Fix Astra MCP connection errors

Last updated: November 2, 2026

This article explains how to fix Astra MCP when the server shows an error or the Astra tools do not appear in the AI tool.

Symptom

  • The server shows Error above its entry in the configuration file, or the Astra tools do not appear in the Chat view.

astra server entry showing Error | Restart in the configuration file

  • In MCP: List Servers, the astra entry shows an error such as Error 401 status sending message to https://mcp.getastra.com/mcp.

MCP: List Servers showing the astra server with a 401 error

Why it happens

The saved Astra server entry, or the sign-in saved with it, no longer works. This also happens when an old Astra entry is kept next to a new one under a different name.

How to fix it

Configure the server again, reconnect it, and delete the old configuration. Keep only one Astra entry.

VS Code

  1. Run MCP: List Servers, select astra, and choose Show Configuration to open the file that holds the entry.

  2. Delete only the astra entry from that file, not the whole file, and save. If the server was installed from a gallery and shows Uninstall, use that instead.

  3. Run Authentication: Remove Dynamic Authentication Providers, select Astra MCP, click OK and confirm Remove, as in Fix the "Not found" error on the Astra MCP sign-in page.

  4. Add the server again with MCP: Add Server (see Connect Astra MCP to your AI tool) and sign in.

Cursor

  1. Open Customize in the Cursor sidebar (Cursor Settings > Tools & MCP in older versions), find the Astra server and remove it. If it was added through a file, delete the astra entry from ~/.cursor/mcp.json or from .cursor/mcp.json in the project.

  2. Add the server again (see Connect Astra MCP to your AI tool), then sign in.

Claude Code

  1. Remove the server:

claude mcp remove astra

  1. Add it again:

claude mcp add --transport http astra https://mcp.getastra.com/mcp

  1. Run /mcp inside Claude Code, select astra and sign in.

Claude Desktop

  1. Go to Customize > Connectors.

  2. Find the Astra connector, click Remove (or the three dots next to it) and follow the prompts.

  3. Click + Add, then Add custom connector. Enter a name, paste https://mcp.getastra.com/mcp, and finish adding it. Then click Connect to sign in.

For more on managing servers in each AI tool, see Manage MCP servers in VS Code, Cursor MCP, Claude Code MCP and Claude custom connectors.

If the connection times out

  • Check that the network allows mcp.getastra.com and mcp-auth.getastra.com. A VPN, proxy or company firewall can block the connection. Try another network to confirm.

  • If the error mentions a temporary server problem, such as HTTP 503, wait and try again later. If it keeps failing, contact help@getastra.com with a screenshot of the error.

For anything not covered here, contact help@getastra.com.