MCP Settings and Policy

These settings decide which MCP servers may run and which ones a project may use. Administrators use them for allow lists and deny lists. For example, { "enableAllProjectMcpServers": true } approves every server in a project .mcp.json file.

Most keys also work in your own settings. They live in settings files, ~/.claude.json, .mcp.json, and managed-mcp.json. The switches are disabledMcpjsonServers, enableAllProjectMcpServers, deniedMcpServers, --strict-mcp-config, and disableClaudeAiConnectors.

Settings Keys

Source: Connect Claude Code to Tools via MCP, Control MCP Server Access for Your Organization, Settings Reference, and Channels Reference. The keys with their types are also on MCP and Channels Settings.

Key	Status	What It Does	How It Works	Where
enableAllProjectMcpServers	Documented	Approves all .mcp.json servers.	Boolean. Ignored in an untrusted folder when it comes from the checked-in .claude/settings.json.	Settings files
enabledMcpjsonServers	Documented	Lists approved .mcp.json servers.	Array of names. Same trust rule.	Settings files
disabledMcpjsonServers	Documented	Lists rejected .mcp.json servers.	Array of names. It blocks in every permission mode and every folder.	Settings files
managedMcpServers	Documented	Gives servers to every user.	Object keyed by name. Only http and sse. No command, args, env, or headersHelper, no ${VAR}, and the URL must start with https://. Users cannot remove them. deniedMcpServers still applies.	Managed only
allowedMcpServers	Documented	Allowlist of servers users may use.	Array of entries. Each entry has exactly one of serverName, serverCommand (an exact array), or serverUrl (a wildcard pattern such as https://*.example.com/*). Not set means allow all.	Settings, mainly managed
deniedMcpServers	Documented	Denylist of servers.	Same entry shapes. It applies in all scopes, also for the organization.	Settings, mainly managed
allowManagedMcpServersOnly	Documented	Reads the allowlist from managed settings only.	deniedMcpServers still merges from all sources. Users can still add servers, but only the admin allowlist applies.	Managed only
allowAllClaudeAiMcps	Documented	Lets connectors load beside managed-mcp.json.	Off by default, which keeps the lockdown.	Managed only
allowClaudeInChromeWithManagedMcp	Documented	Lets Claude in Chrome run beside managed-mcp.json.	Device managed settings only. deniedMcpServers and the organization Chrome setting still block it.	Device managed
disableClaudeAiConnectors	Documented	Turns off the connectors Claude Code fetches.	true in any source wins. It also stops a claudeai-proxy server from --mcp-config.	Any scope
channelsEnabled	Documented	Organization opt-in for channel notifications.	Teams and Enterprise: off by default. Console: on by default unless managed settings exist.	Managed
allowedChannelPlugins	Documented	Organization allowlist of channel plugins.	Replaces the default allowlist. Needs channelsEnabled: true.	Managed
xaaIdp	Undocumented	Stores the IdP connection for XAA.	Object { issuer, clientId, callbackPort? }. Written by claude mcp xaa setup. See MCP Authentication.	User settings

State Keys in ~/.claude.json

These keys sit under projects["<path>"].

Key	Status	What It Does	How It Works
disabledMcpServers	Documented	A per-project opt-out list.	Covers user, plugin, managed, connector, and default-on built-in servers. A connector uses its display name, such as claude.ai Slack.
enabledMcpServers	Documented	A per-project opt-in list.	Only for built-in servers that default to off, such as computer-use. Other entries are ignored.
hasTrustDialogAccepted	Documented	The workspace trust flag.	true lets a headersHelper of a project or local server run without the dialog.

Files and Flags

Item	Status	What It Does	How It Works
.mcp.json	Documented	Holds project servers.	At the project root. Interactive sessions ask for approval. claude -p, the SDK, and cloud sessions load it without a prompt.
~/.claude.json	Documented	Holds local and user servers.	Written by claude mcp add.
managed-mcp.json	Documented	A fixed server set from the organization.	Gives the organization exclusive control. Claude Code warns and ignores other sources. Claude in Chrome and connectors stay blocked unless the two allow keys above are set.
--mcp-config <configs...>	Documented	Loads servers from files or strings.	Space-separated. Scope dynamic. headersHelper runs in the primary working folder.
--strict-mcp-config	Documented	Uses only the --mcp-config servers.	Skips the approval prompt for project servers it does not load (2.1.246 and later).
--plugin-dir-no-mcp <path>	Undocumented	Loads an inline plugin without its MCP servers.	Hidden flag. The SDK form is skipMcpDiscovery.
--channels <servers...>	Documented	Registers channel notifications of the listed servers.	Hidden flag. Space-separated names. See MCP Runtime.
⚠️ --dangerously-load-development-channels <servers...>	Documented	Loads channel servers that are not on the allowlist.	Hidden flag for local channel development. Shows a confirmation dialog.
--setting-sources	Documented	Excludes project settings.	Keeps a project .mcp.json out.

Approval Rules

• claude mcp list and claude mcp get read approvals only from files outside the repository until you trust the folder.
• In an untrusted folder, these sources apply: ~/.claude/settings.json, managed settings, and --settings.
• An untracked .claude/settings.local.json applies only in a trusted folder. Before 2.1.207 it always applied.
• In bypassPermissions mode, Claude Code skips the project prompt when skipDangerousModePermissionPrompt is set in user or managed settings.

Example

Managed settings: lock down MCP

{
  "allowManagedMcpServersOnly": true,
  "allowedMcpServers": [
    { "serverName": "github" },
    { "serverUrl": "https://*.example.com/*" }
  ],
  "deniedMcpServers": [
    { "serverCommand": ["bunx", "untrusted-server"] }
  ],
  "disableClaudeAiConnectors": true
}

How It Works

Related Pages

• MCP
• Server Configuration
• MCP Commands for claude mcp reset-project-choices
• MCP and Channels Settings