Readwise MCP server for AI agents

This MCP server enables access to your Readwise library, allowing you to retrieve highlights, books, and documents as well as search for content using natural language. It seamlessly integrates with Claude and other MCP-compatible assistants to enhance your reading and research experience.

Installation

Install the Readwise MCP server using npm:

# Install from npm
npm install -g readwise-mcp

# Or clone the repository and install dependencies
git clone https://github.com/your-username/readwise-mcp.git
cd readwise-mcp
npm install
npm run build

Setup

You need to configure your Readwise API key before using the server:

# Run the setup wizard
npm run setup

# Or start with the API key directly
readwise-mcp --api-key YOUR_API_KEY

Get your API key from https://readwise.io/access_token.

Basic Usage

Command Line Interface

Start the server using one of these commands:

# Start with stdio transport (default, for Claude Desktop)
readwise-mcp

# Start with SSE transport (for web-based integrations)
readwise-mcp --transport sse --port 3000

# Enable debug logging
readwise-mcp --debug

API Usage

Import and use the server in your TypeScript/JavaScript code:

import { ReadwiseMCPServer } from 'readwise-mcp';

const server = new ReadwiseMCPServer(
  'YOUR_API_KEY',
  3000, // port
  logger,
  'sse' // transport
);

await server.start();

Testing with MCP Inspector

Running Automated Tests

Execute the built-in test suite:

# Run automated inspector tests
npm run test-inspector

# Run in CI mode (exits with status code)
npm run test-inspector:ci

Manual Testing Options

Using the Shell Script

# Test with stdio transport (default)
./scripts/inspector.sh

# Test with SSE transport
./scripts/inspector.sh -t sse -p 3001

# Enable debug mode
./scripts/inspector.sh -d

Using the TypeScript Script

# Test with stdio transport (default)
npm run inspector

# Test with SSE transport
npm run inspector -- -t sse -p 3001

# Enable debug mode
npm run inspector -- -d

Inspector Commands

Once the inspector is running, try these commands:

# Test a specific tool
> tool get-highlights --parameters '{"page": 1, "page_size": 10}'

# Test a prompt
> prompt search-highlights --parameters '{"query": "python"}'

# List available tools and prompts
> list tools
> list prompts

Testing Without an API Key

For testing without a real Readwise API key:

npm run test-mock

This uses a mock implementation with sample data to verify server functionality.

Available Tools and Prompts

Tools

get_highlights: Retrieve highlights from your Readwise library
get_books: Retrieve books from your library
get_documents: Retrieve documents from your library
search_highlights: Search for highlights using natural language

Prompts

readwise_highlight: Process highlights with options for summarization, analysis, connection finding, and question generation
readwise_search: Search and retrieve formatted highlights with source information

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 "readwise-mcp" '{"command":"npx","args":["-y","readwise-mcp"]}'

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": {
        "readwise-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "readwise-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

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": {
        "readwise-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "readwise-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect