Outline
A Model Context Protocol server that enables AI assistants like Claude to interact with Outline document services, supporting document searching, reading, creation, editing, and comment management.
What is Outline?
Outline is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to model context protocol server that enables ai assistants like claude to interact with outline document services, supporting document searching, reading, creation, editing, and comment management.
A Model Context Protocol server that enables AI assistants like Claude to interact with Outline document services, supporting document searching, reading, creation, editing, and comment management.
This server falls under the Business Applications category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A Model Context Protocol server that enables AI assistants l
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
PIP
pip install mcp-outlineManual Installation
pip install mcp-outlineConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Outline
MCP Outline Server is a Python-based MCP integration for the Outline knowledge base platform that lets AI assistants like Claude search, read, create, edit, and comment on documents through natural language. It connects to both the Outline cloud service (app.getoutline.com) and self-hosted Outline instances via a simple API key, and exposes URI-based resources as well as action tools for full document lifecycle management. With built-in read-only mode, delete protection flags, and optional dynamic tool filtering based on user role, it is safe to deploy for teams that want AI assistance with their documentation without risking accidental data loss.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.10+ and uv or pip installed
- An active Outline account (cloud at app.getoutline.com or a self-hosted instance)
- An Outline API key (generated in Profile → Settings → API Keys)
- An MCP client: Claude Desktop, Claude Code, VS Code, or Cursor
Install the package
Install mcp-outline using uv (recommended) or pip. The uvx command can also run it directly without a persistent installation.
pip install mcp-outline
# or
uvx mcp-outlineGenerate your Outline API key
Log in to your Outline instance. Go to your profile avatar → Settings → API Keys → New API Key. Copy the generated token — you will need it in the next step.
Add the server to Claude Desktop
Edit `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` (macOS) or `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` (Windows) and add the mcp-outline server block.
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-outline": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["mcp-outline"],
"env": {
"OUTLINE_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here",
"OUTLINE_API_URL": "https://app.getoutline.com/api"
}
}
}
}For self-hosted Outline, set the custom API URL
If you run your own Outline instance, set OUTLINE_API_URL to your server's API endpoint. If you use a self-signed certificate, also set OUTLINE_VERIFY_SSL=false.
export OUTLINE_API_KEY=your-api-key
export OUTLINE_API_URL=https://outline.yourcompany.com/api
export OUTLINE_VERIFY_SSL=falseEnable read-only or delete-safe mode (optional)
For production deployments, set OUTLINE_READ_ONLY=true to prevent any write operations, or OUTLINE_DISABLE_DELETE=true to allow editing but block deletion.
export OUTLINE_READ_ONLY=true
# or
export OUTLINE_DISABLE_DELETE=trueVerify the connection in Claude
Restart Claude Desktop and ask Claude to list your Outline collections. If the server is configured correctly, it will return your collection names and document counts.
Outline Examples
Client configuration (Claude Desktop with self-hosted Outline)
Configuration for a team running a self-hosted Outline instance with delete protection enabled.
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-outline": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["mcp-outline"],
"env": {
"OUTLINE_API_KEY": "ol_api_xxxxxxxxxxxx",
"OUTLINE_API_URL": "https://docs.mycompany.com/api",
"OUTLINE_VERIFY_SSL": "true",
"OUTLINE_DISABLE_DELETE": "true",
"OUTLINE_CACHE_TTL": "60"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Natural language tasks you can ask Claude to perform with your Outline knowledge base.
- "Search my Outline workspace for documents about onboarding"
- "Create a new document in the Engineering collection titled 'API Rate Limiting Guidelines'"
- "Read the document at outline://document/abc123 and summarize its key points"
- "Add a comment to the deployment checklist document saying the Redis section needs updating"
- "Find all documents that link back to our architecture overview"Troubleshooting Outline
401 Unauthorized errors when calling tools
The OUTLINE_API_KEY is invalid or expired. Regenerate the API key in Outline under Profile → Settings → API Keys and update the env block in your MCP config. Make sure there are no leading or trailing spaces in the key value.
SSL certificate verification fails for self-hosted instance
Set OUTLINE_VERIFY_SSL=false in your environment to skip certificate validation. This is acceptable for internal networks but should not be used for internet-facing instances.
Document edits appear to succeed but changes don't show in Outline
Check whether OUTLINE_READ_ONLY is set to true, which silently blocks all write operations. Also verify the API key has write permissions — read-only API tokens cannot make changes even if OUTLINE_READ_ONLY is false.
Frequently Asked Questions about Outline
What is Outline?
Outline is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that model context protocol server that enables ai assistants like claude to interact with outline document services, supporting document searching, reading, creation, editing, and comment management. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Outline?
Install via pip with: pip install mcp-outline. Then configure your AI client to connect to this MCP server.
Which AI clients work with Outline?
Outline works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Outline free to use?
Yes, Outline is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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