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There are two ways to give a desktop AI assistant access to Octen:
  • MCP — Model Context Protocol. The app runs a small local server via npx, so it needs Node.js on your machine.
  • Octen skills — Agent Skills standard. The app runs it directly; when the app executes skills in a hosted sandbox, that’s ideal if you don’t have Node.
This guide uses Claude Desktop as the example. Any other desktop assistant that supports MCP or Skills standard connects in a similar ways.

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MCP

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Before you start

  • An Octen API key (API Platform).
  • Claude Desktop
  • Node.js 18+ — the server runs via npx.
1

Open the MCP config

In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Developer, then click Edit Config to open claude_desktop_config.json.
Settings → Developer tab with Edit Config
2

Add Octen MCP

Add octen under mcpServers, with your key in env:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "octen": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "octen-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "OCTEN_API_KEY": "your-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}
Merge this into the file — don’t replace it. mcpServers may already exist (often empty: "mcpServers": {}), and the file may hold other settings. Keep them all — just put the octen block inside the existing mcpServers.
3

Restart Claude Desktop

Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
4

Confirm it's connected

Check either place:
  • Settings → Developer → Local MCP servers — octen shows a running badge.
  • In a chat, click the + button → Connectors and make sure octen is toggled on.
Local MCP servers list showing octen with a running badge

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Octen skills

Octen offers several skills — this guide installs octen-search as an example. You add any other Octen skill the same way.

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Before you start

  • An Octen API key (API Platform).
  • Code execution enabled in Settings → Capabilities (available on Free, Pro, and Max; in an organization, an admin enables it in org settings).
1

Enable code execution and allow Octen's domain

Open Settings → Capabilities and turn on Code execution and file creation, then turn on Allow network egress.Network egress defaults to package managers only, so the calls to Octen stay blocked until you allow its domain — add *.octen.ai to the allowed domains.
Who can add the domain depends on your plan. On Pro / Max you add it yourself. On Team / Enterprise an admin adds it in Organization settings → Capabilities. Free plans can’t add custom domains — use MCP instead.
2

Add the skill

Download octen-search.zip from the octen-skills repo and unzip it. Open Customize → Skills, click the + at the top of the list, then choose Create skill → Upload a skill and select skills/octen-search/SKILL.md.
Customize Skills panel with the Create skill / Upload a skill control
File picker with skills/octen-search/SKILL.md selected
3

Turn on the skill in a chat

In a new chat, click the +, choose Skills, and select octen-search to turn it on for the conversation.
Chat plus-menu Skills submenu listing octen-search
4

Set your API key (first run)

This skill reads your key from OCTEN_API_KEY — add it as an environment variable, or provide your Octen API key when the skill asks for one.

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Try it

Ask the assistant something that needs the live web:
  • Search the web for daily news and summarize the top three.

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Troubleshooting

SymptomFix
MCP tools don’t appearFully quit and reopen the app; confirm the MCP config is valid JSON.
spawn npx ENOENTNode isn’t installed or isn’t on the app’s PATH — install Node, or put the absolute path to npx in command.
Skill can’t reach OctenNetwork is blocked. Check Enable code execution and allow Octen’s domain part or use MCP instead