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Claude Code Setup

Configure ACE MCP with Anthropic's Claude Code CLI agent - Complete step-by-step guide for all platforms.

Prerequisites
1

Node.js 18+ installed

Check with: node --version

2

Claude Code CLI installed

3

ACE CLI installed and logged in

4

ACE server running

1
Locate Your MCP Config File

Claude Code stores its MCP configuration in a JSON file. The location depends on your operating system:

Config file location:

Open in Terminal: open ~/.claude/

2
Add ACE Configuration

Open the config file in your preferred editor and add the ACE MCP server configuration:

Important: Customize Your Namespace

Replace my-project with a unique namespace for your project. Each project should have its own namespace to keep memories isolated.

If You Have Existing MCP Servers

Add ACE alongside your existing servers. Just add the "ace": {...} block inside the mcpServers object.

3
Start Claude Code

Navigate to your project directory and start Claude Code:

Expected Output

Claude Code will start and automatically detect the ACE MCP server. You should see "ace" listed as an available tool provider.

4
Verify ACE Tools Are Working

Test that ACE is connected by trying these example prompts in Claude Code:

Store a memory:

"Remember that this project uses Next.js 15 with App Router"

Track a decision:

"Track a decision: we're using PostgreSQL for all storage"

Query your knowledge base:

"What issues are currently open?"

Success!

If Claude responds by using ACE tools (you'll see tool calls in the output), your setup is complete!

Troubleshooting

"ace: command not found"

The ACE CLI is not in your PATH. Try these fixes:

  1. Reinstall ACE globally: npm install -g @ace3-memory/ace
  2. Check if npm global bin is in PATH: npm bin -g
  3. Add npm global bin to your PATH in ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
ACE tools not appearing in Claude Code

If ACE tools don't appear:

  1. Verify ACE server is running: ace status
  2. Check your MCP config file for JSON syntax errors
  3. Restart Claude Code completely (quit and reopen)
  4. Verify the config file path is correct for your OS
"Connection refused" or network errors

ACE server may not be running or accessible:

  1. Start ACE server: ace start
  2. Check health: curl http://localhost:7777/health
  3. Check if port 7777 is blocked by firewall

Pro Tips

Project-Specific Namespaces

Use different namespaces for different projects (e.g., my-app-frontend, my-app-backend) to keep memories isolated.

Session Management

Use /start-session and /end-session prompts to manage work sessions and keep context organized.

View Dashboard

Visit ace3-ai.com/dashboard to visualize your memories, issues, and decisions in a knowledge graph.

AI Builder

Ask Claude to "generate a project plan for [feature]" to automatically create issues, decisions, and architecture docs.

Available ACE Tools

Once configured, Claude Code can use these 20+ ACE tools:

ace_rememberace_recallace_get_contextace_searchace_track_issueace_resolve_issueace_find_solutionsace_track_decisionace_best_practicesace_get_statsace_log_workace_architectureace_patternsace_manage_tagsace_graph_connectace_graph_traverseace_create_planace_generate_planace_observe

Next Steps