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Install MCP Skills Claude Code Windows: CLI & Config Guide

Install MCP skills for Claude Code on Windows using the CLI or manual config editing. Covers the settings.json location, Windows path formatting, and PowerShell commands to get skills working.

🕐Last updated 4 March 2026

⚡ Quick Answer

Open PowerShell and run claude mcp add weather -- npx -y @trustedskills/weather-mcp. Or edit %USERPROFILE%\.claude\settings.json manually. If npx isn't found, get the full path with where npx and use that.

Setting this up on Windows is straightforward once you know where the config lives and how to handle the occasional "npx not found" situation. Here's exactly what to do.

Prerequisites

Node.js from nodejs.org (check "Add to PATH" during install)
Claude Code CLI in PowerShell: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Method 1: CLI

# Add a skill globally
claude mcp add weather -- npx -y @trustedskills/weather-mcp

# List installed skills
claude mcp list

# Remove
claude mcp remove weather

Method 2: Manual Config

Config location on Windows:

%USERPROFILE%.claudesettings.json

# Open in VS Code via PowerShell
code $env:USERPROFILE.claudesettings.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "weather": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@trustedskills/weather-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

When npx Isn't in PATH

# PowerShell — find full path
Get-Command npx | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Source
# C:Program Files
odejs
px.cmd

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "weather": {
      "command": "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\npx.cmd",
      "args": ["-y", "@trustedskills/weather-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

⚠️ JSON backslash rule: In JSON strings, every backslash needs to be doubled. C:Program Files becomes C:\\Program Files in your JSON config.

Verify

claude mcp list
claude
/tools

🔬 From the field

A Windows developer we supported had npx working perfectly in PowerShell but Claude Code couldn't find it. The issue: Node.js was installed for "current user only" rather than "all users", putting it in a PATH that Claude Code's process didn't inherit. Installing Node.js system-wide (or using the full path) fixed it immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Claude Code's settings.json on Windows?

At %USERPROFILE%.claudesettings.json. In PowerShell, access it with $env:USERPROFILE.claudesettings.json.

npx not found in Claude Code on Windows — quick fix?

Run Get-Command npx | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Source in PowerShell to get the full path. Use that path as the "command" value, doubling all backslashes.

Can I run Claude Code in WSL?

Yes. In WSL, use ~/.claude/settings.json and Linux-style paths. WSL and native Windows Claude Code have separate configs — they don't share skills.

TrustedSkills Team

The TrustedSkills team builds and tests AI agent integrations across Claude, OpenClaw, Cursor, and VS Code. We verify every skill in our registry and have set up hundreds of MCP configs across every major platform.

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