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Configure HoloViz MCP for Claude Code

This guide shows you how to configure HoloViz MCP with Claude Code (the command-line interface).

Prerequisites

Add the MCP Server

Configure HoloViz MCP globally for your user:

claude mcp add holoviz --transport stdio --scope user -- holoviz-mcp

This will update your ~/.claude.json file with the HoloViz MCP server configuration.

Verify the Configuration

Check that the server is configured:

claude mcp list

You should see holoviz in the list of configured MCP servers.

In Claude Code, you can also run the /mcp command to verify the status:

claude /mcp

Claude Code HoloViz MCP

Test Your Configuration

Test the configuration by asking Claude about Panel components:

  1. Simple Query:
List available Panel input components
  1. Detailed Query:
What parameters does the Panel TextInput component have?
  1. Code Generation:
Create a simple Panel dashboard with a slider and save it to app.py

If Claude provides detailed, accurate responses with specific Panel component information, your configuration is working! 🎉

Install Claude Agents (Optional)

HoloViz MCP provides specialized agents for Claude Code that can help with planning and implementation:

User-level installation (default) (installs to ~/.claude/agents/):

holoviz-mcp install claude --scope user

Project-level installation (installs to .claude/agents/):

holoviz-mcp install claude --scope project

With skills (optional):

holoviz-mcp install claude --skills

See the Getting Started guide for usage examples.

Advanced Configuration

Set Log Level

To enable debug logging, edit your ~/.claude.json file manually:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "holoviz": {
      "command": "holoviz-mcp",
      "env": {
        "HOLOVIZ_MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "DEBUG"
      }
    }
  }
}

Custom Configuration Directory

Use a custom directory for configuration and data:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "holoviz": {
      "command": "holoviz-mcp",
      "env": {
        "HOLOVIZ_MCP_USER_DIR": "/path/to/custom/dir"
      }
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Server Not Found

Check that holoviz-mcp is installed:

holoviz-mcp --version

Verify the MCP server is configured:

claude mcp list

Claude Not Recognizing Components

  1. Verify documentation index exists:
ls ~/.holoviz-mcp
  1. Recreate the index:
holoviz-mcp update index
  1. Test the server directly:
holoviz-mcp

Configuration File Issues

Check the configuration file:

cat ~/.claude.json

Verify JSON syntax - ensure there are no trailing commas or syntax errors.

Permission Errors

Linux/macOS: Ensure the configuration file is readable:

chmod 644 ~/.claude.json

Remove the Configuration

To remove the HoloViz MCP server from Claude Code:

claude mcp remove holoviz

Next Steps