Kept
Search, archive, and recall your AI conversations. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Kimi. Local-first, MIT licensed.
What is Kept?
Kept is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to search, archive, and recall your ai conversations. chatgpt, claude, gemini, grok, kimi. local-first, mit licensed.
Search, archive, and recall your AI conversations. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Kimi. Local-first, MIT licensed.
This server falls under the Knowledge & Memory category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Search, archive, and recall your AI conversations. ChatGPT,
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx keptConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Kept
Kept is a local-first MCP server and desktop application that archives, indexes, and makes searchable all your AI conversations from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and Kimi. Conversations are captured by a browser extension, stored as Markdown files in a local vault at ~/.kept/vault/, and indexed with SQLite FTS5 for fast full-text search. The MCP server exposes file and search tools so AI assistants like Claude can directly read, search, write, and organize your entire conversation history without any data leaving your machine.
Prerequisites
- macOS, Windows, or Linux desktop OS (prebuilt binaries available for all three)
- A Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Brave, Edge, or Arc) for the extension
- Node.js 18+ if running the MCP server standalone via npx
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code
- No external API keys required — Kept is fully local
Install the Kept desktop application
Run the installer script for your platform. The installer downloads the latest release, deploys the desktop app, and unpacks the browser extension files locally.
# macOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://kept.work/install.sh | bash
# Windows PowerShell
irm https://kept.work/install.ps1 | iexLoad the browser extension
Open your browser's extensions page, enable Developer Mode, click 'Load unpacked', and select the extension/ directory that the installer unpacked. Then visit http://localhost:18241/connect to authorize the extension.
Start the Kept desktop app
Launch the Kept application. On first run it creates ~/.kept/vault/, the SQLite search index, and starts the local server on port 18241. Leave it running in the background.
Browse AI platforms to capture conversations
Visit ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or Kimi in your browser. The extension automatically captures and archives conversations into the vault as Markdown files with YAML frontmatter.
Configure Claude Desktop to use the MCP server
Add the Kept MCP server to your Claude Desktop configuration so Claude can search and read your archived conversations.
Kept Examples
Client configuration
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json to connect Claude Desktop to the Kept MCP server running locally.
{
"mcpServers": {
"kept": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["kept"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Once connected, Claude can search and retrieve content from your full conversation history across all AI platforms.
- "Search my Kept vault for conversations about React Server Components."
- "List all conversations I had on ChatGPT last week."
- "Find my Claude conversation where I discussed CUDA kernel optimization."
- "What did I ask Gemini about meal planning? Search the vault."
- "Read the file claude/2026-05-02_kept-readme-draft.md from my vault."Troubleshooting Kept
The browser extension does not capture conversations
Ensure the Kept desktop app is running (the local server must be live on port 18241). Re-visit http://localhost:18241/connect to re-authorize the extension. If the extension shows a connection error, check that no firewall is blocking localhost:18241.
MCP tools return empty results even though conversations are saved
The vault path defaults to ~/.kept/vault/. If you changed this via config.toml, set the KEPT_VAULT_PATH environment variable in your MCP client config to match the custom path.
npx kept fails with a network or package-not-found error
Run `npm install -g kept` to install globally first, then use `kept` as the command instead of npx. Alternatively, download a prebuilt binary from https://github.com/egroup-labs/kept.work/releases/latest for your OS.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kept
What is Kept?
Kept is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that search, archive, and recall your ai conversations. chatgpt, claude, gemini, grok, kimi. local-first, mit licensed. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Kept?
Follow the installation instructions on the Kept GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Kept?
Kept works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Kept free to use?
Yes, Kept is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
Kept Alternatives — Similar Knowledge & Memory Servers
Looking for alternatives to Kept? Here are other popular knowledge & memory servers you can use with Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
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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 Kept 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
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