Set up ReminderIt in Claude Desktop

If you prefer to hold your own API key, or you run Claude Desktop and want a local connection, ReminderIt supports that too. Instead of the hosted OAuth connector, you install a small package and add ReminderIt to Claude Desktop's configuration file.

This guide covers the local method end to end: getting a key, installing the server, editing claude_desktop_config.json, restarting, and asking for your first reminder.

When to use the local method

The hosted connector at https://mcp.reminderit.com is simpler for most people. Choose the local method when you specifically want to manage your own API key, run Claude Desktop offline from a browser sign-in, or wire ReminderIt into your own agent alongside Claude Desktop.

It takes a few more steps, but the result is the same set of tools and the same natural-language control over your reminder calls.

Step 1 — get an API key

If you are new to ReminderIt, message us on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/14786061901 first; that creates your account and starts a 7-day free trial, no card. Then log in at reminderit.com with WhatsApp or Google, open the API keys section of your account and create a new key. Keys look like rmt_ followed by a string of characters. The developer docs at reminderit.com/developers/api have the details.

Keep the key private, as it grants access to your account. If it is ever exposed, revoke it from your account on reminderit.com and generate a fresh one.

Step 2 — install the server

Install the ReminderIt MCP server with pip: run pip install reminderit-mcp. This provides the reminderit-mcp command that Claude Desktop will launch.

You only need to do this once per machine; updates come through pip in the usual way.

Step 3 — edit claude_desktop_config.json

Open Claude Desktop's configuration file, claude_desktop_config.json, and add ReminderIt under mcpServers. Paste your key in place of the placeholder:

{ "mcpServers": { "reminderit": { "command": "reminderit-mcp", "env": { "REMINDERIT_API_KEY": "rmt_your_key_here", "REMINDERIT_API_URL": "https://api.reminderit.com" } } } }

Save the file. Double-check the JSON is valid — a stray comma is the usual reason a client fails to load a server.

Step 4 — restart and ask

Restart Claude Desktop so it picks up the new configuration and launches the reminderit-mcp server. The ReminderIt tools then become available in your chat.

Now just ask in natural language: "Set a daily medication reminder at 8am London time," then "ring my phone now to test it" to confirm with a live test_call. Claude will confirm your time zone before it schedules anything, because ReminderIt books calls against IANA zones. At the set time your phone rings and a WhatsApp message arrives with Done and Snooze; if you miss the call, ReminderIt tries once more about 5 minutes later.