> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.unstructured.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Unstructured Foundation installation for Claude Desktop

> Learn how to install Unstructured Foundation into Claude Desktop. You can then use Foundation to give Claude Desktop persistent access to your organization's knowledge without file uploads.

<Note>
  Unstructured Foundation is an Early Access product. **Unstructured must accept you into the Early Access program
  before you can begin using Foundation.**
  [Add your name to the Early Access interest list](https://unstructured.io/foundation-early-access).

  Unstructured is currently accepting a limited number of participants into the Early Access program at its discretion, with
  plans to expand access to a more general audience in the future.

  The following information is being provided to give you an advance preview of possible future functionality. Unstructured
  makes no express claims as to what extent this information will reflect the state of the product upon initial
  general availability.
</Note>

## Requirements

Before you begin, you must have the following:

* Acceptance by Unstructured into its Early Access program for Foundation.
  [Add your name to the Early Access interest list](https://unstructured.io/foundation-early-access).
  Do not begin this installation until you have received your Early Access acceptance email from Unstructured.
* A Claude plan. [Sign up for Claude](https://claude.ai/login).
* Claude Desktop installed on your local development machine. [Install Claude Desktop](https://claude.com/download).

## Set up Foundation

Complete the following steps, depending whether you are a Claude
Free plan user; or a Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise user.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Free plan users">
    1. Start Claude Desktop.

    2. If prompted, sign in to your Claude Free plan.

    3. On the sidebar, click the speech balloons icon (**Chat**).

    4. On the sidebar, click **Customize**.

    5. On the sidebar, click **Connectors**.

    6. Next to **Connectors**, click the plus icon (**Add connector**), and then click **Add custom connector**.

       If **Add custom connector** is disabled, this is because Claude Desktop restricts Free plan users
       to having only one custom connector defined at a time. **Disconnect** and then **Remove** the current custom
       connector, and then follow the rest of the steps in this procedure to add a replacement custom connector for
       the Foundation MCP server.

    7. In the **Add custom connector** dialog, for **Name**, enter **Unstructured Foundation**.

    8. For **Remote MCP server URL**, enter the following:

       `https://mcp.foundation.unstructured.io/mcp`

    9. Click **Add**.

    10. Click **Connect**.

    11. A web browser tab will appear, prompting you to authenticate with Foundation.
        Follow the on-screen instructions to finish authenticating.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plan users">
    1. Start Claude Desktop.

    2. If prompted, sign in to your Claude plan.

    3. On the sidebar, click **Customize**.

    4. On the sidebar, next to **Personal plugins**, click the plus icon (**Add plugin**).

    5. Click **Create plugin > Add marketplace**.

    6. In the **URL** list, click **Select a repository**, and then click **Search GitHub or paste a repository URL**.

    7. Enter the following:

       ```text theme={null}
       Unstructured-IO/unstructured-foundation-marketplace
       ```

    8. Click **Sync**.

    9. In the **Directory** dialog, with **Plugins** and **Personal** already selected, click the **Foundation** tile.

    10. Click **Install**.

    11. Close the **Directory** dialog.

    12. On the **Customize** page, on the sidebar, click **Connectors**.

    13. In the list of connectors, click **Foundation**. It will have a **Custom** badge next to it.

    14. Click **Connect**.

    15. A web browser tab will appear, prompting you to authenticate with Foundation.
        Follow the on-screen instructions to finish authenticating.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Connect to and index your source

1. From your AI tool, prompt with the following:

   * For Claude Free plan users: `Generate a link to connect Unstructured Foundation to a new source.`
   * For Claude Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plan users: `/foundation:connect`

2. Click the link that appears in the response.

   If the link does not appear, go to the following link in your web browser instead:
   [https://foundation.unstructured.io/connect](https://foundation.unstructured.io/connect)

3. If prompted, log in to Foundation.

4. The **Connect sources to use Foundation** page appears.

   <img src="https://mintcdn.com/unstructured-53/iuQ6ZYz4UZ1tXQhy/img/foundation/new-source.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=iuQ6ZYz4UZ1tXQhy&q=85&s=35a33d98e8c2b827c886451c93b9e8fa" alt="Connecting to a new source from Claude Desktop" width="986" height="1402" data-path="img/foundation/new-source.png" />

   If this page does not appear after you sign in to Foundation, click the **New Source** button to show a page with similar functionality.

5. Click one of the available sources, and then click **Connect**.

6. Follow the on-screen directions to finish connecting to your source.

7. View the source files' ingestion and indexing job's progress. To do this, on the sidebar, click **Summary**.

8. Wait until the source's tile displays **Fully indexed**.

9. Click **Open Claude**.<br />

   <img src="https://mintcdn.com/unstructured-53/iuQ6ZYz4UZ1tXQhy/img/foundation/open-in-claude.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=iuQ6ZYz4UZ1tXQhy&q=85&s=511f3da2d967c9c8edd33122c5b257ff" alt="Open the job summary and query in Claude Desktop" width="2210" height="1004" data-path="img/foundation/open-in-claude.png" />

10. Submit Foundation's auto-generated prompt to get a summary about what was ingested and indexed.<br />

    <img src="https://mintcdn.com/unstructured-53/iuQ6ZYz4UZ1tXQhy/img/foundation/claude-summary.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=iuQ6ZYz4UZ1tXQhy&q=85&s=9757528da8f9eef2fd8b42942158e55d" alt="Start querying in Claude" width="1404" height="836" data-path="img/foundation/claude-summary.png" />

11. You can now start using your AI tool to work with the generated index. For example, you can ask your AI tool questions such as the following:

    ```text theme={null}
    What is a summary of the kinds of information that are available in the Unstructured Foundation index about my sources?
    ```

    ```text theme={null}
    What are some examples of the kinds of questions I can ask the Unstructured Foundation index about my sources?
    ```

## Next steps

* To learn more about how to use Unstructured Foundation, enter the following prompt in Claude Desktop:

  * For Claude Free plan users: `Teach me how to use Unstructured Foundation.`
  * For Claude Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plan users: `/foundation:help`

* [Manage your Foundation sources](/foundation/sources): Add, change, and remove sources from Foundation.

* [Foundation storage](/foundation/storage): Understand what artifacts that Foundation generates, indexes, and stores about your sources.

* [Troubleshoot Foundation](/foundation/troubleshooting): Solutions for common issues.

## Questions? Need help?

* For general questions about Unstructured products and pricing, email Unstructured Sales at [sales@unstructured.io](mailto:sales@unstructured.io).
* For technical support, [request support](/support/request).