The CData MCP Server for SuiteCRM defines each connection to SuiteCRM as a named configuration that Claude can use when sending natural language queries.

You create and manage these configurations using the MCP Configuration Tool. The tool automatically handles formatting, storage, and registration with Claude Desktop.

Understanding Connection Configurations

Each connection configuration is stored in a .mcp file. This file includes the details needed to initialize the connector when Claude starts a session.

• On Windows, configuration files are stored in "~/AppData/Roaming/CData/SuiteCRM Data Provider/".
• On macOS, configuration files are stored in "~/Library/Application Support/CData/SuiteCRM Data Provider/".

The .mcp file is a text file that contains a list of connection properties and a timestamp. For example:

#Tue May 20 15:48:40 EDT 2025
AuthScheme=Basic
User=myUser
Password=myPassword
Security Token=myToken

The configuration tool handles these settings automatically. Each saved configuration enables Claude to launch a dedicated MCP Server instance with the correct connector and options. Manual file editing is not required.

Connecting to SuiteCRM

Requirements for connecting to SuiteCRM differ, depending on which version of the API your site is running.

SuiteCRM V4.1 API

To connect to SuiteCRM data via the V4.1 API, set these connection properties:

• Schema: suitecrmv4.
• URL: The URL associated with the SuiteCRM application. For example, http://suite.crm.com.
• User: The user associated with the SuiteCRM account.
• Password: The password associated with the user of the SuiteCRM account.

Note that retrieving SuiteCRM metadata can be expensive. We recommend that you store the metadata locally, as described in Caching Metadata.

SuiteCRM V8 API

SuiteCRM V8 uses the OAuth2 authentication standard. Before you connect to SuiteCRM V8 API, you must ensure that is it properly configured to provide the OAuth2 private and public keys. For further information, see the SuiteCRM Developer Guide API V8 setup instructions.

Authenticating to SuiteCRM V8 API

The SuiteCRM V8 API uses OAuth2.0 as its authentication mechanism, based on either of two grant types: PASSWORD and CLIENT.

Authentication via OAuth requires the Schema to be set to suitecrmv8, and the creation of a custom OAuth application, as described in Creating a Custom OAuth Application.

Client Credentials Grant

To connect to SuiteCRM V8 API, set these properties:

• Schema: suitecrmv8.
• AuthScheme: OAuthClient.
• OAuthClientId: The client key returned during custom OAuth application creation. (See Creating a Custom OAuth Application.)
• OAuthClientSecret: The client secret returned during custom OAuth application creation (See Creating a Custom OAuth Application.)
• InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken connection property.
• URL: The base URL of your SuiteCRM system. For example, https://suitecrmhost/.

Password Grant

To connect to SuiteCRM V8 API, set these properties:

• Schema: suitecrmv8.
• AuthScheme: OAuthPassword.
• OAuthClientId: The client key returned during custom OAuth application creation. (See Creating a Custom OAuth Application.)
• OAuthClientSecret: The client secret returned during custom OAuth application creation. (See Creating a Custom OAuth Application.)
• User: The user's username.
• Password: The user's password.
• InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken connection property.
• URL: The base URL of your SuiteCRM system. For example, https://suitecrmhost/.