How to use ruflo with the claude application (Not Claude Code CLI/Terminal)

[dabawenyo1992-hue]

Hello,

I struggle to properly use ruflo within the claude desktop application.

I was able to install the MCP server but when I run /ruflo sometimes it does not work. It does not hook directly.

Any help i would appreciate a lot to properly install so I can use ruflo.

[itzmitto]

Hi @dabawenyo1992-hue!
The confusing part is that Ruflo’s MCP connection and its Claude Code plugin are different integrations.
In the current setup instructions, /ruflo belongs to the Claude Code plugin setup. Connecting the MCP server to Claude Desktop exposes tools, but doesn't automatically install Claude Code’s console, mods or hooks.
Since you already installed the MCP server, first check whether it connects successfully and its tools appear in Claude Desktop. The documented stdio configuration uses:
command: npx
args: ["-y", "ruflo@latest", "mcp", "start"]
Then try a normal message such as:
“Use the connected Ruflo tools to show the current swarm status. If the tools aren't available, tell me that rather than guessing.”
That helps distinguish a working MCP connection from a missing slash-command integration.
If the server is disconnected or no tools appear, please share your OS, Ruflo version, MCP configuration with secrets removed, and the connection error. If tools work but automatic hooks don't, that alone doesn't establish an installation failure—the README explicitly says hook support depends on the client.
If this resolves your question, feel free to mark it as the answer so others can find it too.

[dabawenyo1992-hue]

Ok I am using claude code within Visual Studio Code. I am willing not to use the desktop claude version to overcome any struggles.

In order to maximize ruflo, do I use fable 5.1 for prompting for example if I use a basic master prompt provided by ruflo samples?

[itzmitto]

Ah, that makes things clearer! 🙂

Since you're now using Claude Code inside VS Code, you can use Ruflo's native Claude Code plugins instead of relying on the regular Claude Desktop MCP connection.

About Fable 5.1: yes, you can use it with Ruflo if it's available in your Claude Code setup, but you don't actually need it just to run Ruflo's sample master prompts.

Fable 5.1 is designed for more demanding coding and multi-step tasks. For simpler tasks, another supported Claude model may be enough.

I'd recommend getting Ruflo working properly first, then experimenting with different models.

The current Ruflo README documents this plugin setup inside Claude Code:

/plugin marketplace add ruvnet/ruflo
/plugin install ruflo-core@ruflo
/plugin install ruflo-console@ruflo

After installing, follow the README's plugin reload instructions and check whether /ruflo works.

You can then select your preferred model using /model and try one of the Ruflo sample prompts.

One thing worth mentioning: installing plugins doesn't automatically configure every project hook. Ruflo also has a separate initialization process for its full project setup, so I'd review those changes before enabling everything.

My suggestion would be to start with a small task and confirm that the tools are actually being used before trying a larger master prompt.

Here's the official setup guide:
https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo#readme

Hope that helps you get started!