Using Claude Desktop (Cowork)

Note: Claude Desktop's third-party inference cannot reuse a Claude Pro or Max subscription. To keep paying through a subscription, connect Claude Code in passthrough mode instead.

Step 1. Download the configuration profile

On the Connect page, choose Claude Desktop, check the selections under Review the setup, and click Download configuration.

The Connect page with Claude Desktop selected, showing the profile download and import steps

Step 2. Enable Developer Mode

In Claude Desktop go to Help → Troubleshooting → Enable Developer Mode.

Enabling Developer Mode via Help → Troubleshooting

Step 3. Import the configuration profile

In Claude Desktop go to Developer → Configure Third-Party Inference….

Opening Configure Third-Party Inference from the Developer menu

Click Default in the top-right, from the dropdown choose Import configuration…, and select the downloaded configuration profile.

Import configuration in the configurations dropdown

Step 4. (Optional) Test the connection

Click Test connection. A green result means the proxy discovered your models and ran a one-token completion.

Connection form populated by the import with a successful test

Step 5. Restart Claude Desktop

Click Apply Changes, then Relaunch now.

Relaunch prompt after applying changes

After the restart, the account indicator in the bottom-left reads Gateway. Inference is now flowing through Archestra LLM Proxy.

Step 6. Allow Claude Desktop access your MCP Gateway

The gateway is added but not signed in. Open Settings → Connectors, select the new archestra-mcp-* connector, then click Connect.

Claude Desktop running on the gateway after relaunch

The Archestra connector before authorizing

Claude Desktop opens Archestra's consent screen in your browser; sign in and click Allow.

Done

Claude Desktop's inference and tools now run through Archestra, with its guardrails and observability.

Next Step

Explore full local agents connection docs: Connect Your Agents.