This guide walks you through connecting Claude Desktop to your Rethink CRM org using a third-party MCP (Model Context Protocol) server. Once connected, you can query your CRM data, explore custom objects, and interact with Salesforce records using natural language — no developer skills required.
Note: This guide is intended for macOS users, but PC users can follow the same basic principle. A free Claude account is all you need — no paid plan required.
Part 1 — One-Time Prerequisites
These tools only need to be installed once. If you've already installed any of them, skip ahead.
Step 1 — Install Node.js
Node.js is a runtime environment required to run the MCP server package.
Go to https://nodejs.org
Click the large Download Node.js (LTS) button.
Open the downloaded file and run the installer — click Continue and Install through all screens.
To verify, open Terminal (search "Terminal" in Spotlight) and run:
node --version
You should see a version number like v22.x.x. If you see an error, restart your Mac and try again.
Step 2 — Install the Salesforce CLI
The Salesforce CLI lets you authenticate and connect to your Rethink org from the command line.
Download the macOS installer and run it through all install screens.
Verify in Terminal:
sf --version
You should see Salesforce CLI version info. If the command isn't found, close and reopen Terminal.
Step 3 — Install Claude Desktop
Claude Desktop is the Mac app that will host the MCP connection. Note: this is separate from the claude.ai website.
Download and install the Mac app, if you haven’t already.
Open Claude Desktop and log in with your Anthropic account (free account works).
Part 2 — Connect Claude Desktop to Your Rethink Org
Step 4 — Authenticate the Salesforce CLI to Your Rethink Org
This step connects the CLI to your specific Rethink org and saves the credentials locally.
Open Terminal.
Run the following command:
sf org login web --alias rethink-CRM
A browser window will open. Log in to your Rethink org as you normally would. Once authenticated, you can close the browser tab.
Note: The --alias flag gives your org a shorthand name ("rethink-test") that you'll reference later. You can use any alias you prefer — just be consistent.
Step 5 — Configure Claude Desktop
Now you'll tell Claude Desktop to use the Salesforce MCP server.
Open Claude Desktop.
Go to Claude menu → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. This opens a JSON configuration file.
Replace the entire contents of the file with the following:
{
"mcpServers": {
"salesforce-mcp-server": {
"command": "npx", "args": ["@advanced-communities/salesforce-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"ALLOWED_ORGS": "rethink-CRM"
}
}
}
}Note: If you used a different alias in Step 4, replace "rethink-CRM" in the config above with your chosen alias.
Save the file (Command + S).
Quit Claude Desktop completely (Command + Q) and reopen it.
Claude Desktop will automatically download and start the MCP server in the background.
Part 3 — Verify the Connection
Step 6 — Test the Connection:
Open a new conversation in Claude Desktop and try these prompts one at a time.
Test 1 — Confirm the org is recognized
Type: Show me all connected Salesforce orgs
Claude should list your rethink-test org. If it doesn't, double-check your alias in the config file and retry.
Test 2 — Confirm custom objects are visible
Type: List all custom objects in my rethink-test org
You should see your Rethink custom objects. If they appear, the connection is working correctly.
Test 3 — Try a data query
Type: Query the first 5 records from [YourObject__c] in my rethink-test org
Replace [YourObject__c] with any object name returned in Test 2. Claude will run the query and return the results.
Part 4 — Train Claude on Your Rethink Data Model
Once your connection is working, the best way to get useful results is to create a Claude Project and give it context about your Rethink data model. Claude carries that context into every conversation in the project, so you never have to re-explain your setup.
Step 7 — Create a Project in Claude Desktop
In Claude Desktop, click New Project in the sidebar.
Give it a name like "Rethink CRM."
Open the project and go to Project Instructions.
This is where you'll paste context about your data model. Claude will reference it automatically in every conversation inside this project.
Step 8 — Add the Rethink Object Reference to Your Project
For best results, store this guide and the Rethink Object Reference inside your Claude Project. Projects give Claude persistent context across every conversation — so you never have to re-explain your data model.
Open your project and click Add content (or the + icon next to "Project knowledge") in the left sidebar.
Select Upload files and choose the rethink_object_reference.md file.
Once uploaded, it will appear under Project knowledge and will be available to Claude automatically in every conversation within this project — no need to paste or reference it manually.
Why this matters: The object reference teaches Claude the Rethink-specific field names, relationships, and naming conventions — things like TTL_Core__Deal__c for the Deal Pipeline or TTL_Core__Associate__c for a Colleague. Without it, Claude gives generic Salesforce answers. With it, Claude can write accurate SOQL queries, navigate your data model, and give guidance specific to your REthink org.
Step 9 — Add Context to Your Project Instructions
Paste what Claude returned into your project instructions, and add any clarifications your team would know but Claude wouldn't. Useful things to include:
Your key custom objects and their API names (e.g. TTL_Core__Deal__c)
The fields brokers care about most on each object
How objects relate to each other (e.g. how Deals connect to Properties and Contacts)
Any Rethink-specific terminology that differs from standard Salesforce labels
Common tasks brokers would want to ask about (finding contacts, checking deal status, pulling property info)
The more context you provide, the more accurate and useful Claude's responses will be — especially when querying live data from your org.
Step 10 — Move Your Conversations Here
Going forward, start all Rethink-related conversations from inside this project. Claude will have your object reference and org context on hand from the first message.
Troubleshooting
"No orgs found" or org not listed Re-run the login command from Step 4 and make sure the alias matches what's in your config file exactly.
"npx" command not found Node.js may not have installed correctly. Restart your Mac and try node --version in Terminal again. If still not found, reinstall Node.js from nodejs.org.
Custom objects not appearing Confirm your Rethink user profile has Read access to the relevant objects. The MCP server runs as your authenticated user and respects all Salesforce field-level security and object permissions.
Claude Desktop shows no MCP tools Make sure you fully quit (Command + Q) and relaunched Claude Desktop after saving the config. A simple window close is not enough — the app must be restarted.
Note: The first time you run a query after setup, there may be a 20–30 second delay while the MCP server package downloads. This is normal and only happens once per session.