Set up Sequential Thinking MCP in Claude Code

Enable structured, step-by-step reasoning for complex problem solving. Helps AI break down problems into logical sequences.

Locate the config file

Claude Code reads MCP server configuration from the following file:

~/.claude.json

Create this file if it does not already exist.

Add the configuration

You can configure Sequential Thinking MCP using the CLI command or by editing the config file directly.

Option A: CLI command

bash

claude mcp add sequential-thinking-mcp -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking

Option B: Config file

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sequential-thinking-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Set up environment variables

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

Verify it works

Restart Claude Code. Sequential Thinking MCP should appear in your MCP server list with 1 tool available.

This server adds approximately 515 tokens to your context window for tool definitions.

Set up Sequential Thinking MCP in other editors

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