Set up Kubernetes MCP in Claude Desktop

Interact with Kubernetes clusters via kubectl. Manage pods, deployments, services, and configurations from your AI editor.

Locate the config file

Claude Desktop reads MCP server configuration from the following file:

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Create this file if it does not already exist.

Add the following to your Claude Desktop config file:

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kubernetes-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-server-kubernetes"
      ]
    }
  }
}

No environment variables needed. Kubernetes MCP works out of the box without any API keys or tokens.

Restart Claude Desktop. Kubernetes MCP should appear in your MCP server list with 12 tools available.

This server adds approximately 6,180 tokens to your context window for tool definitions.