> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.chronosphere.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Authenticate with the Chronosphere MCP server

export const ApiToken = () => <>
    Replace <em><code>API_TOKEN</code></em> with the API token generated from your <a href="/administer/accounts-teams/service-accounts">service account</a>. Chronosphere recommends storing your API token in a separate file or Kubernetes Secret and calling it using an environment variable, such as <code>$API_TOKEN</code>.
  </>;

export const MyTenant = () => <>
    Replace <em><code>TENANT</code></em> with the name of your Observability Platform tenant.
  </>;

Before you can use the Chronosphere Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, you need to
authenticate with the MCP client you use to access a large language model (LLM). Use
one of the following options to configure authentication:

* Generate a Chronosphere API token, either through a personal access token or a
  service account.
* Use [OAuth](https://oauth.net/2/). To use the Chronosphere MCP server with OAuth,
  your MCP client must support OAuth.

  <Note>
    OAuth authentication with the Chronosphere MCP server has been tested with the
    following MCP clients only.
  </Note>

The following steps explain how to authenticate with popular AI-powered code editors.
After authenticating, you can use the LLM features in your code editor to interact
with the [Chronosphere MCP server tools](/integrate/mcp-server/resources).

## Prerequisites

If you're authenticating your MCP client with a Chronosphere API token, use one of
the following options to generate one:

* **Personal access**: Create a
  [personal access token](/administer/accounts-teams/personal-access-tokens) to
  authenticate your user account with Chronosphere. When you authenticate with a
  personal access token, Chronosphere Observability Platform associates the actions
  you take with your identity and respects the permissions granted to your user
  account's team.
* **Programmatic access**: Create an
  [unrestricted service account](/administer/accounts-teams/service-accounts#create-an-unrestricted-service-account)
  to create a persistent identity for a service or agent that you want to authenticate
  with your MCP client. You must have
  [administrative access](/administer/accounts-teams/user-accounts#grant-system-administrator-sysadmin-privileges-to-users)
  to create a service account.

## Authenticating using Claude Code

To authenticate with the Chronosphere MCP server from Claude Code, add the MCP server
as a
[remote HTTP server](https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code/mcp#option-3%3A-add-a-remote-http-server).

1. From within Claude Code, run the following command, which adds both the
   Chronosphere MCP server and the Chronosphere documentation MCP server:

   ```bash wrap /TENANT/ /API_TOKEN/ theme={null}
   claude mcp add --transport http chronosphere "https://TENANT.chronosphere.io/api/mcp/mcp" \
   --header "Authorization: Bearer API_TOKEN"
   claude mcp add --transport http chronosphere-docs "https://docs.chronosphere.io/mcp" \
   --header "Authorization: Bearer API_TOKEN"
   ```

   Replace the following:

   * <MyTenant />
   * <ApiToken />

   <Note>
     To authenticate using OAuth instead of a Chronosphere API token, omit the
     `--header` flag. You can also use the `/mcp` command to authenticate with OAuth
     authentication.
   </Note>

2. Test your connection with the Chronosphere MCP server:

   ```bash theme={null}
   claude mcp get chronosphere
   ```

The command returns the details for the Chronosphere MCP server.

## Authenticating using Cursor

To authenticate with the Chronosphere MCP server from Cursor, modify the `mcp.json`
file to include the Chronosphere MCP server remote endpoint.

1. From within Cursor,
   [access the `mcp.json` file](https://cursor.com/docs/context/mcp#using-mcpjson).

2. Add the following configuration to the `mcp.json` file, which adds both the
   Chronosphere MCP server and the Chronosphere documentation MCP server:

   ```json /TENANT/ /API_TOKEN/ theme={null}
   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "chronosphere": {
         "url": "https://TENANT.chronosphere.io/api/mcp/mcp",
         "headers": {
           "Authorization": "Bearer API_TOKEN"
         }
       },
       "chronosphere-docs": {
         "url": "https://docs.chronosphere.io/mcp",
         "headers": {
           "Authorization": "Bearer API_TOKEN"
         }
       }
     }
   }
   ```

   Replace the following:

   * <MyTenant />
   * <ApiToken />

   <Note>
     To authenticate using OAuth instead of a Chronosphere API token, omit the
     `headers` section from the configuration.
   </Note>

3. Save and close the `mcp.json` file.

4. Refresh the MCP server settings in Cursor.

The Chronosphere MCP server and documentation MCP server display in the list of
configured MCP servers.