OneNote MCP Server

How to use

You will run a local MCP server that communicates with a client on the same machine. Start the server, then configure your MCP client to connect to it. Once connected, you can ask questions like “What are today’s calendar events?” or “Show me open OneNote notebooks with recent edits,” and the client will retrieve data from OneNote in real time through the MCP interface. Use the built-in tools to query tables, inspect columns, and run read-only queries as needed. You do not need to write SQL to ask questions—natural language queries are supported via the MCP client.

How to install

Prerequisites: you need a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) compatible with running a JAR file. You also need to install the CData JDBC Driver for OneNote and prepare a .prp connection description as described in the setup steps.

# Step 1: Clone the MCP server repository
# (Use the exact path or navigate to your desired directory)
git clone https://github.com/cdatasoftware/onenote-mcp-server-by-cdata.git
cd onenote-mcp-server-by-cdata

# Step 2: Build the MCP server package
mvn clean install

# This creates the JAR: CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar

Step 3: Install the CData JDBC Driver for OneNote and license it. You will typically place the driver JAR in a known location and license it with a command that registers your credentials.

# Example license command (adjust to your install path and OS)
java -jar cdata.jdbc.onenote.jar --license

Step 4: Configure your JDBC connection using the driver utility, then save the connection details into a .prp file (example shown). The .prp file is used by the MCP server to connect to OneNote.

Prefix=onenote
ServerName=CDataOneNote
ServerVersion=1.0
DriverPath=PATH\\TO\\cdata.jdbc.onenote.jar
DriverClass=cdata.jdbc.onenote.OneNoteDriver
JdbcUrl=jdbc:onenote:InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;
Tables=

Additional configuration steps

Step 5: Create a Claude Desktop configuration block that points to the MCP server. The client will launch the MCP server JAR with the onenote.prp file when starting. Ensure you place the final configuration in the appropriate Claude or MCP client config location on your system.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "onenote": {
      "command": "PATH\\TO\\java.exe",
      "args": [
        "-jar",
        "PATH\\TO\\CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar",
        "PATH\\TO\\onenote.prp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Security and maintenance notes

Since this server provides read-only access to your OneNote data, it is important to protect the machine hosting the MCP server. Limit network exposure to trusted clients, and ensure your Java process runs with the minimal required permissions. Regularly update the CData JDBC Driver and the MCP server JAR to receive security and stability fixes.

If you need to revoke access or rotate credentials, update the .prp connection description and restart the MCP server so the new connection settings take effect.

Troubleshooting

If the MCP server does not appear in your MCP client, fully quit and restart the client, then retry launching the server. Verify that the .prp file contains a valid JDBC URL and that the CData JDBC Driver is licensed and accessible.

If data retrieval fails, double-check the DriverPath and DriverClass values in the .prp file, and confirm the OAuth flow completes if your data source requires it.

Tools and capabilities

The MCP server exposes a set of tools that let you discover data structures and run read-only queries. Specifically:

• {servername}_get_tables - Retrieves a list of tables available in the data source. The output is in CSV format with a header row.

• {servername}_get_columns - Retrieves a list of columns for a given table. The output is in CSV format with a header row.

• {servername}_run_query - Executes a SQL SELECT query against the data source.

onenote_mcp_get_tables

Retrieves a list of tables available in the OneNote data source. The output is CSV with headers.

onenote_mcp_get_columns

Retrieves a list of columns for a specified table. The output is CSV with headers.

onenote_mcp_run_query

Executes a SQL SELECT query against OneNote data via the MCP server.