How to add Sequential Thinking to Claude Desktop

Structured step-by-step reasoning tool for breaking problems into revisable thought sequences. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 15, 2026 · 62k★ · stdio · no auth · official

Claude Desktop config for Sequential Thinking

npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking

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

Setup steps

1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
2Paste the Sequential Thinking config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
5Open a chat and confirm Sequential Thinking's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

Node.js with npx (for the npm package), OR
Docker installed and running (to use the mcp/sequentialthinking image)
No API key or network access required

What Sequential Thinking can do in Claude Desktop

sequentialthinking

Record one reasoning step with thought, thoughtNumber, totalThoughts, and nextThoughtNeeded; supports optional isRevision/revisesThought, branchFromThought/branchId, and needsMoreThoughts for revision and branching

Security

Runs entirely locally with no network access or stored data, so the attack surface is minimal. The only risk is the usual one of executing an npm package, so pin to the official scope.

Sequential Thinking + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the Sequential Thinking config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is Sequential Thinking safe to use with Claude Desktop?

Runs entirely locally with no network access or stored data, so the attack surface is minimal. The only risk is the usual one of executing an npm package, so pin to the official scope.

Does it need an API key or internet access?

No. It is a self-contained local reasoning tool — no credentials, no network calls, no external services.

What tool does it actually expose?

A single tool, `sequentialthinking`, which records one reasoning step per call with parameters like thoughtNumber, totalThoughts, and nextThoughtNeeded, plus optional revision and branching fields.

How do I stop it from printing thoughts to the console?

Set the environment variable DISABLE_THOUGHT_LOGGING=true in the server's env block to disable the formatted thought logging.

View repo Full Sequential Thinking page