Claude.ai, Claude Desktop, and Claude Code use similar interfaces, but their setup steps differ. Organization administrators should complete the organization setup first. Each user must then connect and authenticate Sphinx.
Organization administrator setup
After you complete this setup, members of your organization can access the Sphinx plugin and connector according to the access level you select. Each member must authenticate the Sphinx connector before using it.Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:- Organization administrator access in Claude
- The
sphinx.zipplugin file from Sphinx - The Sphinx custom connector details
Upload the Sphinx plugin
1
Open organization settings
Sign in to Claude.ai, click your user icon in the bottom-left corner, and select Organization settings.
2
Open the Plugins page
Navigate to Plugins, then click Add plugins and select Upload from file.
3
Upload the plugin
Enter
Sphinx as the marketplace name. Click the file icon, select sphinx.zip, and upload it.4
Add the Sphinx connector
Add Sphinx as a custom connector using the connector details provided by Sphinx.
5
Set user access
Choose the access level for the Sphinx plugin:
The plugin becomes available in Claude.ai and Claude Desktop. Claude Code users working from the CLI must install the plugin manually. The connector is available in Claude.ai, Claude Desktop, and Claude Code, but users must authenticate it themselves for full functionality.
Connect Claude.ai or Claude Desktop
Complete these steps after your organization administrator has made the Sphinx plugin and connector available.Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:- Access to an organization where the Sphinx plugin is available
- Access to a Sphinx workspace
1
Open settings
Click your user icon in the bottom-left corner, then select Settings.
2
Open Connectors
Navigate to Connectors.
3
Connect Sphinx
Find Sphinx and click Connect.
4
Authorize your workspace
Select the Sphinx workspace you want to use, then click Connect.
Sphinx is connected and available in Claude.ai or Claude Desktop.
Allow artifact uploads in Claude.ai
Add the Sphinx domain to Claude.ai so artifacts can upload files to Sphinx.1
Open settings
Click your user icon in the bottom-left corner, then select Settings.
2
Open Capabilities
Navigate to Capabilities and scroll to the bottom of the page.
3
Allow the Sphinx domain
Under Additional allowed domains, add
*.sphinx.ai.Install the plugin in Claude Code CLI
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:- Claude Code installed
- The
sphinx.zipplugin file from Sphinx - Access to a Sphinx workspace
1
Extract the plugin
Download
sphinx.zip and unzip it to a local folder.2
Add the marketplace
In Claude Code, run
/plugin. Navigate to Marketplaces, select Add Marketplace, paste the path to the unzipped plugin folder, and press Enter.3
Install the Sphinx plugin
Open the Discover tab and install the Sphinx plugin.
4
Reload the plugin
Run
/reload-plugin.5
Open MCP settings
Run
/mcp, then select the Plugin:sphinx:sphinx MCP server.If you already connected Sphinx in Claude.ai or Claude Desktop, you might see another Sphinx MCP server. Select the server named
Plugin:sphinx:sphinx for the plugin installed from the local marketplace.6
Authenticate Sphinx
Enable the MCP server and complete the authentication flow.
The Sphinx plugin and MCP server are enabled in Claude Code CLI.
Use an API key with Claude Code CLI
If you prefer API-key authentication, first complete the Claude Code CLI installation above. Then follow API key setup for Claude Code CLI to create a Sphinx API key and add it to.mcp.json.