MCP SSE Server Connection Guide

📋 Overview

The Barcodes.dev MCP (Model Context Protocol) server enables AI models like Claude Desktop to generate barcodes, QR codes, and other 2D codes directly through a standardized protocol. This integration allows for seamless automation and AI-powered barcode generation workflows.

🌐 Server Endpoints

Primary MCP Endpoint: https://barcodes.dev/mcp/

SSE Stream: https://barcodes.dev/mcp/sse

Message Handler: https://barcodes.dev/mcp/message

Health Check: https://barcodes.dev/mcp/health

Integrating with Claude

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Follow these steps to add the Barcodes.dev MCP connector to Claude on the web:

1 Access Claude Settings and Connectors

Open Claude and navigate to the settings menu, then select "Connectors".

2 Add a Custom Connector

Click on "Add Custom Connector" to create a new MCP connection.

Use the following configuration values from the setup section above:

Name: Barcode Generator
URL: https://barcodes.dev/mcp/
Advanced settingsNot applicable at the moment

3 Verify Connection Status

Once successfully connected, the interface will show a "Configure" button

4 View Available Tools

Click "Configure" to see the complete list of available barcode generation tools. You can select here the tools you want enabled.

5 Configure Tool Permissions (Optional)

For seamless experience, set tool permissions to "Always Allow" to avoid confirmation prompts for each barcode generation.

6 Start Generating Barcodes

You're all set! Start using the tools by asking Claude to generate barcodes, QR codes, and more.

Setup Complete!

You can now generate barcodes directly in Claude conversations. Try asking: "Create a Code128 barcode for product SKU ABC-123" or "Generate a QR code for my website URL: https://barcodes.dev"

🖥️ Claude Desktop Configuration

If you are using Claude desktop client, you can follow the same steps than above for the web configuration, or you can modify your local config files.

Remote SSE Server

Configure Claude Desktop to connect to the production SSE server:

// File: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS)

// File: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "barcode-generator": {
      "url": "https://barcodes.dev/mcp/",
      "type": "sse"
    }
  }
}

⚠️ Configuration Notes

Restart Claude Desktop after modifying the configuration file
Ensure the configuration file has valid JSON syntax
For production use, prefer the HTTPS endpoint for security
Local development servers should only be used for testing

🛠️ Available MCP Tools

The MCP server provides 6 specialized tools for generating different types of barcodes and codes:

generate_barcode

Generate linear barcodes like Code128, EAN13, UPC-A, etc.

text* Text to encode

barcode_type code128, ean13, upca, etc.

image_format PNG or SVG

width Width in pixels

height Height in pixels

generate_qr_code

Generate QR codes with customizable error correction.

text* Text or URL to encode

image_format PNG or SVG

size Size in pixels

error_correction L, M, Q, or H

generate_postal_code

Generate postal barcodes for mail services.

text* Postal code or tracking number

postal_type usps_intelligent_mail, royal_mail, etc.

image_format PNG or SVG

generate_2d_barcode

Generate 2D barcodes like Data Matrix, PDF417, Aztec.

text* Text to encode

barcode_type datamatrix, pdf417, aztec, etc.

image_format PNG or SVG

size Size in pixels

generate_composite_barcode

Generate composite barcodes combining linear and 2D components.

primary_data* Primary barcode data

composite_data* Composite 2D data

composite_type cc-a, cc-b, cc-c

primary_type ean13, upca, code128, etc.

image_format PNG or SVG

generate_stacked_barcode

Generate stacked barcodes like PDF417 Compact, MicroPDF417.

text* Text to encode

stacked_type pdf417compact, micropdf417, etc.

image_format PNG or SVG

rows Number of rows

columns Number of columns

💡 Example Usage

Sample AI Prompts

Once configured, you can ask Claude to generate barcodes like this:

Simple Barcode:

"Generate a Code128 barcode for 'PRODUCT-123'"

QR Code with URL:

"Create a QR code linking to 'https://barcodes.dev'"

Multiple Barcodes:

"Generate both an EAN13 barcode for '1234567890123' and a Data Matrix code for 'SERIAL-456'"

Postal Barcode:

"Create a USPS Intelligent Mail barcode for tracking number '12345678901234567890'"

⚙️ Technical Details

Protocol Information

Protocol: MCP 2025-06-18 (default), 2024-11-05 (legacy)
Transport: Streamable HTTP + Server-Sent Events (SSE)
Format: JSON-RPC 2.0
Authentication: None required
Rate Limiting: Standard web limits apply

Output Formats

SVG: Scalable vector graphics markup
PNG: Downloadable files via secure URLs (expires after 1 hour)
Embedding: Direct display in Claude responses
Download: Save to files for external use

🔗 Connection Flow

Claude Desktop reads configuration and initiates SSE connection
Server responds with available tools and capabilities
User prompts trigger tool calls via JSON-RPC messages
Server processes requests and returns barcode data
Claude displays generated barcodes in the conversation

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Tools not appearing in Claude:

Verify JSON configuration syntax is correct
Restart Claude Desktop after config changes
Check server health at https://barcodes.dev/mcp/health

Connection timeouts:

Ensure stable internet connection
Try switching between HTTP and HTTPS endpoints
Check if corporate firewall blocks SSE connections

Generation errors:

Verify input data meets barcode format requirements
Check parameter names match tool specifications
Review error messages for specific format guidance

📞 Support & Resources

📖

Documentation

Complete API docs and examples

View API Docs →

🏥

Health Check

Monitor server status

Check Status →

🔧

Generator Tool

Test barcode generation manually

Try Generator →