, and Otto provides the framework intelligence. This guide walks you through connecting them.

Prerequisites

An active Claude Code subscription
An Otto account with an active subscription — sign up here
The Otto VS Code extension installed

Option 1: Automatic Configuration (Recommended)

The easiest way to connect. Open the command palette in VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+P) and run:

Otto: Configure Claude Code

This command detects your Claude Code installation, generates the correct MCP server configuration, and applies it automatically. You will be prompted to confirm before any changes are made.

Option 2: Manual Configuration

If you prefer to configure manually, add the following to your Claude Code MCP settings file:

{
  "otto": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "@otto-dev/mcp-client"],
    "env": {
      "OTTO_SERVER_URL": "https://mcp.otto-mode.ai"
    }
  }
}

The MCP settings file is typically located at:

macOS/Linux: ~/.claude/mcp_servers.json
Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.claude\mcp_servers.json

Step 3: Restart Claude Code

After configuration, restart Claude Code to pick up the new MCP server. Claude Code will connect to Otto on startup and make Otto's tools available in your conversation.

Verification

To confirm the connection is working, ask Claude Code:

What Otto tools are available?

Claude Code should list Otto's MCP tools. If you see them, the connection is live.

Troubleshooting

Connection refused or timeout

Check that OTTO_SERVER_URL is set to https://mcp.otto-mode.ai. If you are behind a corporate firewall, ensure outbound HTTPS traffic to mcp.otto-mode.ai is allowed.

Authentication errors

Make sure you are signed in to Otto via the VS Code extension (Otto: Sign In). Your authentication token is shared with Claude Code automatically.

Tools not appearing

Restart Claude Code after adding the configuration. If tools still do not appear, check that your Otto subscription is active and covers the products you expect (Stack, Security, Dev, or Ops).

npx errors

Ensure Node.js (v18+) and npm are installed and on your PATH. The npx -y flag auto-installs the MCP client package.

Why Claude Code?

Otto provides the what — assessments, recommendations, best practices, and remediation plans. Claude Code provides the how — implementing those recommendations in your codebase. By keeping them separate, you maintain full control over your AI costs, and Otto's framework intelligence stays current without you managing updates.

Next step: With Claude Code connected, set up Otto Stack to run your first full assessment and configure your project.