How to Set Up Beyond Time MCP with Claude Desktop (Step-by-Step)

Setting up an MCP connection sounds technical. It involves a config file, an API key, and a command-line package. But the actual steps are closer to plugging in a router than writing software — you’re editing one JSON file and restarting an application.

This guide walks through the setup exactly, including what each step does and what to check when something goes wrong.

Step 1: Confirm Your Prerequisites

Before touching the config file, make sure you have what you need.

Claude Desktop installed. MCP servers run locally through Claude Desktop, not through Claude.ai in your browser. Download it from claude.ai/download if you haven’t already. Any recent version supports MCP.

Node.js 18 or higher. The Beyond Time MCP server is distributed as an npm package. To install and run it, your system needs Node.js. Check your version by opening a terminal and running:

node --version

If the output is v18.x.x or higher, you’re good. If Node isn’t installed or is older, download the LTS version from nodejs.org.

A Beyond Time account. You need an active account at beyondtime.ai with at least one goal recorded. The MCP connection works without goals, but it’s not useful until you have data to work with.

Step 2: Generate Your Beyond Time API Key

Log into Beyond Time. Navigate to Settings > Integrations > MCP.

Click Generate API Key. A key will appear — it looks something like bt_live_a7f3c.... Copy it immediately and store it somewhere secure like a password manager.

A few things to know:

• This key grants read and write access to your goals and progress logs.
• If you ever suspect the key has been exposed, you can revoke it from the same settings page and generate a new one.
• You only need to do this once. The key doesn’t expire unless you revoke it.

Step 3: Locate the Claude Desktop Config File

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

On macOS:

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

On Windows:

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

The easiest way to navigate to it on macOS is through Finder: press Cmd + Shift + G, paste the path above, and press Enter. On Windows, paste the path into the address bar of File Explorer.

If claude_desktop_config.json doesn’t exist yet, create it. Navigate to the Claude directory and create a new file with that exact name.

Step 4: Add the Beyond Time MCP Server Entry

Open the config file in any text editor. If the file is empty, you’ll add the entire structure. If it already has other MCP servers configured, you’ll add the Beyond Time entry to the existing mcpServers object.

If the file is empty or new:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "beyond-time": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@beyondtime/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "BEYOND_TIME_API_KEY": "paste-your-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace paste-your-key-here with the API key you copied in Step 2. Keep the quotation marks.

If the file already has other servers:

Add the Beyond Time entry inside the existing mcpServers object. For example, if you already have a different server configured:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "some-other-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@some/other-package"],
      "env": {
        "OTHER_KEY": "..."
      }
    },
    "beyond-time": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@beyondtime/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "BEYOND_TIME_API_KEY": "paste-your-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note the comma after the closing brace of the previous server entry. Missing commas are the single most common syntax error.

Save the file.

Step 5: Restart Claude Desktop

The config file is only read when Claude Desktop launches. If the application is open, your changes haven’t taken effect yet.

Quit Claude Desktop fully — not just close the window, but quit the application. On macOS: Cmd + Q. On Windows: right-click the taskbar icon and select Exit.

Relaunch it.

Step 6: Verify the Connection

Open a new Claude conversation and send this message:

List my active goals using Beyond Time.

If the setup worked, Claude will call the list_goals function and return a formatted list of your goals from Beyond Time. The response will look something like:

Here are your active goals from Beyond Time: - Product launch (Work) — 68% complete, target: Nov 15 - Writing 50,000 words (Creative) — 34% complete, target: Dec 31 …

If something went wrong, Claude will either return an error message or claim it can’t access Beyond Time data. Move to the troubleshooting section below.

Troubleshooting Common Setup Problems

”I see an authentication error”

This means Claude connected to the Beyond Time server but the API key was rejected. Check that:

1. The key in your config file matches exactly what Beyond Time generated — no extra spaces or truncated characters.
2. The key hasn’t been revoked in Beyond Time’s settings.
3. The API key is inside the correct env block.

”Claude says it doesn’t have access to Beyond Time”

This usually means the config file wasn’t saved correctly or the application wasn’t fully restarted. Confirm that:

1. The file is saved at the correct path (not saved to your desktop or downloads).
2. Claude Desktop was quit and relaunched after the save.
3. The JSON structure is valid — paste your config into a JSON validator like jsonlint.com to check for syntax errors.

”Command not found: npx”

This means Node.js isn’t installed or isn’t on your system’s PATH. Install Node.js from nodejs.org (choose the LTS version) and restart your terminal. Then restart Claude Desktop.

”The server appears in Claude but no goals are returned”

The connection is working but your Beyond Time account has no active goals. Log into Beyond Time, create at least one goal, then try the request again.

What to Try After Setup

Once the connection is confirmed, run through these three prompts to get a feel for what MCP access enables:

Goal status check:

Pull my Beyond Time goals and tell me which one I should 
focus on this week given what's closest to its target date.

Progress log:

Log 30 minutes of focused writing to my writing goal. 
Note: first session this week.

Quick milestone check:

What milestones are still open on my [goal name] goal?

Each of these uses a different MCP function. Running all three confirms the full range of read and write access is working correctly.

One Thing Worth Knowing Before You Continue

The MCP connection gives Claude live access to your Beyond Time data, but it doesn’t change what Claude knows about planning. It changes what Claude has to work with.

The value of the connection is proportional to the quality and consistency of your data in Beyond Time. Vague goals return vague analysis. Goals with irregular progress logs return unreliable summaries.

If your goals in Beyond Time need a cleanup before the MCP is useful, now is a good time to do it. Archive anything you’re not actively pursuing. Tighten up the language on what you keep.

Your next step: Open Claude Desktop and run the verification prompt above. One command confirms the whole setup is working.

Related:

• The Complete Guide to Beyond Time MCP
• Beyond Time MCP Full Walkthrough
• 5 Prompts for Beyond Time via MCP
• The Complete Guide to MCP Integration for Goal Tracking

Tags: beyond time mcp setup, claude desktop mcp, mcp configuration, AI goal tracking setup, how to connect AI to goals