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If the server is not working as expected, the sections below cover the most common problems and how to fix them.
Symptoms: You open Claude Desktop (or another MCP client) and the Axion tools are not listed in the available tool panel.Likely cause: The server failed to start, or the configuration file was not saved correctly before the client launched.Solution steps:
  1. Confirm you saved the configuration file after making changes.
  2. Verify the args path is an absolute path and points to an existing file. Run the following to check: 
    node /absolute/path/to/node_modules/@axionquant/mcp/index.js
    If the server starts without errors, the path is correct.
  3. Check the configuration file for JSON syntax errors (missing commas, unclosed braces, etc.).
  4. Restart the client completely — quit and reopen it, not just refresh. On macOS, use Quit from the menu bar rather than closing the window.
  5. If tools still do not appear, check the client’s server logs (see How to view server logs below).
Symptoms: Claude returns an error like “API request failed”, “401 Unauthorized”, or “connection refused” when you ask a financial question.Likely cause: The API_KEY environment variable is missing, incorrect, or the key has been revoked.Solution steps:
  1. Open your MCP client configuration file and confirm the API_KEY value is set and matches the key shown in your API keys dashboard.
  2. Make sure there are no extra spaces or quotes around the key value.
  3. Check that the key has not been revoked or expired in the dashboard.
  4. If you recently rotated your key, update the configuration file and restart the client.
  5. Review the server logs for the exact error message — a 401 confirms an authentication problem, while a connection error may indicate a network or firewall issue.
"env": {
  "API_KEY": "axq_your_key_here"
}
Symptoms: The MCP client reports that it could not start the Axion server process, or the tools never load even after restarting.Likely cause: Node.js is not installed, the version is too old, or the package is not installed.Solution steps:
  1. Confirm Node.js v18 or later is installed: 
    node --version
    If this returns an error or a version below v18, install or upgrade Node.js from nodejs.org.
  2. Confirm the package is installed by checking that index.js exists at the path you specified: 
    ls /absolute/path/to/node_modules/@axionquant/mcp/index.js
    If the file is missing, run: 
    npm install @axionquant/mcp
  3. Try starting the server manually to see any startup errors: 
    API_KEY=your_api_key_here node /absolute/path/to/node_modules/@axionquant/mcp/index.js
  4. On Windows, use the Command Prompt to set the environment variable: 
    set API_KEY=your_api_key_here && node C:\path\to\node_modules\@axionquant\mcp\index.js
Symptoms: Something is wrong but you’re not sure what — tools aren’t appearing, requests are failing, or behavior is unexpected.Solution steps:Server logs are the fastest way to diagnose any issue. How you access them depends on your client:Claude Desktop:Claude Desktop writes MCP server logs to a file. Open a terminal and tail the log:
tail -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp-server-axion-financial-data.log
Look for lines containing error or Error. Common patterns:
Log messageMeaning
401 UnauthorizedAPI_KEY is wrong or missing
ENOENT or MODULE_NOT_FOUNDThe path in args is incorrect
Error: Cannot find modulePackage is not installed
No output at allServer started but is waiting for input (this is normal)
Other clients: Consult your client’s documentation for how to access MCP server process logs.
If none of the steps above resolve your issue, open a support ticket from your Axion dashboard and include the relevant log lines.

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