Alation + Claude Code: Complete MCP Integration
Alation is a MCP server that Unlock the power of the enterprise Data Catalog by harnessing tools provided by the Alation MCP server..
When integrated with Claude Code, you can:
- Retrieve metadata using natural language queries
- Search and discover data products in the catalog
- Flexible querying of catalog objects
This guide provides step-by-step instructions to set up Alation in Claude Code, including configuration, examples, and troubleshooting.
What You'll Achieve
After completing this setup:
- Alation will be fully integrated and operational
- You can use Alation tools directly in Claude Code
- All Alation capabilities will be available for your workflows
- Access to 5 different tools
Prerequisites
Before starting, ensure you have:
- Alation instance URL
- Service account client ID
- Service account client secret
- Claude Code installed and configured
- Compatible operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Installation
Step 1: Install Alation
Configuration
Step 2: Configure Claude Code
- Install Claude Code
Download and install Claude Code from the official website
Visit: https://claude.ai/code
Note: Claude Code is available as a native application, not via npm
- Navigate to Project
Open terminal in your project directory where you want to use the MCP server
- Install MCP Server
Install the MCP server you want to use (e.g., via npm, pip, or other package manager)
- Configure MCP Server
Add MCP server configuration to project CLAUDE.md file or use --mcp-config flag
Note: CLAUDE.md is preferred for project-specific configuration
- Test Integration
Start Claude Code and verify MCP server is working
claude
Note: Use interactive mode to test MCP server functionality
Configuration Details
Add to your project's CLAUDE.md file:
## MCP Servers
### Alation
- **Installation**: alation
- **Configuration**: "ALATION_BASE_URL": "https://your-alation-instance.com",
"ALATION_CLIENT_ID": "service_account_12345",
"ALATION_CLIENT_SECRET": "secret_abcdef123456"
- **Description**: Unlock the power of the enterprise Data Catalog by harnessing tools provided by the Alation MCP server.
Claude Code will automatically detect and load MCP servers from your project context.
Examples
Once configured, you can use Alation in Claude Code:
Data Discovery for Analytics
undefined
Ask Claude Code: "Find all customer behavior data for Q4 analysis"
Expected Result: undefined
Data Governance Compliance
undefined
Ask Claude Code: "Identify all GDPR-sensitive data and its lineage"
Expected Result: undefined
Role-Based Data Access
undefined
Ask Claude Code: "Show data products available for marketing team"
Expected Result: undefined
Testing Your Setup
- Run claude in your project directory
- Ask Claude to list available tools and verify Alation tools are present
- Test Alation functionality by asking Claude to use specific tools
Test commands:
claude
claude --debug
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Server Not Found
Symptoms: Command not found errors, Server tools unavailable
Cause: Server not installed or not in PATH
Solution:
- Verify server installation
- Check PATH environment variable
- Install server globally or in project
Configuration Not Loaded
Symptoms: CLAUDE.md changes not recognized, Old server config used
Cause: CLAUDE.md file not in correct location or format
Solution:
- Ensure CLAUDE.md is in project root
- Verify markdown syntax is correct
- Restart Claude Code session
Alation not appearing in Claude Code
Symptoms: Server not listed, Tools not available
Cause: Configuration or installation issue
Solution:
- Verify configuration syntax
- Check Alation installation
- Restart Claude Code
- Check logs for error messages
Next Steps
Now that Alation is integrated with Claude Code:
- Explore all Alation capabilities through Claude Code
- Check out other MCP servers that work with Claude Code
- Join the MCP community for tips and support
- Consider contributing to Alation development
Need Help?
- Search for Alation documentation
- Check the Claude Code MCP guide
- Join the MCP community discussions