FAQ
Answers to common questions, including why client accounts cannot connect.
Quick answers to the questions engineers ask most about the Remote MCP connector. For the full picture, see the MCP Server Overview and Security & Scoping.
Do I need an API key?#
No. You connect with your existing ClearSpan email and password through an OAuth sign-in page — there's no API key to generate, copy, or store. See Connect Claude Desktop.
Why can't my client account connect?#
The connector is an engineer feature, scoped to the engineering side of a firm. Only org members (reviewers, firm admins, superusers) and firmless individual/beta engineers may connect. A client sign-in is rejected with "Client accounts can't use the Claude connector." This is by design and matches how ClearSpan's other engineer tooling works. See Security & Scoping.
Where do changes go?#
Into your live ClearSpan workspace. Projects, calcs, packages, and reports created or run through Claude appear immediately in the web app, scoped to your firm — there's no separate sandbox. Open them in the web app to view diagrams, edit further, or move them through the Calculation Lifecycle.
Can Claude see other firms' work?#
No. Every tool runs as you and is scoped to your firm. Claude can only read or change projects and calcs your account can already access, and each call re-verifies your access. See Calculation Access Control.
My session stopped working — what happened?#
Access tokens are short-lived (8 hours by default) and normally refresh on their own. If a token can't be refreshed, just reconnect — Claude will send you back through the ClearSpan sign-in page. Your account being deactivated will also end access immediately.
What can Claude actually do?#
It can list, read, create, and update projects and calcs; run the wood-beam and wood-post solvers; manage load criteria and derive applied loads; and assemble and compile calc packages. The tools are grouped across:
How is this different from the in-app chat?#
The Engineer Chat Assistant runs inside ClearSpan and uses the same underlying tools. The Remote MCP connector lets you do the same kind of work from your own Claude client (Claude Desktop or claude.ai) against your live workspace.
If a specific tool isn't available to your account, calling it returns a friendly "not available" message rather than failing silently — your account's entitlements control which tools you can use.