Claude Desktop connects to ShipStation through the CData MCP Server for ShipStation using the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

When you launch Claude, it automatically detects MCP connections registered during setup. These connections are created and saved using the MCP Configuration Tool, which is installed with the MCP Server.

Each saved connection is recognized by Claude and can be referenced by name when asking questions.

Installing Claude

Claude Desktop is a standalone application that enables natural language querying across supported data sources using the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

To connect to ShipStation via MCP, you first need to install the Claude Desktop application.

You can download the latest version from the official Claude Download Page.

After installing Claude Desktop, you can configure your MCP connection using the CData MCP Driver for ShipStation.

How Claude Uses the Server

When you ask Claude a question, it launches the corresponding MCP Server connection, reads the available tool descriptions provided by the connector, and generates a secure query in the background.

There is no need to write SQL or teach Claude how to query your data. Each tool is self-describing, and Claude consumes those descriptions to determine how to retrieve the right information.

Example Prompts

After setup, you can ask Claude natural-language questions like:

• "How many orders were placed last month?"
• "Which orders are still awaiting shipment?"
• "What is the total value of orders by store for the past 30 days?"
• "What is the average time between order date and shipment date?"
• "How many packages were shipped to California in May?"
• "Create a label for shipment 123456."
• "Create and return a label for the oldest unshipped order."
• "List all customers who have not placed an order in the past 90 days."
• "Which customers have had multiple orders flagged as returns or issues?"
• "What is the average shipping cost by carrier?"

Claude securely executes the query using the MCP Server and responds using the live results from ShipStation.