DeepSeek Reasoner MCP server for AI agents

This MCP server integrates DeepSeek R1's advanced reasoning engine with Claude, enabling it to tackle complex reasoning tasks more effectively. When Claude encounters problems requiring sophisticated multi-step reasoning, the server leverages DeepSeek R1's capabilities to enhance Claude's response quality.

Installation Options

Automated Installation via Smithery

The easiest way to install DeepSeek-Claude for Claude Desktop is using Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @HarshJ23/deepseek-claude-MCP-server --client claude

Manual Installation

Prerequisites

Python 3.12 or higher
uv package manager
DeepSeek API key (Sign up at DeepSeek Platform)

Step-by-Step Installation

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/harshj23/deepseek-claude-MCP-server.git
cd deepseek-claude-MCP-server

Install UV Package Manager

For Windows (PowerShell):

powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

For Mac:

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

Create and Activate Virtual Environment
```
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate
```
Install Required Dependencies
```
uv add "mcp[cli]" httpx
```
Obtain DeepSeek API Key

Get your API key from: https://platform.deepseek.com/api_keys

Configure Claude Desktop

Edit the claude_desktop_config.json file with the following configuration:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "deepseek-claude": {
            "command": "uv",
            "args": [
                "--directory",
                "C:\\ABSOLUTE\\PATH\\TO\\PARENT\\FOLDER\\deepseek-claude",
                "run",
                "server.py"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Make sure to replace the path with the absolute path to your installation folder.

Start the Server
```
uv run server.py
```

Using the Server

Verifying Installation

Restart Claude Desktop after completing the installation
Look for the tools icon in the Claude interface, which indicates the MCP server is connected
If you don't see the icon, consult the troubleshooting guide

How It Works

The integration works automatically when you use Claude Desktop:

When Claude receives a complex reasoning query, it may use the DeepSeek server
The query gets forwarded to DeepSeek R1 for processing
DeepSeek R1 performs the reasoning and returns structured output wrapped in <ant_thinking> tags
Claude incorporates this reasoning into its final response

No special commands are needed - Claude will leverage the DeepSeek reasoning capabilities automatically when appropriate for solving complex, multi-step reasoning problems.

How to add this MCP server to Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > MCP and click "Add new global MCP server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cursor-rules-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "cursor-rules-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explictly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.