Connecting Sales Layer MCP Server to Claude Desktop

Modified on Tue, 2 Jun at 11:30 AM

Claude Desktop can connect to Sales Layer through the Sales Layer MCP Server local package. This allows Claude to use Sales Layer tools directly from the desktop app and query your catalog data from a controlled local setup.

This article explains how to install the Sales Layer MCP Server package in Claude Desktop, add your Sales Layer Catalog Token, and test the connection.

Note: This article is for Claude Desktop. If you are using Claude in the browser, follow the article for Claude Web instead.

Before you start

Before installing the MCP Server package in Claude Desktop, make sure you have:

Claude Desktop installed on your computer.
Access to your Sales Layer account.
A Sales Layer Catalog Token for the catalog you want Claude to use.
The Sales Layer MCP Server package for the access mode you need.

Choose the right package

Sales Layer provides two MCP Server package options:

Package	Use it when	Recommended for
Read-only	Claude only needs to query, search, analyze, or summarize catalog data.	First setup, catalog analysis, data quality checks, and safe exploration.
Read/Write	Claude needs to create, update, or modify catalog data through MCP tools.	Controlled automation workflows where users understand the impact of write actions.

For most users, start with the Read-only package. You can move to Read/Write later if your workflow needs Claude to update data in Sales Layer.

Download the MCP Server package

Open the Sales Layer MCP Server page.
Go to the Local Installation Package section.
Choose the package you need: Read-only or Read/Write.
Download the package to your computer.

https://www.saleslayer.com/ai-pim/mcp

The downloaded file should be an MCP package file, usually with the .mcpb extension. You do not need to extract it manually.

Install the package in Claude Desktop

Open Claude Desktop.
Open Settings.
Go to Extensions.
Open Advanced settings.
Go to the Extension Developer section.
Click Install Extension....
Select the downloaded .mcpb file.
Wait for Claude Desktop to install the extension.

Claude Desktop handles the installation automatically. You should not need to extract or edit the package files manually.

Add your Catalog Token

During the installation, Claude Desktop asks you to configure the Sales Layer MCP extension.

Find the field that asks for the Sales Layer API Token or Catalog Token.
Paste your Sales Layer Catalog Token.
Save the configuration.
Restart Claude Desktop if Claude asks you to do so.

Warning: Keep your Catalog Token secure. Do not share it in screenshots, emails, tickets, or chat conversations.

If need, the Claude Desktop configuration file can be edited:

Open the Claude Desktop configuration file.
On Windows, the file is located at %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json.
On macOS, the file is located at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json.
Add the following configuration.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sales-layer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["--yes", "@saleslayer/mcp-server@latest"],
      "env": {
        "CATALOG_TOKEN": "your_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace your_token_here with your real Sales Layer Catalog Token.
Restart Claude Desktop.

Test the connection

Once the extension is installed, open a new conversation in Claude Desktop and ask a simple question to confirm that the Sales Layer tools are available.

You can start with:

What Sales Layer tools are available?

You can also test with a catalog question:

Can you list my product catalogs?

If the connection is working, Claude should be able to see the Sales Layer MCP tools and use them to answer catalog-related questions.

Example prompts

After the connection is ready, you can ask Claude questions such as:

Show me a summary of my catalog.
Find products with missing descriptions.
List products from a specific category.
Check whether any products have incomplete technical attributes.
Generate a quality report for my product information.

If you installed the Read-only package, Claude can query and analyze data, but it cannot update the catalog. This is the recommended setup for first-time use.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Likely cause	What to do
Claude Desktop does not show Extensions	Your Claude Desktop version may not support MCP extension installation.	Update Claude Desktop and check whether the Extensions area appears in Settings.
The .mcpb file cannot be installed	The file may be incomplete, blocked by system permissions, or not the correct package.	Download the package again and make sure you are selecting the .mcpb file from Claude Desktop.
Token validation fails	The Catalog Token may be incorrect, expired, or not valid for the expected catalog.	Copy the token again and retry. If it still fails, contact Sales Layer Support.
No Sales Layer tools are available	The extension may not have loaded correctly, or Claude Desktop may need to restart.	Restart Claude Desktop and open a new conversation. If the issue continues, remove and reinstall the extension.
Claude can read data but cannot update it	The Read-only package was installed.	Use Read/Write only if your use case requires updates and you understand the effect of write actions.

Best practices

Start with the Read-only package. It allows Claude to analyze your catalog safely without changing data in Sales Layer.

Use the Read/Write package only for trusted workflows where Claude is expected to create or update information in your catalog.

Keep your Catalog Token secure and do not include it in screenshots, shared documents, or support tickets.

After installing or changing the package, restart Claude Desktop and test the connection with a simple prompt before using it for real catalog work.