Two Claude products, two auth paths

Hi Energy supports both Claude.ai / Cowork and Claude Code, but they authenticate differently on purpose. Mixing the paths is the most common setup failure we see.

Client How you connect Auth
Claude.ai Directory connector Auth0 OAuth (CIMD)
Claude Cowork Same directory connector Auth0 OAuth (CIMD)
Claude Code (CLI / local) Plain https://app.hienergy.ai/mcp X-Api-Key header

Full reference: MCP Server docs

Claude.ai and Cowork — connector only

  • Install from the Claude directory listing
  • Complete Hi Energy / Auth0 sign-in when prompted
  • Do not paste an MCP server URL, integration JSON, or Claude Code config into Claude.ai
  • OAuth uses Client ID Metadata Documents (CIMD); Auth0 Dynamic Client Registration is retired for this flow

If someone sends you a “paste this MCP JSON into Claude” snippet for Hi Energy, ignore it for Claude.ai — that path is obsolete for the published connector.

Claude Code — API key against /mcp

Claude Code runs locally and expects a standard MCP server entry:

  • URL: https://app.hienergy.ai/mcp
  • Header: X-Api-Key: <your Hi Energy API key>

Create or rotate keys in the product (API key settings), then follow the Claude Code example on the MCP docs page. You can also use an OAuth bearer against /mcp for some clients, but API key is the documented Claude Code path.

Quick decision guide

  • Chatting in claude.ai or Cowork → directory connector
  • Automating in Claude Code / scripts / other MCP hosts → /mcp + API key
  • Team rollout → share the connector link for humans; issue API keys for agent runtimes

Permissions are the same either way

Whether you arrive via OAuth or API key, tools inherit your Hi Energy authorization. Admins see broader bridges (api_get / api_write in tools/list); free users still cannot search contacts for emails; report access follows ReportPolicy.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Likely fix
Claude.ai asks for a custom MCP URL Use the directory connector instead
Claude Code cannot list tools Check X-Api-Key, POST /mcp, and that the key belongs to an active user
Contact tools return 403 Upgrade to paid publisher or use an admin account
OAuth connect fails Re-try Auth0 sign-in; confirm you are using the Hi Energy account that owns the data

Bottom line

Connector for Claude.ai/Cowork. API key for Claude Code. Once that split is clear, setup stops being mysterious—and you can focus on prompts and workflows instead of auth archaeology.

  • Claude Code MCP
  • Claude.ai connector
  • X-Api-Key
  • OAuth
  • CIMD
  • Hi Energy MCP setup

Frequently Asked Questions

Direct answers to common questions about this topic — optimized for search and AI answer engines.

Only the official directory connector at https://claude.ai/directory/connectors/hi-energy with Auth0 OAuth.

Configure the plain https://app.hienergy.ai/mcp URL and send your API key in the X-Api-Key header. Do not rely on the directory connector UX for CLI.

Cowork uses the same published directory connector path as Claude.ai (OAuth / CIMD), not a pasted API-key JSON blob.