How to Run Local Models in Claude Desktop
Step-by-step guide to connecting Ollama's local models to Claude Desktop via the gateway — no API costs, no cloud, runs fully offline.
Claude Desktop has a third-party inference feature that lets you replace Anthropic's API with any model provider, including a local AI model running entirely on your machine.
This guide walks you through the full setup: install Ollama, download a model, configure the gateway in Claude Desktop, and start a local conversation.
Everything done within 10 minutes.
What's in this guide
- What you're setting up (Ollama + Claude Desktop)
- Step 1: Install Ollama
- Step 2: Pick a model
- Step 3: Download your model
- Step 4: Confirm Ollama is running
- Step 5: Test the model (optional)
- Step 6: Enable Developer Mode
- Step 7: Configure the gateway
- Step 8: Sign in and fix errors
- Step 9: Use the Code tab
- Step 10: Start a conversation
- Things to know
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