Claude Desktop Integration

Claude Desktop provides native MCP support, making it one of the easiest ways to use the eBay MCP Server with AI assistance.

Why Claude Desktop?

Native MCP Support

Built-in Model Context Protocol integration - no plugins needed

230+ eBay Tools

Full access to all eBay Sell API operations

200K Context Window

Handle large product catalogs and complex operations

Advanced Reasoning

Claude’s exceptional analysis for business decisions

Prerequisites

Before connecting Claude Desktop, ensure you have:

eBay MCP Server installed and configured
Claude Desktop app installed (Download here)
eBay Developer credentials (Client ID and Secret)
Node.js 18+ installed

Installation

Install Claude Desktop

Download and install Claude Desktop for your operating system:Download Links:

You’ll need a Claude Pro or Max subscription to use Claude Desktop

Locate Configuration File

Find your Claude Desktop configuration file location:

macOS
Windows
Linux

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

To open in Finder:

open ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/

If the file doesn’t exist, create it with an empty JSON object: {}

Configure eBay MCP Server

Edit claude_desktop_config.json and add the eBay MCP Server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ebay": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/ebay-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "EBAY_CLIENT_ID": "YourAppId-12345",
        "EBAY_CLIENT_SECRET": "YourCertId-67890",
        "EBAY_ENVIRONMENT": "sandbox",
        "EBAY_REDIRECT_URI": "http://localhost:3000/callback"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important:

Replace /absolute/path/to/ebay-mcp-server with your actual installation path
Use absolute paths, not relative paths (e.g., ~/ebay-mcp-server won’t work on Windows)
Replace the example credentials with your actual eBay Developer credentials

Example paths:

macOS: /Users/yourname/ebay-mcp-server/build/index.js
Windows: C:\\Users\\yourname\\ebay-mcp-server\\build\\index.js
Linux: /home/yourname/ebay-mcp-server/build/index.js

Add User Tokens (Optional but Recommended)

For full API access and higher rate limits, add user tokens to your configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ebay": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/ebay-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "EBAY_CLIENT_ID": "YourAppId-12345",
        "EBAY_CLIENT_SECRET": "YourCertId-67890",
        "EBAY_ENVIRONMENT": "sandbox",
        "EBAY_REDIRECT_URI": "http://localhost:3000/callback",
        "EBAY_USER_ACCESS_TOKEN": "v^1.1#i^1#...",
        "EBAY_USER_REFRESH_TOKEN": "v^1.1#i^1#...",
        "EBAY_USER_TOKEN_EXPIRY": "2025-12-31T23:59:59.000Z"
      }
    }
  }
}

How to get user tokens

Run the setup wizard in your eBay MCP Server directory:

cd /path/to/ebay-mcp-server
npm run setup

The wizard will:

Guide you through OAuth authorization
Generate user access and refresh tokens
Save tokens to your .env file

Then copy the token values from .env to your Claude Desktop config.

Rate Limits:

Without user tokens: 1,000 requests/day (client credentials)
With user tokens: 10,000-50,000 requests/day

Restart Claude Desktop

Quit Claude Desktop completely (not just close the window)
- macOS: Cmd + Q
- Windows: Right-click system tray → Quit
- Linux: Close all windows and quit from system tray
Reopen Claude Desktop
Verify the connection by looking for the 🔨 tools icon

If you don’t see the tools icon, check the Claude Desktop logs for errors

Verification

Test your connection to ensure everything is working:

Check for Tools Icon

Look for the 🔨 tools icon in the Claude Desktop interface. This indicates MCP servers are connected.

Test Basic Query

Try a simple query in Claude Desktop:

“Can you list my eBay fulfillment policies?”

Claude should use the getFulfillmentPolicies tool and return your configured policies.

Verify Tool Access

Ask Claude:

“What eBay tools do you have access to?”

Claude should list the 230+ available eBay MCP tools.

Success! You now have full eBay automation capabilities in Claude Desktop.

Usage Examples

Here are some practical ways to use eBay MCP with Claude Desktop:

Inventory Management

List all inventory items

Prompt:

“Show me all my eBay inventory items”

What happens: Claude uses getInventoryItems to retrieve and display your listings with details like SKU, title, price, and quantity.

Create a new listing

Prompt:

“Create a new eBay listing for a vintage camera. SKU: CAM-001, Title: ‘Vintage Canon AE-1 35mm Film Camera’, Price: $199.99, Quantity: 1, Condition: Used”

What happens: Claude will:

Use createOrReplaceInventoryItem to create the inventory item
Use createOffer to create a publishable offer
Confirm the listing details

Update pricing

Prompt:

“Increase the price of SKU CAM-001 to $249.99”

What happens: Claude uses updateOffer to modify the price of the specified item.

Order Fulfillment

View recent orders

Prompt:

“Show me all orders from the last 7 days”

What happens: Claude uses getOrders with date filters to retrieve recent orders with buyer info, shipping details, and payment status.

Fulfill an order

Prompt:

“Mark order ID ABC123 as shipped with tracking number 1Z999AA10123456784 via UPS Ground”

What happens: Claude uses createShippingFulfillment to mark the order as shipped and provide tracking information to the buyer.

Marketing & Analytics

Run a promotion

Prompt:

“Create a 20% off sale for all items in category ‘Electronics’ running from Dec 1-15”

What happens: Claude uses createItemPromotion to set up a promotional campaign with the specified discount and date range.

View traffic reports

Prompt:

“Show me my traffic report for the last 30 days”

What happens: Claude uses getTrafficReport to display page views, click-through rates, and other analytics for your listings.

Configuration Options

Multiple MCP Servers

You can run multiple MCP servers alongside eBay:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ebay": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/ebay-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "EBAY_CLIENT_ID": "your_id",
        "EBAY_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_secret",
        "EBAY_ENVIRONMENT": "sandbox"
      }
    },
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/allowed/directory"]
    }
  }
}

Environment-Specific Configurations

Use different configurations for Sandbox and Production:

Sandbox (Testing)
Production (Live)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ebay-sandbox": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/ebay-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "EBAY_CLIENT_ID": "SBX-AppId-12345",
        "EBAY_CLIENT_SECRET": "SBX-CertId-67890",
        "EBAY_ENVIRONMENT": "sandbox"
      }
    }
  }
}

Advanced Logging

Enable detailed logging for debugging:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ebay": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/ebay-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "EBAY_CLIENT_ID": "your_id",
        "EBAY_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_secret",
        "EBAY_ENVIRONMENT": "sandbox",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "debug",
        "LOG_REQUESTS": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Tools icon (🔨) not appearing

Possible causes:

Configuration file has syntax errors
Path to server is incorrect
Claude Desktop didn’t fully restart

Solutions:

Validate your JSON syntax using jsonlint.com

Verify the path exists:

ls /path/to/ebay-mcp-server/build/index.js

Fully quit and restart Claude Desktop
Check Claude Desktop logs:
- macOS: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/
- Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\
- Linux: ~/.config/Claude/logs/

Error: Cannot find module

Cause: The eBay MCP Server build directory doesn’t exist or wasn’t compiled.Solution:

cd /path/to/ebay-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build

Verify build/index.js was created.

Error: Invalid credentials

Cause: eBay Client ID or Secret is incorrect.Solution:

Verify credentials in eBay Developer Portal
Ensure you’re using the correct environment (Sandbox vs Production)
Check for typos in your config file
Remove any extra spaces or quotes

Error: Rate limit exceeded

Cause: You’ve exceeded your daily API request limit.Solution:

Using client credentials? Add user tokens for 10-50x higher limits
Already using user tokens? Wait 24 hours or upgrade your eBay seller account
Check your current usage in the eBay Developer Portal

Tools working but API calls fail

Cause: Authentication or permission issues.Solutions:

Ensure user tokens are valid and not expired
Verify your eBay app has required OAuth scopes
Check that tokens match the environment (Sandbox/Production)
Regenerate tokens: npm run setup

Claude Desktop crashes on startup

Cause: Server startup error or resource exhaustion.Solutions:

Test the server independently:
```
cd /path/to/ebay-mcp-server
npm start
```
Check server logs for errors
Temporarily remove eBay config from claude_desktop_config.json
Restart Claude Desktop to verify it works without eBay MCP
Re-add configuration with simpler settings

Best Practices

Start with Sandbox

Always test in Sandbox environment before using Production to avoid affecting real listings.

Use User Tokens

Configure user tokens for full API access and higher rate limits (10,000-50,000 requests/day).

Monitor Usage

Keep track of API usage to avoid hitting rate limits. Ask Claude to check rate limit status periodically.

Secure Credentials

Never share your claude_desktop_config.json file - it contains sensitive API credentials.

Viewing Logs

Check Claude Desktop logs for debugging connection issues:

macOS
Windows
Linux

# View logs
tail -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log

# Open log directory
open ~/Library/Logs/Claude/

Next Steps

Create Your First Listing

Step-by-step guide to creating an eBay listing via Claude

Manage Orders

Learn how to fulfill orders and handle returns

Run Promotions

Set up marketing campaigns and promoted listings

Best Practices

Tips for optimal usage and performance

Additional Resources

Troubleshooting Guide

Comprehensive solutions for common issues

Getting Started

Authentication

Core Features

Guides

MCP Integration

Advanced

Support

Why Claude Desktop?

Native MCP Support

230+ eBay Tools

200K Context Window

Advanced Reasoning

Prerequisites

Installation

Verification

Usage Examples

Inventory Management

Order Fulfillment

Marketing & Analytics

Configuration Options

Multiple MCP Servers

Environment-Specific Configurations

Advanced Logging

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

Start with Sandbox

Use User Tokens

Monitor Usage

Secure Credentials

Viewing Logs

Next Steps

Create Your First Listing

Manage Orders

Run Promotions

Best Practices

Additional Resources

Troubleshooting Guide

Getting Started

Authentication

Core Features

Guides

MCP Integration

Advanced

Support

​Why Claude Desktop?

Native MCP Support

230+ eBay Tools

200K Context Window

Advanced Reasoning

​Prerequisites

​Installation

​Verification

​Usage Examples

​Inventory Management

​Order Fulfillment

​Marketing & Analytics

​Configuration Options

​Multiple MCP Servers

​Environment-Specific Configurations

​Advanced Logging

​Troubleshooting

​Best Practices

Start with Sandbox

Use User Tokens

Monitor Usage

Secure Credentials

​Viewing Logs

​Next Steps

Create Your First Listing

Manage Orders

Run Promotions

Best Practices

​Additional Resources

Troubleshooting Guide

Why Claude Desktop?

Prerequisites

Installation

Verification

Usage Examples

Inventory Management

Order Fulfillment

Marketing & Analytics

Configuration Options

Multiple MCP Servers

Environment-Specific Configurations

Advanced Logging

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

Viewing Logs

Next Steps

Additional Resources