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Connect Claude to ORC8R Cloud with the ORC8R MCP Plugin

This tutorial explains how to install the ORC8R Claude plugin, authenticate through its remote MCP server, control read and write permissions, use the included management skill, and connect to a self-hosted ORC8R server.

About 10 min read
Connect Claude to ORC8R Cloud with the ORC8R MCP Plugin

What the ORC8R Claude Plugin Does

The ORC8R plugin connects Claude to ORC8R Cloud through the remote Model Context Protocol (MCP) server at https://orc8r.com/mcp.

After authentication, Claude can work with your ORC8R resources using the access granted to your account. The plugin also includes a short skill that helps Claude find operations, inspect their inputs, and report results.

The plugin is distributed from this public GitHub repository as a plugin source. It is not an Anthropic directory listing.

Key Features

  • Connects Claude to ORC8R Cloud through a remote MCP server.
  • Supports installation in Claude.ai, Claude Desktop, and Claude Code.
  • Includes the orc8r connector and an ORC8R management skill.
  • Uses OAuth sign-in and consent rather than storing API keys or user credentials in the plugin.
  • Supports read access by default and optional write access through the consent screen.
  • Can be configured for a self-hosted ORC8R server with a custom MCP connector.

Install the Plugin in Claude.ai or Claude Desktop

  1. Open Customize → Plugins → Add → Add marketplace.
  2. Enter the repository URL: https://github.com/admte/orc-claude-plugin.
  3. Add the ORC8R plugin from the marketplace.
  4. Open the plugin's Connectors tab.
  5. Add or connect orc8r.
  6. Sign in to ORC8R and approve the OAuth scopes you want to grant.

On Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner may need to add the connector for the organization before users can connect it.

Install the Plugin in Claude Code

Use the Claude Code CLI to add the marketplace and install the plugin:

claude plugin marketplace add admte/orc-claude-plugin
claude plugin install orc8r@orc-claude-plugin

Start a new Claude Code session. Run /mcp, then authenticate plugin:orc8r:orc8r when prompted.

Authenticate and Control Access

ORC8R asks each user to sign in and approve access. The consent page always grants orc:read, which allows read operations. To permit changes, select orc:write as well.

Access is also limited by your existing organization permissions. In other words, the plugin does not bypass the permissions already assigned to your ORC8R account.

The plugin contains no API keys or user credentials.

Basic Usage

Ask About ORC8R Resources

Once the connector is authenticated, you can ask Claude about your ORC8R resources. For example:

What ORC8R resources can I access?

Claude can use the connected ORC8R tools to investigate the resources available to your authenticated account, subject to your approved scopes and organization permissions.

Run the ORC8R Management Skill

In Claude Code, run the included management skill with:

/orc8r:manage-orc8r

The skill is designed to help Claude find available operations, inspect the inputs those operations require, and report their results.

Advanced Setup for Self-Hosted ORC8R

By default, this plugin connects to ORC8R Cloud at https://orc8r.com/mcp. If you operate a self-hosted ORC8R server, do not use the cloud endpoint. Instead, add your server's MCP endpoint as a custom connector:

https://<your-server>/mcp

Replace <your-server> with the hostname of your ORC8R installation, then authenticate through the connector according to your server's configuration.

Practical Tips

  • Start with read-only access by approving orc:read only, especially when first testing the connection.
  • Grant orc:write only when Claude needs to make changes.
  • Use /mcp in Claude Code to review and authenticate the MCP connection.
  • For organization deployments, ask an Owner to add the connector if your Team or Enterprise workspace requires it.
  • Review the ORC8R MCP documentation for available tools, scopes, and instructions for revoking a connection.
  • Read the ORC8R Privacy page to understand how ORC8R handles data sent through its service.

Repository Layout

  • plugins/orc8r/ contains the installable Claude plugin, including its MCP configuration and skill.
  • .claude-plugin/marketplace.json provides the marketplace catalog used to install the plugin from this repository.

Conclusion

The ORC8R Claude plugin provides a direct way to connect Claude with ORC8R through MCP. Install it from the repository, authenticate the orc8r connector, and use Claude to inspect resources or run the included management workflow. For safer access control, begin with read permissions and add write access only when required.