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Version: Latest (1.9.x dev)

Govern Claude Desktop's MCP tools with DVARA

Claude Desktop can call any MCP server you add to it. Out of the box, nothing sits in between: whatever a tool can do, Claude can ask it to do.

Put DVARA in between and Claude Desktop sees one MCP server, DVARA. DVARA passes each tool call on only if your workspace's policy allows it. It redacts personal data in results and records every call.

What you need​

  • A DVARA MCP Gateway with at least one MCP server behind it. The MCP quickstart gives you one in about five minutes. It runs at http://localhost:8080/mcp, and its API key is DEMO_API_KEY in the quickstart's .env.
  • A DVARA workspace API key.
  • Node.js, for npx.

Claude Desktop starts MCP servers as local commands, so it can't send an API key to a remote server by itself. The open-source mcp-remote bridge does that: Claude Desktop starts it, and it forwards every message to DVARA with your key.

Add DVARA to Claude Desktop​

Open Claude Desktop's config file. In Claude Desktop, go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config, or open it directly:

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add DVARA under mcpServers. Replace <your-api-key> with your DVARA key:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dvara": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://localhost:8080/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization:${AUTH_HEADER}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AUTH_HEADER": "Bearer <your-api-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

The key sits in env rather than in args on purpose: some systems split an argument at its spaces, which would break Bearer <key>.

Save the file and restart Claude Desktop.

A gateway on another machine

Use its https:// address in place of http://localhost:8080/mcp. mcp-remote only accepts plain http:// for localhost. On a private network you trust, add "--allow-http" to args to use http:// anyway.

Try it​

DVARA lists each server's tools with the server's id in front, so the quickstart's tools appear as demo-tools__get_order_status, demo-tools__lookup_customer and demo-tools__delete_customer.

Ask Claude:

Look up customer C-42, then delete them.

With the quickstart's policy, Claude gets the customer record back with the email, phone number and card number redacted:

Customer C-42: Jane Doe, [REDACTED_EMAIL], [REDACTED_PHONE_NUMBER],
card on file [REDACTED_CREDIT_CARD], plan Enterprise.

The delete is refused before it reaches the MCP server, with the policy's message:

delete_customer is irreversible and not allowed in this workspace

Both calls are in Flightdeck under MCP → Tool Calls.

Govern your own MCP servers​

Add each MCP server to DVARA instead of to Claude Desktop, and keep only the dvara entry in Claude Desktop's config. Then:

  • Write the rules for what Claude may call in your workspace's policy. See Policy as Code.
  • Turn on PII redaction for tool results. See PII detection.
  • Hold a sensitive tool call until a person approves it. See the MCP Gateway.

Where to go next​