# Use okdata in Claude: a custom connector on the web and desktop

> Add okdata to Claude as a custom connector so chats on claude.ai and in Claude Desktop can read Douyin, Xiaohongshu, X and YouTube data, with each charge shown.

Canonical page: https://okdata.online/integrations/claude/

With the connector on, you can ask Claude in an ordinary chat "what is on Weibo's hot search, and which topics touch our category?" and it fetches the live list instead of guessing. Each tool call shows up in the chat, and only `call` costs money.

Claude adds custom connectors from Anthropic's cloud, the same way on claude.ai and in the desktop app. Today okdata connects with an API key sent as a request header; signing in to okdata from Claude (OAuth) is on the way.

## Connect it

Address: `https://api.okdata.online/mcp`

1. Customize → Connectors → Add → Add custom connector. On Team and Enterprise an Owner adds it first under Organization settings → Connectors → Add → Custom → Web; members then choose Connect.
2. Fill in the fields:

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | okdata |
| Remote MCP server URL | `https://api.okdata.online/mcp` |
| Authentication | No sign-in |
| Request headers | `authorization`, value `Bearer okd_…`. Claude adds no prefix, so type “Bearer ” yourself. |

- Choose Add, then Connect if Claude shows it. In a chat, open + → Connectors and switch okdata on.

## Check it works

> List the okdata tools.

okdata is connected with 5 tools: `find` describe the data you need in words; get up to five capabilities with what they need, the price and a ready call. It never offers another platform in place of the one asked for; `describe` read the full contract of one to five capabilities: parameters, links taken, price and the most a call can cost, paging, fields and an example item; `call` fetch one page of data as text: the first lines say what it cost, the balance left and how to get the next page. Failed calls are free; max_price caps a call; `read_more` read the rest of an answer that was cut at about 20 KB, or the same result in another view, for 24 hours; `account` balance and the key’s spending limits, a receipt for one call, usage by day or capability; which capabilities are up, even without a key. Only `call` costs money. The catalog has 214 endpoints on 17 platforms.

## A first conversation

> What is on Weibo hot search right now?

| Tool call | Result | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| `find {"query":"weibo hot search"}` | weibo.trends.list · $0.002 per call · about 50 board entries per page | Free |
| `call {"capability":"weibo.trends.list"}` | One page of about 50 entries | $0.002 |

2 tool calls · 1 charged · $0.002

## Tips for Claude (web and desktop connector)

- **Let the free tools run without asking.** Allow `find`, `describe` and `account`; keep `call` on “ask” if you want to approve every charge.
- **Ask for the cost first.** “Tell me what this will cost before you call anything” works in every client.
- **Give each client its own key.** Create one per app in the console; revoking it then touches nothing else.
- **Retries are safe.** A resent call with the same `idempotency_key` is never charged twice, and failed calls are free.

## What to know about Claude (web and desktop connector)

- Request headers are a beta that Claude offers to a limited set of organisations. Without it, Claude can only connect by signing in (OAuth), and okdata sign-in for connectors is still being built. Until then, use Claude Code, or Claude Desktop through the bridge on the Claude Desktop page.
- Custom connectors work on every plan; the Free plan allows one.
- A connector's authentication cannot be changed after it is added: remove it and add it again.
- Claude connects from Anthropic's cloud, not from your computer, so the server address must be public. Ours is.

Then try: “Use okdata to show me what is on Weibo's hot search right now.”

From Claude (web and desktop connector)'s own documentation, read on 2026-11-12. Menus move; if a step differs, the client's page is right.

- https://claude.com/docs/connectors/custom/add-unlisted
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-get-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp

## If something is off

| What you see | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Claude (web and desktop connector) does not list the okdata tools | It was started before the server was added, or the address differs from the one above. | Check the entry, then restart Claude (web and desktop connector) or start a new chat. |
| `find` works, `call` says `unauthorized` | The key did not arrive. `find` and `describe` need none, so they still answer. | Check the header is `Authorization` with `Bearer ` and a key starting with `okd_`, then restart. |
| `call` says `insufficient_balance` | The balance does not cover the most this call can cost. Nothing was charged. | Ask it to run `account`, then top up in the console. |