Connect Claude Code

Claude Code can reach a Treehouse workspace in two ways. Open it in your synced folder and it works on the files directly. Connect the Treehouse MCP server and it works through Treehouse itself, with its changes labelled as its own and access to review comments. You can set up either, or both.

Option 1: work in the synced folder

1. In a terminal, go to the synced folder. The desktop app puts it in ~/Treehouse/<workspace name> unless you chose somewhere else. To find it, choose the folder in the Treehouse menu bar icon and select Open in Finder.
2. Run claude.

That's it. Claude Code reads AGENTS.md at the root of the folder as it would in any project, and every file it writes syncs to the workspace within a few seconds.

cd ~/Treehouse/Acme
claude

Option 2: connect the MCP server

1. In the Treehouse web app, open the account menu at the bottom of the sidebar and choose API keys.
2. Set Name to something you'll recognise in the activity feed, such as claude-code.
3. Set Used by to Agent (MCP) and select Create key.
4. Copy the command under Claude Code (MCP) and run it in a terminal. It looks like this:
   terminal Copy

   claude mcp add --transport http treehouse https://api.trytree.house/api/mcp \
     --header "x-api-key: <your key>"
   

5. Select I've copied it to close the dialog. The key won't be shown again.

By default claude mcp add connects Treehouse only in the directory you ran it from. To make it available in every project, add --scope user:

claude mcp add --scope user --transport http treehouse https://api.trytree.house/api/mcp \
  --header "x-api-key: <your key>"

Keys created in the web app work across every workspace you're a member of. Claude Code will list your workspaces and ask which one you mean, or you can name it in your request.

Check it worked

Start Claude Code and ask:

List my Treehouse workspaces, then show me what's at the root of <workspace name>.

Over MCP it calls the Treehouse tools; run /mcp inside Claude Code to see the treehouse server and its tools. After it makes a change, open Activity in the web app: the change appears under your name with "via claude-code".

Troubleshooting

Claude Code says the server returned 401

The key is missing, mistyped or revoked. Treehouse expects it in an x-api-key header, not Authorization: Bearer. Remove the server with claude mcp remove treehouse and add it again with a fresh key.

It can't find a file I can see in the web app

The file may be private to someone else, in which case Treehouse reports it as not found. Or the agent may be looking in the wrong workspace: ask it to list your workspaces first.

Its edits in the synced folder show up as mine

That's expected. The folder syncs through your desktop app or CLI, which signs in as you. Use the MCP connection if you want the agent's changes labelled separately.