Bear Notes Integration
MCP Server for Bear note taking app available as Claude Desktop extension or standalone server for any other AI tool
What is Bear Notes Integration?
Bear Notes Integration is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to mcp server for bear note taking app available as claude desktop extension or standalone server for any other ai tool
MCP Server for Bear note taking app available as Claude Desktop extension or standalone server for any other AI tool
This server falls under the Knowledge & Memory category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- MCP Server for Bear note taking app available as Claude Desk
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
NPM
npx -y bear-notesManual Installation
npx -y bear-notesConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Bear Notes Integration
Bear Notes MCP connects AI assistants to the Bear note-taking app on macOS, enabling natural language search, reading, and editing of your personal notes. It exposes tools for full-text note search (including OCR-extracted text), reading note content, listing tags, and — when Edit Mode is enabled — creating notes, appending or replacing sections, attaching files, and managing tags across your library. It is the easiest way to give Claude or other AI tools direct, read-write access to your Bear knowledge base.
Prerequisites
- macOS only — Bear is a macOS/iOS app and this server does not run on Windows or Linux
- Bear app installed from the Mac App Store (free tier works for reading; Bear Pro required for some sync features)
- Node.js 24.13.0+ installed
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or Cursor
Install the server
The fastest way to add Bear Notes MCP to Claude Code is via the CLI. For other clients, use the JSON config method.
# Claude Code:
claude mcp add -s user bear-notes -- npx -y bear-notes-mcp@latest
# Claude Desktop: add to claude_desktop_config.json manually (see examples)Enable Edit Mode (optional)
By default, the server is read-only. To unlock write tools (create notes, edit sections, add tags), set the UI_ENABLE_CONTENT_REPLACEMENT environment variable to true in your config.
Configure your MCP client
Add the server entry to your MCP client's configuration file with the desired environment variables.
Restart your MCP client
After saving the configuration, restart Claude Desktop or reload the MCP connection in your client so the server is picked up.
Test with a basic search
Ask your AI assistant to search your Bear notes. If it returns results, the server is working correctly.
Bear Notes Integration Examples
Client configuration
MCP configuration for Claude Desktop with Edit Mode enabled. Remove UI_ENABLE_CONTENT_REPLACEMENT or set it to false for a read-only setup.
{
"mcpServers": {
"bear-notes": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "bear-notes-mcp@latest"],
"env": {
"UI_ENABLE_CONTENT_REPLACEMENT": "true",
"UI_ENABLE_NEW_NOTE_CONVENTION": "false",
"UI_DEBUG_TOGGLE": "false"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts for reading, searching, and editing your Bear notes through an AI assistant.
- "Search my Bear notes for everything I've written about Kubernetes and summarize the key points"
- "Find all untagged notes and suggest tags I should apply to each one"
- "Show me the full content of my note titled 'Q2 Goals'"
- "Append a new section called 'Follow-ups' to my 'Weekly Ops' note with the three action items I just described"
- "List all tags in my Bear library and show how many notes each one has"Troubleshooting Bear Notes Integration
The server starts but returns no notes
Bear stores notes in a local SQLite database. Ensure Bear is installed and has been opened at least once on the same Mac. The server reads from `~/Library/Group Containers/9K33E3U3T4.net.shinyfrog.bear/Application Data/database.sqlite`.
Write tools like create or append are not available
Write tools are only exposed when UI_ENABLE_CONTENT_REPLACEMENT is set to true in the env block of your MCP configuration. Update the config and restart your MCP client.
Server fails to start with a Node.js version error
Bear Notes MCP requires Node.js 24.13.0 or higher. Run `node --version` to check your version. Install or update Node.js via https://nodejs.org or using nvm: `nvm install 24 && nvm use 24`.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bear Notes Integration
What is Bear Notes Integration?
Bear Notes Integration is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that mcp server for bear note taking app available as claude desktop extension or standalone server for any other ai tool It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Bear Notes Integration?
Install via npm with the command: npx -y bear-notes. Then add the server configuration to your AI client's JSON config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json).
Which AI clients work with Bear Notes Integration?
Bear Notes Integration works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Bear Notes Integration free to use?
Yes, Bear Notes Integration is open source and available under the Apache-2.0 license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
Bear Notes Integration Alternatives — Similar Knowledge & Memory Servers
Looking for alternatives to Bear Notes Integration? Here are other popular knowledge & memory servers you can use with Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
MemPalace
★ 52.6kA local AI memory system that stores all conversations verbatim and organizes them into navigable structures. It provides 19 MCP tools for AI assistants to search and retrieve past decisions, debugging sessions, and architecture debates automatically
Kratos
★ 25.7k🏛️ Memory System for AI Coding Tools - Never explain your codebase again. MCP server with perfect project isolation, 95.8% context accuracy, and the Four Pillars Framework.
Context Mode
★ 15.4kAn MCP server that preserves LLM context by intercepting large data outputs and returning only concise summaries or relevant sections. It enables efficient sandboxed code execution, file processing, and documentation indexing across multiple programm
Memu
★ 13.7kMemory for 24/7 proactive agents like OpenClaw.
MemOS
★ 9.3kMemOS (Memory Operating System) is a memory management operating system designed for AI applications. Its goal is: to enable your AI system to have long-term memory like a human, not only remembering what users have said but also actively invoking, u
Everos
★ 5.4kBuild, evaluate, and integrate long-term memory for self-evolving agents.
Browse More Knowledge & Memory MCP Servers
Explore all knowledge & memory servers available in the MCPgee directory. Each server includes setup guides for Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
Set Up Bear Notes Integration in Your Editor
Choose your AI client for step-by-step setup instructions.
Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
Ready to use Bear Notes Integration?
Browse our complete directory of 33,000+ MCP servers, read setup guides for your editor, and start building with the Model Context Protocol.