MCP Clients

Dense-Mem exposes MCP Streamable HTTP:

local:  http://127.0.0.1:8080/mcp
demo:   https://demo-dense-mem.markhuang.ai/mcp

Every protected request uses:

Authorization: Bearer <Dense-Mem API key>

Claude Code

The installed Claude CLI exposes the HTTP transport/header form:

bash

claude mcp add --transport http dense-mem \
  http://127.0.0.1:8080/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $DENSE_MEM_API_KEY"

For the demo:

bash

claude mcp add --transport http dense-mem-demo \
  https://demo-dense-mem.markhuang.ai/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $DENSE_MEM_API_KEY"

Run claude mcp add --help on the installed version before scripting the command across machines.

Codex

Codex uses config.toml for Streamable HTTP MCP servers. The supported fields include url, bearer_token_env_var, tool_timeout_sec, and enabled.

toml

[mcp_servers.dense_mem]
url = "http://127.0.0.1:8080/mcp"
bearer_token_env_var = "DENSE_MEM_API_KEY"
tool_timeout_sec = 60
enabled = true

For the demo:

toml

[mcp_servers.dense_mem_demo]
url = "https://demo-dense-mem.markhuang.ai/mcp"
bearer_token_env_var = "DENSE_MEM_API_KEY"
tool_timeout_sec = 60
enabled = true

User configuration normally lives at ~/.codex/config.toml; a trusted project can use .codex/config.toml. Restart/refresh the Codex host after changing MCP configuration, then use codex mcp list or /mcp.

The version-sensitive source is the official Codex MCP documentation.

Tool Discovery

After connection, the LLM host initializes the MCP server and calls tools/list. Use the host's MCP status/tool view to confirm the visible catalog; ordinary memory use should not build a separate HTTP integration.

Compare with MCP Tool Catalog. Visibility depends on scope, role, feature flags, and contract version.

tools/list only describes available names, purposes, and input schemas. The host uses tools/call when the model selects a tool. Their canonical behavior is in Request Lifecycle And Security.

For target v2, verify:

remember takes evidence and optional proposal
get_memory_placement returns processing and search state
recall_memory returns ranked evidence contexts plus compact relationship discovery paths
trace_memory takes relationship_id
retired lifecycle fields are absent

Server Instructions

The target MCP initialization response should use the server instructions field for short cross-tool guidance:

Remember accepts evidence asynchronously. Poll get_memory_placement.
Default recall returns bounded evidence contexts plus compact relationship
discovery paths. Trace relationship_id for evidence/history. Pending
candidates and Hypotheses are not active knowledge. Never guess identity
review.

Tool descriptions still own tool-specific input/output rules. Server instructions do not override client/user safety policy.

Prompts

Use the LLM host's MCP prompt browser to inspect bundled prompts advertised by the connected server.

A bundled export prompt may help a client turn recalled context into a standalone Agent Skill. Generated files are not automatically imported into Dense-Mem.

First Smoke

Ask the client to:

remember one small statement
poll until processing completes
inspect search state without treating vector freshness as write truth
recall the statement
trace its relationship_id

Use Quick Start and Using Dense-Mem.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Check
server absent	URL, network, TLS, client restart
unauthorized	environment variable exported to client process, key expiry/revocation
tool missing	scopes, feature flag, contract version
old request rejected	v1/v2 schema mismatch
recall misses recent write	processing outcome, branch degradation, and search freshness
timeout	client tool timeout versus provider/placement polling pattern

Authentication and transport security are in Request Lifecycle And Security.