Claude Desktop is the best Riggr path when you want chat with live Shopify data without living in a terminal or IDE. You connect Riggr as a custom remote connector, ask questions about your store, load starter prompt blueprints over MCP, then hand off the build to Claude Code or Cursor - those tools write the Next.js app on your computer.
Claude Desktop cannot scaffold Sparks or write code on your machine. Building a localhost app requires Claude Code or Cursor. Use Desktop for live store Q&A, then hand off Autopilot.
| | Claude Desktop | Claude Code / Cursor | | --- | --- | --- | | Job | Chat + reasoning with live store context | Write and run the app on your machine | | How Riggr connects | Remote custom connector (Claude’s cloud calls Riggr) | Local MCP config on your computer | | Filesystem / Autopilot | Not the default build surface | Finds API key on disk and scaffolds Next.js | | Best for | Understanding your data, choosing a prompt, planning | Riggr Autopilot end-to-end |
Riggr’s product goal is still the same: a working custom app for your store. Desktop gets you to the right blueprint with real data. A coding AI finishes the scaffold.
When you add https://www.hiriggr.com/api/mcp as a custom connector, traffic goes from Anthropic’s cloud to Riggr (public HTTPS), not from a process on your laptop. That is different from putting Riggr in claude_desktop_config.json as a local MCP server - use the Connectors UI for Riggr.
In Claude Desktop, open Customize → Connectors (wording may also appear under Settings → Connectors). On Team/Enterprise, an Owner may need to add the connector under Organization settings first; then you Connect as a member.
Click + → Add custom connector (Team Owners: Add → Custom → Web).
Name it something clear (e.g. Riggr) and set the URL to:
https://www.hiriggr.com/api/mcpLeave OAuth Client ID / Secret empty unless Riggr support tells you otherwise - Riggr uses dynamic OAuth registration.
Click Add / Connect. Complete Riggr sign-in and Authorize in the browser. Read-only Shopify scopes only.
In a new chat, use the + menu → Connectors (or Search and tools) and make sure Riggr is enabled for that conversation.
Try:
Riggr, what are my last 5 orders?If that returns live data, skip to What to do before you build. If not, use the full walkthrough below.
Install from claude.com/download. Custom remote connectors need a plan that allows them. Free is limited to one custom connector - fine if Riggr is that one.
At hiriggr.com/dashboard your account menu should show Riggr MCP · Active. Free tier REST keys are not enough for Desktop connectors.
Customize → Connectors → Add custom connector:
https://www.hiriggr.com/api/mcpCommon mistake: https://www.hiriggr.com/mcp (missing /api).
Authorize Riggr in the browser. Then open /connections - you should see a Claude / connector-style client with an active token.
Connectors can be off per chat. Enable Riggr before asking for store data or prompt blueprints.
Riggr, list the last 5 orders from my Shopify store.You should see a tool approval or tool-use indicator (e.g. list_orders). Approve if prompted.
Browser opens hiriggr.com/oauth/authorize. Authorize once. Token lasts about a year unless you revoke it.
Order ids, totals, statuses - from your store, not a generic example.
Riggr tools are read-only on Shopify, but you should still review tool approvals. Prefer allowing Riggr tools you trust for the session rather than blind "allow always" on every connector you ever add.
Use Desktop for the work that does not need a project folder:
Examples:
Riggr, summarize fulfillment delays in my last 50 orders.
Riggr, which products show up most in recent returns?Ask Claude to open your Riggr project and pull a starter via MCP (resources like riggr://prompts/... / use_prompt_in_project). Have it explain what the app will do in plain language. You are not pasting a 30KB file.
In Riggr, create or open a project and download riggr-*-api-key.env ([Setup guide](/help/setup)). The coding AI will need that file on disk during Autopilot.
When you are ready for a localhost app, switch to Claude Code or Cursor. Desktop stays useful for ops questions later; the scaffold runs in a coding tool.
This is the path that matches Riggr’s goal - a real Next.js app on your machine.
Follow Claude Code or Cursor until Riggr MCP works there too (you can keep Desktop connected for chat).
One app per directory (e.g. ~/Code/riggr-returns).
In Riggr, open the project and copy Talk to your AI, then paste it into Claude Code or Cursor. Or paste:
Riggr Autopilot: open my Returns Triage project, load the starter prompt over MCP, find my downloaded Riggr API key .env on this computer, and build the app.When Autopilot finishes, follow its npm install / npm run dev instructions and open the localhost URL.
More generic issues: Troubleshooting.