How to add Nylas MCP Server (Remote) to Claude Desktop

Hosted remote MCP for email, calendar and contacts across Gmail, Outlook, IMAP Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 15, 2026 · 40★ · http · apikey · official

Claude Desktop config for Nylas MCP Server (Remote)

Add remote MCP URL https://mcp.us.nylas.com with header Authorization: Bearer <NYLAS_API_KEY>

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nylas-mcp-server-remote": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.us.nylas.com",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer <your-nylas-api-key>"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop connects to remote servers through the `mcp-remote` proxy (installed on first run via npx). Restart Claude Desktop after saving.

Setup steps

1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
2Paste the Nylas MCP Server (Remote) 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 Nylas MCP Server (Remote)'s tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

A Nylas account and a Nylas API key (from the Nylas Dashboard) used as the Bearer token in the Authorization header
At least one connected grant (an end-user mailbox/calendar account authorized through Nylas) for the tools to act on
An MCP client that supports remote HTTP/streamable-HTTP servers (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex CLI, etc.)
Optionally the Nylas CLI for one-command install (`nylas mcp install`); the experimental nylas-api-mcp samples repo additionally needs Node.js 18+

What Nylas MCP Server (Remote) can do in Claude Desktop

send_message

Send an email message (uses a two-step confirm_send_message confirmation)

create_draft

Create, update or delete email drafts (create_draft, update_draft, delete_draft, send_draft)

list_messages

List and retrieve messages, threads and folders (get_message, list_threads, list_folders, get_search_syntax)

create_event

Create, update, delete and read calendar events (update_event, delete_event, get_event, list_events)

list_calendars

List calendars and compute free/busy availability for scheduling

availability

Find open meeting times across calendars

list_contacts

List and fetch contacts (list_contacts, get_contact)

schedule_notetaker

Schedule, send and retrieve Nylas Notetaker meeting bots and their media

Security

A single Nylas API key in the Authorization header grants the assistant access to all connected email/calendar/contact accounts — scope and rotate the key carefully. Choose the regional endpoint (US vs EU) that matches your data-residency requirements.

Nylas MCP Server (Remote) + 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 Nylas MCP Server (Remote) config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is Nylas MCP Server (Remote) safe to use with Claude Desktop?

Is this server hosted or do I run it myself?

It is hosted by Nylas as a remote HTTP MCP server at mcp.us.nylas.com / mcp.eu.nylas.com. You connect to it with your API key rather than running a local process.

How does authentication work?

You pass your Nylas API key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header — the same credential you use for the Nylas REST API. The tools act on the grants connected to that Nylas application.

Which providers does it cover?

Whatever Nylas connects: Gmail/Google, Microsoft Outlook (Graph), and generic IMAP accounts, all normalized behind one set of tools.

View repo Full Nylas MCP Server (Remote) page