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MCP Bear

Archived stdio MCP server for searching, reading, creating, and organizing notes in Bear using a Bear API token.

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Install MCP Bear

Pick your client, then add it in one click or paste the config.

STDIOPython
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-bear": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "git+https://github.com/jkawamoto/mcp-bear",
        "mcp-bear"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BEAR_API_TOKEN": "YOUR_VALUE_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Settings → Developer → Edit Config, merge this into mcpServers, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

Values are written into the snippet above so you can paste it as is. They never leave your browser.

We couldn’t confirm it starts correctly

We ran the install command but it didn't respond within our test window — this can mean a slow first-time install rather than a real problem.

uvx --from git+https://github.com/jkawamoto/mcp-bear mcp-bear

No response to initialize.

This is an experimental automated check and can have false negatives — missing environment variables, a slow cold install, etc. It doesn’t necessarily mean something’s wrong. Last checked Today.

Overview

The mcp-bear MCP server connects AI clients to Bear note-taking software through Bear’s API and callback actions. It supports note creation, opening, searching, tagging, archiving, trash management, and several filtered note views. Run it with uvx and a Bear API token over stdio. Reach for it only when maintaining an existing setup, because Bear includes a native MCP server starting with version 2.8.

Use cases

  • Search Bear notes from an AI client
  • Create notes and add files to Bear
  • Organize Bear tags and note states
  • Open archived, trashed, or locked Bear notes

Key features

  • Bear note search and creation
  • Partial note text editing
  • File attachment support
  • Tag management
  • Archive and trash actions
  • Filtered note views

Security & health

What it can reach and how reliably it runs — from our own checks, not the maintainer’s claims.

Not checked yetLast checked Today

We have not completed a health check for this listing yet.

0/9 checks healthy over the last 42d

Supply-chain signal

No high-severity advisories surfaced by our automated scan.

Critical 0High 0Medium 0Low 0

Scanned 14d ago via OSV.dev · mcp-bear (PyPI)

Adoption & maintenance

Factual signals from GitHub, npm, and our automated checks — not a rating.

GitHub stars77Stargazers on the source repository.
Last commit3mo agoMost recent push to the default branch.
Install checkInconclusiveDidn't respond in our test window — often a slow first install.

How MCP Bear works

What mcp-bear MCP server does

The mcp-bear MCP server exposes Bear note-taking operations to MCP clients. It is designed for local use with Bear and provides actions for working with notes, tags, and note collections. Supported operations include opening and creating notes, adding text or files, searching, and retrieving notes by state or date.

The repository is archived. Bear added its own MCP implementation in version 2.8, so new integrations should generally use Bear’s native server instead of this standalone project. The archived server may still be relevant for an existing configuration that depends on its command or behavior.

How it works

The server runs as a stdio MCP process. A client starts the mcp-bear command through uvx, and the process communicates with the client locally. Bear access requires an API token, supplied through the BEAR_API_TOKEN environment variable in Goose or through the --token command-line option in the Claude Desktop and LM Studio examples.

Its operations correspond to Bear’s X-callback-url actions. The implementation covers actions such as /open-note, /create, /search, /tags, /open-tag, /rename-tag, /delete-tag, /archive, /trash, and /grab-url. Text insertion is described as partial support through note replacement and title-appending methods rather than a complete implementation of Bear’s /add-text action.

Setup and configuration

uv must be installed because the documented launch command uses uvx. The repository can be run directly from GitHub with a command equivalent to:

text
uvx --from git+https://github.com/jkawamoto/mcp-bear mcp-bear

Configure the Bear token before starting the process. Goose can install the server from its extension link and uses a stdio configuration with BEAR_API_TOKEN. Claude Desktop can install the released .mcpb bundle or define the same GitHub-based uvx command manually, passing the token with --token. LM Studio provides a configuration link using that command pattern.

The README names Goose, Claude Desktop, and LM Studio setup paths. It does not document configuration for other clients.

Tools and capabilities

The mcp-bear MCP server implements these Bear actions:

  • Open, create, and partially edit notes
  • Add files to notes
  • Search notes
  • List tags and open, rename, or delete tags
  • View trashed, archived, untagged, to-do, today, and locked notes
  • Grab a URL into Bear

The exact request behavior follows Bear’s X-callback-url documentation, which the project links for action details.

Limitations and notes

This project is archived and is no longer the preferred integration path for Bear. Bear’s native MCP server is available from version 2.8, making this standalone server unnecessary for new deployments.

/add-text is only partially supported. Bear access also depends on a valid API token and a local Bear installation capable of handling the requested actions.

Read the full README View source on GitHub

Reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions about MCP Bear

mcp-bear is an MCP server that connects AI clients to Bear note-taking software. Its main tools cover note creation, opening, searching, partial text updates, file additions, tag management, archiving, trash handling, and filtered views such as today, locked, untagged, and to-do notes.

Install it with uvx from the GitHub repository, then configure a Bear API token. The documented command is `uvx --from git+https://github.com/jkawamoto/mcp-bear mcp-bear`; Goose, Claude Desktop, and LM Studio each have setup instructions in the README.

Set `BEAR_API_TOKEN` to a valid Bear API token. The Goose configuration passes the token through this environment variable, while the Claude Desktop and LM Studio examples pass it using the `--token` option.

Claude Desktop can load a release `.mcpb` bundle or use a manual stdio configuration, and LM Studio provides an installation link for the same `uvx`-based command.

No, use Bear’s native MCP server for new setups on Bear 2.8 or later. The mcp-bear repository is archived because Bear added a native MCP implementation in version 2.8, although the standalone server may remain useful for existing configurations.

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