This page collects setup notes for common MCP clients.

Before You Configure A Client

Hosted MCP endpoint:

https://bankfind.jflamb.com/mcp

If your host supports remote MCP URLs, prefer the hosted endpoint over a local install.

Asking a model to install https://www.npmjs.com/package/fdic-mcp-server for you only works in agentic environments that can run commands or edit local MCP config. It is not the normal path for chat products that only accept a remote MCP URL.

When You Need Local Installation

Prefer npx in client configs when you need a local server. It avoids hard-coding an install path and works across macOS, Linux, and Windows.

Run locally without a global install:

npx -y fdic-mcp-server

If you prefer a global install:

npm install -g fdic-mcp-server

Client support changes quickly. Treat the linked official docs as the source of truth.

Last verified: March 15, 2026.

Claude Code

Claude Code has a plugin system that installs both the MCP server and Claude Code skills in one step.

Add the marketplace and install:

/plugin marketplace add jflamb/fdic-mcp-server
/plugin install fdic-mcp-server@fdic-mcp-server

This gives you:

• MCP tools — the hosted endpoint at https://bankfind.jflamb.com/mcp, giving you all 20+ search, analysis, and comparison tools that work in any MCP client
• Claude Code skills — guided analyst workflows like Bank Deep Dive, Examiner Support, Portfolio Surveillance, and Failure Forensics (Claude Code only)

Skills complement the MCP tools. Tools give you raw data access; skills build structured, multi-step workflows on top of those tools. See Skills for details.

To use a local server instead, override the MCP config after installing the plugin:

claude mcp add fdic -- npx -y fdic-mcp-server

Manual setup without the plugin (MCP tools only, no skills):

claude mcp add fdic --transport http https://bankfind.jflamb.com/mcp

Or add directly to your project or user .mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fdic": {
      "url": "https://bankfind.jflamb.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop supports remote MCP connectors. If you have a supported Claude plan, use the hosted endpoint instead of a local binary.

Use this hosted URL:

https://bankfind.jflamb.com/mcp

In Claude Desktop:

1. Go to Settings -> Connectors.
2. Click Add connector.
3. Name it FDIC BankFind.
4. Paste https://bankfind.jflamb.com/mcp as the connector URL.
5. Save the connector and enable the tools you want available.

Local stdio fallback:

Use this only when you specifically need a local install or do not have access to Claude’s remote connector flow.

Config file:

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fdic": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "fdic-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

After editing the file, restart Claude Desktop.

Official docs:

• About custom integrations using remote MCP
• Building custom connectors via remote MCP servers

ChatGPT

ChatGPT Developer Mode supports MCP apps/connectors, but it expects a remote MCP server over streaming HTTP or SSE, not a local stdio process.

Use this hosted URL:

https://bankfind.jflamb.com/mcp

In ChatGPT:

1. Go to Settings -> Apps -> Advanced settings -> Developer mode and enable Developer mode.
2. Open the Apps settings page and create an app for your MCP server.
3. Use https://bankfind.jflamb.com/mcp.
4. Refresh tools from the app details page if needed.

Local ChatGPT App Validation

Use this loop when changing tool descriptors, app resources, widget HTML, or ChatGPT-specific metadata.

Build and start the HTTP server:

npm install
npm run build
TRANSPORT=http PORT=3000 node dist/index.js

Inspect the local endpoint with MCP Inspector before opening ChatGPT:

http://127.0.0.1:3000/mcp

Then expose the local server through HTTPS:

ngrok http 3000

Create or update the ChatGPT Developer Mode app with:

https://<your-ngrok-host>/mcp

After any change to tool descriptors, input schemas, app resources, CSP metadata, or widget URI versions, refresh the app/tools from the ChatGPT app details page. ChatGPT may cache widget resources by URI, so use a new ui://widget/...-vN.html URI for breaking widget changes.

Suggested smoke prompts:

• Search for Bank of America and cite the result.
• Fetch institution:3511.
• Show a deep dive for CERT 3511.
• Show branches for CERT 3511.
• What data date basis are you using?

Before submitting a public ChatGPT app, confirm the production endpoint and app materials are ready:

• stable public HTTPS /mcp endpoint
• app name, description, icon, and screenshots
• privacy policy and support URLs
• test prompts and expected outputs for review
• clear disclosure that public health scoring is not an official CAMELS rating
• production logs or alerts for tool errors and latency

Notes:

• ChatGPT supports streaming HTTP and SSE for MCP apps.
• ChatGPT Developer Mode availability depends on plan and workspace settings.
• For Business and Enterprise/Edu workspaces, admins may need to allow custom apps first.
• The search and fetch tools are always on for ChatGPT-compatible retrieval, including institution, failure, branch, and schema results.

Official docs:

• OpenAI Developer Mode
• Apps in ChatGPT

Gemini CLI

Gemini CLI supports MCP servers through ~/.gemini/settings.json for user scope or .gemini/settings.json for project scope.

Hosted endpoint example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fdic": {
      "httpUrl": "https://bankfind.jflamb.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Use the hosted endpoint when you want the simplest setup and your Gemini CLI environment can reach a public HTTPS MCP server.

Local stdio fallback:

Config example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fdic": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "fdic-mcp-server"],
      "trust": true
    }
  }
}

Verification:

gemini mcp list

Notes:

• Gemini CLI supports both local stdio and remote HTTP MCP servers.
• If the current folder is untrusted, local stdio MCP servers may appear disconnected until you trust the folder.

Official docs:

• Gemini CLI MCP guide

GitHub Copilot CLI

GitHub Copilot CLI supports local MCP servers through ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json.

Config example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fdic": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "fdic-mcp-server"],
      "env": {},
      "tools": ["*"]
    }
  }
}

CLI-based setup:

/mcp add

Or edit the config file directly, then check:

/mcp show

Notes:

• The built-in GitHub MCP server is separate; these instructions are only for adding this FDIC server.
• Copilot CLI makes newly added MCP servers available immediately without a restart.

Official docs:

• Add MCP servers to Copilot CLI

Other MCP Hosts

Many other MCP hosts accept the same basic stdio pattern:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fdic": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "fdic-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Before documenting a specific host in this repo, verify:

• that it currently supports MCP
• whether it expects local stdio, remote HTTP, or both
• where its config file lives
• whether it requires a restart or explicit enable step