Claude Desktop connects to Airtable through the CData MCP Server for Airtable 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 Airtable 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 Airtable.

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:

• "What are the names of all my Airtable bases?"
• "List all tables along with their base names and creation dates."
• "Which individual collaborators are assigned to the table "Client Contacts"?"
• "Who are the users that have access to the base "Team Calendar"?"
• "Which groups exist in my Airtable workspace and how many members are in each group?"
• "List all files attached to records in the table "Project Deliverables"."
• "How many collaborators are assigned to each sample table?"
• "Who are the collaborators for the "Bug Reports" sample table and what are their"
• "Which sample table records have more than one attachment?"
• "List all members of the group "Content Team"."

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