Claude Desktop on third-party (3P) is configured entirely through OS-native managed preferences: a .mobileconfig profile on macOS or registry policy on Windows. This page documents every supported key. For the desktop release each key first appeared in, see the configuration changelog.
The easiest way to author a configuration is the in-app configuration window (Developer → Configure third-party inference), which validates values, shows per-provider requirements, and exports directly to .mobileconfig or .reg. Use this reference when you need to author policy by hand, audit an existing profile, or understand exactly what a key does.
How keys are read
| Platform | Managed (MDM) location | Local (user) location |
|---|
| macOS | /Library/Managed Preferences/<user>/com.anthropic.claudefordesktop.plist | ~/Library/Application Support/Claude-3p/configLibrary/ |
| Windows | HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Claude (machine), HKCU\SOFTWARE\Policies\Claude (user) | %LOCALAPPDATA%\Claude-3p\configLibrary\ |
_meta.json records which saved configuration is applied, and each configuration is a <id>.json file alongside it. The in-app configuration window writes here.
When a managed source is present, it wins and locally written values are ignored. Configuration is read once at launch, so fully quit and reopen the app after any change. See Installation and setup for the full precedence rules.
Value types
All values are stored as strings in the OS preference store, even booleans and arrays.
| Documented type | What to write | Example |
|---|
| string | Plain string | vertex |
| boolean | "true" or "false" (or 1 / 0) | "true" |
| integer | Decimal string | "3600" |
| string[] (JSON) | JSON array encoded as a string (not a native plist/registry array) | ["claude-sonnet-4","claude-opus-4"] |
| object (JSON) | JSON object mapping name to value, as a string | {"X-Org-Id":"team1"} |
| object[] (JSON) | JSON array of objects, as a string | see managedMcpServers |
The most common configuration mistake is writing array- or object-typed keys as native plist/registry structures. Keys like inferenceModels, inferenceGatewayOidc, managedMcpServers, coworkEgressAllowedHosts, and otlpHeaders must be JSON strings. In a .mobileconfig, that means a single <string> element containing [...] or {...} — not an <array>, not a <dict>, and not separate keys with dotted names like inferenceGatewayOidc.clientId.
Reference
The reference below is generated from the configuration schema and grouped to match the sidebar of the in-app configuration window. The Availability column shows whether a key can be set in an MDM profile, returned from a bootstrap server, or both.
Connection
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
inferenceCustomHeaders | object | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Extra HTTP headers sent on every inference request to the configured provider. For tenant routing, org IDs, Bedrock Guardrails, etc. Previously named inferenceGatewayHeaders. |
inferenceSessionLifetimeSec | integer | MDM + Bootstrap | — | How long a sign-in stays valid under your IdP’s session policy. Shows a re-authenticate banner before it expires. |
inferenceCredentialHelper | string | MDM only | — | Absolute path to an executable that prints the credential, optionally with per-request headers. |
inferenceCredentialHelperTtlSec | integer | MDM only | 3600 | Helper output is cached for this many seconds. Re-runs at the next session start after expiry. Defaults to 3600. |
inferenceCredentialHelperTimeoutSec | integer | MDM only | 60 | Maximum wait for the helper executable to finish. Raise this if the helper opens a browser for interactive sign-in. Defaults to 60. Range: 1–600. |
inferenceCredentialHelperSilentRefreshEnabled | boolean | MDM only | true | When a session’s credential expires, re-run the helper with CLAUDE_HELPER_CONTEXT=mid-session-refresh to recover silently. Turn this off if your helper can’t run non-interactively. Defaults to true. |
inferenceProvider | enum | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Selects the inference backend. Setting this key activates third-party mode. One of: gateway, anthropic, bedrock, mantle, vertex, foundry. |
inferenceCredentialKind | enum | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Selects the credential source. When set, only that source is used (no fallback). One of: static, helper-script, interactive, vendor-profile, oauth, workforce. |
Anthropic
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
inferenceAnthropicApiKey | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Leave blank to fetch a key via browser sign-in, or to supply the key via a credential helper. |
Bedrock
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
inferenceBedrockRegion | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | AWS region for the Bedrock runtime endpoint. |
inferenceBedrockBaseUrl | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | For VPC endpoints or gateway proxies. Host origin only. |
inferenceBedrockServiceTier | enum | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Sent as the X-Amzn-Bedrock-Service-Tier header. Leave unset for on-demand. One of: flex, priority. |
inferenceBedrockBearerToken | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | |
inferenceBedrockSsoStartUrl | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Enables in-app AWS sign-in (no AWS CLI needed). Set with the three SSO fields below. |
inferenceBedrockSsoRegion | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | IAM Identity Center home region. |
inferenceBedrockSsoAccountId | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | 12-digit AWS account ID assigned to users in IAM Identity Center. |
inferenceBedrockSsoRoleName | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | IAM Identity Center permission-set name granting bedrock:InvokeModel* on the account above. |
inferenceBedrockProfile | string | MDM only | — | |
inferenceBedrockAwsDir | string | MDM only | — | Folder with AWS config/credentials. Defaults to ~/.aws when no bearer token is set. |
inferenceBedrockAwsCliPath | string | MDM only | — | Absolute path to the aws executable. Leave unset to find it on PATH. |
Foundry
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
inferenceFoundryResource | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Azure AI Foundry resource name used to construct the endpoint URL. |
inferenceFoundryApiKey | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | |
inferenceFoundryTenantId | string | MDM only | — | Directory (tenant) ID of the Entra ID app registration that has the Cognitive Services scope. |
inferenceFoundryClientId | string | MDM only | — | Application (client) ID of the Entra ID app registration. The app must allow public client flows for device code. |
Gateway
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
inferenceGatewayBaseUrl | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Full URL of the inference gateway endpoint. |
inferenceGatewayApiKey | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | |
inferenceGatewayAuthScheme | enum | MDM + Bootstrap | bearer | How the gateway credential is sent on the wire (Authorization: Bearer vs x-api-key header). One of: bearer, x-api-key. Defaults to bearer. |
inferenceGatewayOidc | object | MDM + Bootstrap | — | External IdP for gateway sign-in. The user authenticates against this issuer; the resulting token (ID token by default) is sent to the gateway as the Bearer credential. Leave unset only if the gateway is its own OAuth authorization server. |
Models
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
modelDiscoveryEnabled | boolean | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Auto-populate the model picker from the provider at launch. |
inferenceModels | object[] | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Override the auto-discovered model list. First entry is the default. |
Vertex
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
inferenceVertexProjectId | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | |
inferenceVertexRegion | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | GCP region where your Vertex AI Claude models are deployed. |
inferenceVertexBaseUrl | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | PSC endpoint, if using one. |
inferenceVertexOAuthClientId | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Desktop-app OAuth client ID. Enables Sign in with Google instead of a credentials file. |
inferenceVertexOAuthClientSecret | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Secret for the Desktop-app OAuth client above. |
inferenceVertexOAuthScopes | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Override the Google OAuth scopes (space-separated). Leave blank for the default. |
inferenceVertexOAuthLoginHint | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Pre-fill Google’s account chooser and forward to your federated IdP. {username} expands to the OS login name. |
inferenceVertexWorkforceAudience | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Workforce-pool provider audience. When set, sign-in uses your own IdP plus a GCP STS exchange instead of a Google identity. |
inferenceVertexWorkforceUserProject | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | GCP project for STS billing and quota. Defaults to the Vertex project ID above. |
inferenceVertexWorkforceOidc | object | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Your organization’s OIDC IdP. The app runs an authorization-code-with-PKCE flow against this issuer and exchanges the returned ID token at GCP STS. |
inferenceVertexCredentialsFile | string | MDM only | — | Absolute path to service-account JSON. Leave blank to fall back to ADC. |
Workspace restrictions
Authentication
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
disableDeploymentModeChooser | boolean | MDM only | false | Users see only this provider at the login screen. The option to sign in to Claude.ai is hidden. Defaults to false. |
disableDeepLinkRegistration | boolean | MDM only | false | Stop external apps and websites from opening Cowork via claude:// links. Defaults to false. |
Chat Surface
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
chatTabEnabled | boolean | MDM + Bootstrap · Beta | — | Enable the Chat tab. Quick questions and drafting. |
chatAdvancedFileAnalysisEnabled | boolean | MDM + Bootstrap · Beta | — | Allow Claude to run code in a local sandbox to analyze attached files it can’t read natively — like Excel and PowerPoint — and perform inline data analysis. The sandbox can only read files attached to the conversation and has no network access. Off by default. |
Code Surface
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
isClaudeCodeForDesktopEnabled | boolean | MDM + Bootstrap | true | Enable the Code tab. Claude writes and runs code. Defaults to true. |
Cowork Surface
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
coworkTabEnabled | boolean | MDM + Bootstrap | true | Enable the Cowork tab. Claude works on longer tasks like research, analysis, and documents. Defaults to true. |
Workspace
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
disabledBuiltinTools | string[] | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Built-in tools removed from Cowork. |
builtinToolPolicy | object | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Per-tool approval policy. “ask” requires user approval before each call; “allow” is the default. Use Disabled built-in tools to remove a tool entirely. |
autoModeEnabled | boolean | MDM + Bootstrap | false | Offer Auto mode in the Cowork and Code permission selectors. Claude decides which actions need approval. Defaults to false. |
allowedWorkspaceFolders | object[] | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Folders users may attach as a workspace. Leave unset for unrestricted access. Supports ~ and a fixed set of environment variables. |
coworkEgressAllowedHosts | string[] | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Hostnames the agent’s tools may reach from the Cowork and Code tabs. Also surfaced under Egress Requirements. |
requireCoworkFullVmSandbox | boolean | MDM + Bootstrap · Deprecated | false | Runs tools inside an isolated VM instead of the host. Stronger isolation; slower file access and no host-process tools. Defaults to false. |
Connectors & extensions
Extensions
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
isDesktopExtensionEnabled | boolean | MDM + Bootstrap | true | .dxt and .mcpb installs. Defaults to true. Previously named isDxtEnabled. |
isDesktopExtensionSignatureRequired | boolean | MDM + Bootstrap | false | Reject desktop extensions that are not signed by a trusted publisher. Defaults to false. Previously named isDxtSignatureRequired. |
Mcp
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
managedMcpServers | object[] | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Org-pushed MCP servers: remote (HTTP/SSE) or local (stdio command). May embed bearer tokens. |
isLocalDevMcpEnabled | boolean | MDM + Bootstrap | true | Local stdio servers added via the Developer settings. Remote servers come from the managed list above, or plugins mounted to a user’s computer by an organization admin. Defaults to true. |
Telemetry & updates
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
deploymentOrganizationUuid | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | A UUID you generate. Tags telemetry so Anthropic support can locate your fleet’s events. If unset, a shared placeholder UUID is sent and your events can’t be distinguished from other unconfigured deployments. Not used for auth. |
disableEssentialTelemetry | boolean | MDM only | false | Crash and performance reports to Anthropic. Defaults to false. |
disableNonessentialTelemetry | boolean | MDM + Bootstrap | false | Product-usage analytics and diagnostic-report uploads. No message content. Defaults to false. |
disableNonessentialServices | boolean | MDM + Bootstrap | false | Favicon fetch and the artifact-preview iframe origin. Artifacts will not render. Defaults to false. |
Auto Update
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
disableAutoUpdates | boolean | MDM + Bootstrap | false | Stop Cowork from fetching updates. You’ll need to push new versions yourself. Defaults to false. |
autoUpdaterEnforcementHours | integer | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Hours before a downloaded update force-installs. Blank = 72-hour default. Range: 1–72. |
Otlp
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
otlpEndpoint | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Where Cowork sends OpenTelemetry logs and metrics. Leave blank to disable. |
otlpProtocol | enum | MDM + Bootstrap | http/protobuf | grpc or http/protobuf. One of: http/protobuf, http/json, grpc. Defaults to http/protobuf. |
otlpHeaders | object | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Optional auth headers for the collector. |
otlpResourceAttributes | object | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Extra resource attributes to attach to every span/metric. |
otlpDesktopLogLevel | enum | MDM + Bootstrap | error | Controls the Claude Desktop application’s events, separate from Cowork and Code sessions. Defaults to error. One of: off, error, warn, info, debug. Defaults to error. |
Usage limits
Token Limits
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
inferenceMaxTokensPerWindow | integer | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Per-user soft cap, counted client-side over the duration below. Not a server-enforced quota. |
inferenceTokenWindowHours | integer | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Tumbling window length for the token cap. Max 720 hours (30 days). Range: 1–720. |
Appearance
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
banner | object | MDM + Bootstrap | — | A persistent banner across the top of the app window after sign-in. |
Plugins & skills
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
organizationPluginsUrl | string | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Typically supplied by your bootstrap server. Ignored when bootstrap is disabled. |
orgPluginSettings | object[] | MDM + Bootstrap | — | Admin policy applied to plugin-delivered MCP servers. |
Source
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
claudeAiImport | object | Bootstrap only | — | |
Bootstrap
| Key | Type | Availability | Default | Description |
|---|
bootstrapEnabled | boolean | MDM only | true | Fetch and apply the URL above at launch. Turn off to keep the URL saved but skip the fetch. Defaults to true. |
bootstrapUrl | string | MDM only | — | HTTPS endpoint that returns a per-user JSON config overlay. Values from the response override local settings and become read-only. |
bootstrapOidc | object | MDM only | — | When set, the bootstrap request sends a Bearer token from a browser sign-in (authorization-code-with-PKCE). |
Guides
Recommended security profiles
The profiles below are illustrative examples rather than built-in presets, and the labels are descriptive only. Use them as starting points and adjust for your environment. Layer the inference-provider keys for your cloud on top of whichever profile you choose.
Standard
Restricted
Locked down
Recommended for most enterprise deployments. Telemetry and auto-updates stay on so Anthropic can diagnose issues and ship fixes; users can extend Claude Desktop with their own connectors. For regulated environments that need to control what users can connect Claude Desktop to, while keeping Anthropic supportability. For air-gapped or maximally restricted environments. The only traffic leaving the device goes to your inference endpoint and OTLP collector. With this profile, Anthropic has zero remote visibility, so your team owns log collection and update distribution. 
