Claude Code web MCP approvals: why local allow rules may not carry over

If an MCP call asks for approval or returns “MCP tool call requires approval” in Claude Code on the web, first check which settings reach that cloud session. A cloud session runs on a fresh repository clone, so ~/.claude/settings.json on your computer is not read there. Shared repository rules apply only in documented session types. Anthropic docs checked November 3, 2026.

Is this Claude Code on the web or a session on your machine?

Confirm the session surface before changing a file. A browser session at claude.ai/code runs in a cloud environment. A local terminal or Desktop Code session uses the settings on the machine running Claude Code. Remote Control lets you reach a local session from another device; it does not turn that local session into a cloud session.

Cloud sessions can also be started from the Desktop app or CLI. Record the session surface, whether it is in a Claude project thread, how many repositories it contains, and whether it uses an Anthropic-hosted or self-hosted environment. Those details affect which settings are loaded.

Why does my local permissions.allow entry not apply?

Anthropic documents that a cloud session runs on a fresh clone, not on your machine. Personal settings in ~/.claude/settings.json and local project settings in .claude/settings.local.json stay on your computer and are not read by the cloud session.

A committed .claude/settings.json is read in a cloud session with one repository outside a Claude project thread. The documented exceptions matter: a cloud thread inside a project does not use repository permission rules; and an Anthropic-hosted session with several repositories does not read permission rules from those repositories’ settings files. Do not assume that a rule working in your terminal will therefore work in every cloud session.

Where can a cloud permission rule come from?

• One repository, outside a project thread: a reviewed, committed .claude/settings.json can supply shared rules to that cloud session.
• A cloud thread in a project: repository permission rules do not apply. Check the project’s documented setup and the session’s permission mode instead of copying a local file and assuming it loaded.
• Multiple repositories: Anthropic-hosted sessions do not load permission rules from repository settings. Self-hosted environments have separate documented behavior; check that environment’s configuration.
• Organization policy: a local managed-settings file or device policy does not reach a cloud session. Server-managed settings from the organization can reach it; a self-hosted runner also reads managed settings from its runner image.

In the browser, /config opens Claude.ai settings rather than changing a value in the cloud session. Anthropic documents using environment settings for cloud configuration, or committing a repository key for the supported single-repository case. Treat permission rules as security policy: only commit a narrow rule after reviewing what it allows and confirming which session will receive it.

Can an allow rule still leave an MCP approval?

Yes. Permission rules are not the only control. Anthropic documents that a matching ask rule takes precedence over an allow rule, and some MCP tools marked requiresUserInteraction still require interaction even when allowed. Organization connector tools set to ask can also prompt in sessions where that control reaches Claude Code; a matching allow rule does not skip that organization-required prompt.

Distinguish an MCP server’s project approval from a prompt for a specific tool, and distinguish both from an organization’s per-tool connector control. A connection can be available while an individual call still needs approval. Do not broaden the allowlist or switch off safeguards just to suppress an unexplained prompt.

What should I check when the tool call fails?

1. Note the exact error text, server name, tool name, session surface, permission mode, repository count, and whether the session is in a Claude project thread. Do not include access tokens or private data in notes.
2. Check which settings source is supposed to apply. For a local session, use /status and /permissions to inspect settings sources and matching rules. For cloud sessions, verify the applicable case above; a local /status cannot prove that a separate browser session loaded a local file.
3. Review applicable deny, ask, and allow rules in that order, plus project-server approval and any organization connector controls. Check the exact MCP tool name rather than allowing every tool on every server.
4. If you change a shared project file, inspect the diff and confirm it contains no secrets. Repeat one harmless call in the same cloud session type and record the resulting prompt or error. Change one setting at a time.

What does issue #61069 establish?

The issue describes one user’s May 2026 Claude Code web session: several MCP calls returned “MCP tool call requires approval” despite entries in user- and project-level allowlists, and the user reported no approval UI. A maintainer said the report would be tracked with issue #61044; #61069 was closed as a duplicate. This is a qualitative report, not proof of a current broad defect, a confirmed cause, or a workaround. The settings boundaries and checks above come from current Anthropic documentation, not from assuming that the old report reproduces today.

What information is useful in a support report?

Include the date, Claude Code version if shown, exact session surface and type, number of repositories, permission mode, MCP server and tool names, the error text, and the settings source you expected to apply. Say whether the rule is local, committed project-level, or organization-managed. Redact tokens, private URLs, account data, and customer content. This guide follows documentation; it does not test every Claude Code version, MCP provider, cloud environment, or organization policy.

Related: diagnose repeated MCP prompts across sessions, map Claude Code MCP configuration locations, and choose Claude Code permission rule scopes.

Sources and scope

• Anthropic cloud session documentation explains the cloud environment, permission-mode selector, and approval of MCP connector calls.
• Anthropic settings documentation describes which local, project, and managed settings reach each cloud-session type.
• Anthropic permission documentation covers rule precedence and MCP tools that still require user interaction.
• Anthropic MCP documentation describes connector delivery and organization controls for connector tools.
• Claude Code issue #61069 is one historical web-session report, closed in favor of tracking issue #61044; it is not current product documentation.