> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.privategpt.dev/integrations/claude-desktop/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.privategpt.dev/_mcp/server.

# Claude Desktop

> Connect Claude Desktop (Cowork) to your private-gpt server using third-party inference.

> **Warning**
>
> This page was last updated and tested on **2026-06-03**. The setup is stable, but Claude Desktop updates can change UI labels or configuration keys without notice — if something stops working, check this page for an updated guide.

[Claude Desktop](https://claude.ai/download) ships with a **Cowork** agent harness — skills, plugins, MCP servers, and multi-agent coordination — that can be pointed at any Anthropic-compatible endpoint, including your `private-gpt` server. This lets you run the full Cowork experience against your self-hosted models without routing data through Anthropic's first-party infrastructure.

For the official Anthropic documentation on third-party inference, see [Claude Desktop third-party inference](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11514764-claude-desktop-third-party-inference).

## Compatibility

Tested against `private-gpt` on 2026-05-27.

| Feature                                     | Status | Notes                                                   |
| ------------------------------------------- | :----: | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| Chat & streaming                            |    ✅   |                                                         |
| Web search                                  |    ✅   |                                                         |
| File tools (read, write, edit)              |    ✅   |                                                         |
| Skills                                      |    ✅   |                                                         |
| Plugins                                     |    ✅   |                                                         |
| MCP servers                                 |    ✅   |                                                         |
| Multi-agent (sub-agents)                    |    ✅   |                                                         |
| Native connectors (Gmail, Notion, Slack, …) |    ❌   | Not available on third-party gateways — use MCP servers |
| Code tab config parity                      |   ⚠️   | Some keys may not propagate to Code-tab sessions        |

---

## Prerequisites

* Claude Desktop installed and up to date
* Developer mode enabled: **Help → Troubleshooting → Enable Developer Mode**
* `private-gpt` server running (see [serve](/configuration/cli#serve))

> **Note**
>
> The **Configure Third-Party Inference** option lives under **Menu → Developer**. If it is missing, update Claude Desktop and restart with developer mode enabled. Users on corporate or Team plans may not see it — it may be plan-gated.

---

## Setup

#### Open the third-party inference panel

In Claude Desktop: **Menu → Developer → Configure Third-Party Inference**

#### Set the gateway values

| Field               | Value                                                |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| Connection          | `Gateway`                                            |
| Gateway base URL    | `http://localhost:<port>/<root_path>`                |
| Gateway API key     | `server.auth.secret` (any value if auth is disabled) |
| Gateway auth scheme | `Bearer`                                             |

`private-gpt` exposes an Anthropic-compatible API, so no adapter or proxy is needed. If `root_path` is empty, omit the trailing path:

```
http://localhost:8080
```

#### Configure your model

Open the model configuration panel and add a custom model entry with the following values:

| Field                 | Value                                      |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Model Discoverability | **Disabled**                               |
| Model ID              | `claude-local` (must start with `claude-`) |
| Display Name          | `PrivateGPT` (or any label you prefer)     |

> **Warning**
>
> Claude Desktop requires the **Model ID** to follow the `claude-*` naming convention (e.g. `claude-local`, `claude-private`). Using an ID that does not start with `claude-` will cause the model to be rejected or ignored.

> **Warning**
>
> Do **not** include `gpt` anywhere in the **Model ID** — Claude Desktop bans that string and will reject the model entry.

Because Claude Desktop requires a `claude-*` Model ID, the value you enter (e.g. `claude-local`) will not match any model name in your `settings.yaml` — PrivateGPT will automatically fall back to the **default model** configured on the server.

For fine-grained control over context window, tokenizer, tool support, and sampling parameters, see [Advanced Model Configuration](/configuration/advanced).

#### Apply and relaunch

Click **Apply locally → Relaunch now**.

After relaunch, log out of your Anthropic account and choose **Continue with Gateway**.

> Connect Claude Desktop (Cowork) to your private-gpt server using third-party inference.