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Primary Client Issues (ChatGPT & Claude)

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401 Authentication Errors

Symptoms: “Unauthorized”, “Authentication failed”, or “Invalid credentials” when adding MCP connectorFor Claude Desktop/Claude.ai:
  • Ensure you have Claude Pro, Team, or Enterprise (MCP not available on free plan)
  • Check that you’re signed into your Claude account
  • Remove and re-add the Civic connector with fresh URL
  • Clear browser cache and cookies for claude.ai
  • Verify the MCP URL is correct: https://app.civic.com/hub/mcp
For ChatGPT (when available):
  • Ensure you have ChatGPT Plus or Enterprise
  • Check that MCP connectors are enabled in your subscription
  • Clear browser cache for chatgpt.com
  • Try incognito/private browsing mode
Symptoms: Connector connects but tools return “Unauthorized” errorsSolutions:
  • Visit app.civic.com and ensure you’ve authorized the specific services (GitHub, Slack, etc.)
  • Check that your service accounts haven’t revoked access
  • Re-authorize individual services: ask your AI “Connect me to GitHub”
  • Verify you have the required permissions (repo access, workspace membership, etc.)

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404 Not Found Errors

Symptoms: “Connector not found”, “Invalid URL”, or “Service unavailable” when adding connectorSolutions:
  • Double-check the MCP URL is exactly: https://app.civic.com/hub/mcp
  • Ensure you have created an account at app.civic.com
  • Check your internet connection and try again
  • Corporate firewall may be blocking - try from personal network
  • Wait a few minutes and retry (temporary service issues)
Symptoms: Connector works but specific tools return “Not Found” errorsSolutions:
  • Check that you selected the required MCP servers at app.civic.com
  • Some tools require specific service permissions - re-authorize the service
  • Try asking: “What MCP servers are available?” to see current connections
  • Service may be temporarily unavailable - try again later

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Connection Issues

Symptoms: Civic connector shows “Disconnected” or “Failed” statusSolutions:
  • Check internet connection and try refreshing
  • Remove and re-add the connector with the correct URL
  • Ensure no VPN or proxy is interfering
  • For Claude Desktop: update to latest version
  • For Claude.ai: try refreshing the browser page
Symptoms: Client tries to connect but no auth window appearsSolutions:
  • Allow popups for your client (Claude Desktop/ChatGPT)
  • Try connecting from a different network (corporate firewalls may block)
  • Clear client cache/settings and re-add the connector
  • Use incognito/private browsing mode for web clients
Symptoms: Connection succeeds but no MCP tools are visibleSolutions:
  • Restart your client completely after initial setup
  • Check app.civic.com - make sure you selected MCP servers
  • Ask your AI: “What MCP tools are available?” to verify connection
  • Complete OAuth flows for each service you want to use

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Authentication Issues

Symptoms: Keep getting asked to sign in despite successful authenticationSolutions:
  • Check system clock is accurate (OAuth tokens are time-sensitive)
  • Clear browser cookies for civic.com and app.civic.com
  • Remove and re-add the connector in your client
Symptoms: “Invalid scope”, “Access denied”, or “Token expired” for GitHub/Slack/etc.Solutions:
  • Revisit app.civic.com and re-authorize the specific service
  • Check service account permissions (e.g., GitHub org access, Slack workspace admin)
  • Some services require re-authorization after permission changes
  • Token may have been revoked - re-authorize to generate new one
Symptoms: “Unauthorized” or “Forbidden” errors when using MCP commandsSolutions:
  • Service tokens may have expired - re-authorize at app.civic.com
  • Check rate limits - wait a few minutes and try again
  • Verify you have required permissions (repo access, channel membership, etc.)
  • Contact admin if using workspace/organization accounts

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Performance Issues

Symptoms: MCP commands take a long time to completeSolutions:
  • First request to each service is slower (authentication)
  • Large operations (file uploads, bulk queries) are inherently slow
  • Check network connection - corporate proxies can add latency
Symptoms: Commands fail with timeout errorsSolutions:
  • Break large requests into smaller chunks
  • Some services have strict rate limits (GitHub API: 5,000/hour)
  • Try the same command later - may be temporary service issues

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Client-Specific Issues

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Claude Desktop

Solutions:
  • Update Claude Desktop to latest version
  • Remove connector and re-add with fresh MCP URL
  • Check macOS system preferences allow Claude network access
Symptoms: Claude shows connected but can’t access your tools, or tools are missingSolutions:
  1. Check connector status: In Claude Desktop settings, verify Civic connector shows “Connected”
  2. Verify tool access: Ask Claude “What MCP tools are available?” to see current tools
  3. Reauthorize if needed: If tools are missing:
    • Go to Claude Desktop → Settings → Connectors
    • Find Civic connector and click on it
    • If prompted to “Connect” or “Authorize”, click it to reauthorize
    • Complete any OAuth flows that appear
  4. Restart Claude: Close and reopen Claude Desktop after reauthorization
  5. Test again: Try using a simple tool command to verify access

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Cursor

Solutions:
  • Restart Cursor completely (not just reload window)
  • Check Cursor Settings → Features → MCP is enabled
  • Try disabling and re-enabling Civic in MCP settings
  • Update Cursor to latest version

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VS Code

Solutions:
  • Install or update the MCP extension from VS Code marketplace
  • Check VS Code settings: search “MCP” and enable required features
  • Reload VS Code window after MCP configuration changes
  • Verify extension has proper permissions

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Corporate Network Issues

Many issues stem from corporate security policies:
Common corporate restrictions that affect Civic:
  • Proxy servers intercepting HTTPS requests
  • TLS certificate inspection causing SSL errors
  • OAuth redirect URLs blocked by content filters
Solutions:
  • Work with IT to whitelist *.civic.com
  • Try initial setup from personal network, then switch to corporate
  • Request proxy bypass for MCP connectors
  • Use company VPN if external setup works

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Account Management

For information on managing organizations, inviting members, switching between organizations, or converting a personal account to an organization, see the Managing Your Organizations page.

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Getting Help

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Before Contacting Support

Gather this information to speed up resolution:
1

System Info

  • Operating system and version
  • Client type and version
2

Connection Details

  • What error messages do you see?
  • When did the issue start?
  • Which client are you using?
3

Recent Changes

  • Updated any software recently?
  • Changed network or VPN settings?
  • New corporate security policies?

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Contact Support

Get Personalized Help

Include your system info and error details for faster resolution
Join our Slack community for the latest updates, improvements, and real-time help from other users. We regularly share troubleshooting tips and new features there.

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Advanced Debugging

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Enable Debug Logging

Check your client’s documentation for MCP debug/verbose logging options. Most clients support enabling verbose or debug mode for MCP connections.

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Network Debugging

Test connectivity to Civic services:

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Reset Everything

If nothing else works, complete reset:
1

Clear Client Settings

Remove Civic connector from client
2

Clear Browser Data

Clear cookies/data for civic.com and app.civic.com
3

Restart

Restart client and browser
4

Reconfigure

Start setup process from the beginning