Markdown Downloader MCP server

The Markdown Downloader MCP Server is a convenient tool that allows you to save web content as markdown files. It leverages the r.jina.ai service to convert webpages into clean, formatted markdown documents that you can store locally and access anytime.

Installation Options

Installing via Smithery

The easiest way to install Markdown Downloader for Claude Desktop is through Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @dazeb/markdown-downloader --client claude

Manual Installation

For a manual installation:

git clone https://github.com/your-username/markdown-downloader.git
cd markdown-downloader
npm install
npm run build

Adding to Your MCP Settings

After installation, you'll need to add the server to your Cline/Roo-Cline MCP settings file.

For Linux/macOS

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "markdown-downloader": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/home/user/Documents/Cline/MCP/markdown-downloader/build/index.js"
      ],
      "disabled": false,
      "alwaysAllow": [
        "download_markdown",
        "set_download_directory"
      ]
    }
  }
}

For Windows

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "markdown-downloader": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "C:\\Users\\username\\Documents\\Cline\\MCP\\markdown-downloader\\build\\index.js"
      ],
      "disabled": false,
      "alwaysAllow": [
        "download_markdown",
        "set_download_directory"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Using the Tool

Setting Download Directory

Change where your markdown files will be saved:

use set_download_directory /path/to/your/local/download/folder

Downloading Webpages as Markdown

Convert and download a webpage:

use tool download_markdown https://example.com/blog-post

The tool will:

• Process the URL through r.jina.ai
• Create a markdown file with format: {sanitized-url}-{date}.md
• Save it to your configured download directory

Listing Downloaded Files

View all your downloaded markdown files:

use list_downloaded_files

Checking Current Download Directory

To verify your current download location:

use get_download_directory

Configuration Details

The tool stores its configuration in different locations based on your operating system:

• Linux/macOS: ~/.config/markdown-downloader/config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\markdown-downloader\config.json

Default download directories:

• Linux/macOS: ~/.markdown-downloads
• Windows: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\markdown-downloads

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

• Confirm you have an active internet connection
• Verify the URL is valid and accessible
• Check write permissions for your download directory
• Ensure Node.js version 16 or higher is installed

How to install this MCP server

For Claude Code

To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add-json "markdown-downloader" '{"command":"node","args":["/home/user/Documents/Cline/MCP/markdown-downloader/build/index.js"],"disabled":false,"alwaysAllow":["download_markdown","set_download_directory"]}'

See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.

For Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "markdown-downloader": {
            "command": "node",
            "args": [
                "/home/user/Documents/Cline/MCP/markdown-downloader/build/index.js"
            ],
            "disabled": false,
            "alwaysAllow": [
                "download_markdown",
                "set_download_directory"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

For Claude Desktop

To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:

1. Find your configuration file:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this to your configuration file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "markdown-downloader": {
            "command": "node",
            "args": [
                "/home/user/Documents/Cline/MCP/markdown-downloader/build/index.js"
            ],
            "disabled": false,
            "alwaysAllow": [
                "download_markdown",
                "set_download_directory"
            ]
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect