Installing Contrast MCP Server in Claude Code

June 26, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

This guide covers how to install and configure the Contrast Local MCP Server with Claude Code.

This is a Local MCP Server guide. It runs the open-source server as a local process using Contrast API and service keys. If you use Contrast SaaS, the Hosted MCP Server is easier to set up and needs no local process or keys.

[!NOTE] Official Claude Code Documentation Reference Anthropic's full Claude Code documentation for adding MCP servers can be found here: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp

Prerequisites

  • Claude Code installed (download)
  • Contrast API credentials (how to get API credentials)
  • Choose one deployment method:
    • Docker (recommended)
    • Java 21+ and the built JAR file

Installation Steps

Claude Code uses a simple CLI command to add MCP servers. Choose either Docker or JAR deployment:

Add the Contrast MCP server using Docker:

claude mcp add --transport stdio contrast \
  --env CONTRAST_HOST_NAME=example.contrastsecurity.com \
  --env CONTRAST_API_KEY=your_api_key \
  --env CONTRAST_SERVICE_KEY=your_service_key \
  --env CONTRAST_USERNAME=your_username \
  --env CONTRAST_ORG_ID=your_org_id \
  -- docker run -e CONTRAST_HOST_NAME -e CONTRAST_API_KEY -e CONTRAST_SERVICE_KEY \
  -e CONTRAST_USERNAME -e CONTRAST_ORG_ID -i --rm contrast/mcp-contrast:latest -t stdio

Replace the placeholder values with your actual Contrast credentials.

Understanding the command:

  • --transport stdio - Uses stdio communication protocol
  • --env flags - Pass your Contrast credentials as environment variables
  • -- - Separates Claude Code flags from the Docker command
  • Everything after -- is the Docker run command

Option 2: JAR Deployment

If you prefer to run the JAR directly (requires Java 21+):

claude mcp add --transport stdio contrast \
  -- java -jar /path/to/mcp-contrast-X.X.X.jar \
  --CONTRAST_HOST_NAME=example.contrastsecurity.com \
  --CONTRAST_API_KEY=your_api_key \
  --CONTRAST_SERVICE_KEY=your_service_key \
  --CONTRAST_USERNAME=your_username \
  --CONTRAST_ORG_ID=your_org_id

Replace the placeholder values with your actual Contrast credentials.

Replace /path/to/mcp-contrast-X.X.X.jar with the actual path to your downloaded or built JAR file, and replace the credential values with your actual Contrast credentials.

Getting the JAR file:

Configuration Scopes

Claude Code supports three configuration scopes. By default, servers are added to your local scope (project-specific, private to you). You can specify a different scope with the --scope flag:

  • --scope local (default): Available only to you in the current project
  • --scope project: Shared with everyone via .mcp.json file (can be committed to version control)
  • --scope user: Available to you across all projects on your machine

Example with project scope:

claude mcp add --transport stdio contrast --scope project \
  --env CONTRAST_HOST_NAME=... \
  -- docker run -e CONTRAST_HOST_NAME ... contrast/mcp-contrast:latest -t stdio

Verify Installation

Once configured, verify the server was added successfully:

# List all configured MCP servers
claude mcp list

# Get details for the Contrast server
claude mcp get contrast

Within Claude Code, you can also check server status with:

> /mcp

Test with a query like: "List applications in Contrast"

Managing Your Server

Use these commands to manage the Contrast MCP server:

# View server configuration
claude mcp get contrast

# Remove the server
claude mcp remove contrast

# List all servers
claude mcp list

Configuration Notes

  • CONTRAST_HOST_NAME: Your Contrast instance hostname (with or without https://)
  • CONTRAST_API_KEY: Your API key from Contrast
  • CONTRAST_SERVICE_KEY: Your service key from Contrast
  • CONTRAST_USERNAME: Your Contrast username (usually your email)
  • CONTRAST_ORG_ID: Your organization ID from Contrast

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

  1. Docker not found: Ensure Docker is installed and running

    docker --version
docker pull contrast/mcp-contrast:latest

  2. Connection errors: Verify your Contrast credentials are correct using the claude mcp get contrast command

  3. Server not starting: Check the logs and server status:

    # Within Claude Code
> /mcp

  4. Environment variable issues: Ensure all required credentials are provided as --env flags

For more troubleshooting help, see the Common Issues section in the Local MCP Server guide.

Proxy Configuration

If you're behind a corporate proxy, you'll need to configure Docker or Java to use your proxy settings. See the Proxy Configuration section in the Local MCP Server guide for details.

Windows Users

On native Windows (not WSL), you need to use the cmd /c wrapper for Docker commands:

claude mcp add --transport stdio contrast \
  --env CONTRAST_HOST_NAME=... \
  -- cmd /c docker run -e CONTRAST_HOST_NAME ... contrast/mcp-contrast:latest -t stdio