LABSCO SUMMARY
A Bear bridge the app has since built in.
The design is clean — it maps Bear's x-callback-url actions to MCP tools, so an AI client gets the note operations Bear already exposes to automation. The thing to know before installing is front and centre in the README: the project is archived because Bear itself now ships an MCP server as of v2.8. If you are on a current Bear, start with the built-in one; this remains a working reference for the older setup.
What it is
An MCP server for the Bear note-taking app, driving Bear through its x-callback-url scheme. It covers the note lifecycle — open, create, add text, search, tag, trash, archive — for an AI client. The repository is archived: as of Bear v2.8 the app ships a native MCP server, which the author says makes this standalone one unnecessary.
What you get
- Notes opened and created, and text added via replace-note and add-title —
/open-note,/create,/add-text - Notes searched, and untagged, today, locked and to-do lists retrieved —
/search,/untagged,/today,/locked,/todo - Tags listed, opened, renamed and deleted —
/tags,/open-tag,/rename-tag,/delete-tag - Notes trashed and archived, files attached, and a URL grabbed into a note —
/trash,/archive,/add-file,/grab-url
Requirements
A Bear API token in BEAR_API_TOKEN, which the server.json marks required. uv installed, since it runs via uvx from the git URL, or from the downloadable .mcpb bundle in Claude Desktop; installers are also documented for goose and LM Studio. The pyproject names the package mcp-bear at 0.5.2. Before adopting it, note the README's own banner: the repository is archived because Bear v2.8 added a native MCP server that replaces it — reach for Bear's built-in one first.
Setup effort
One command plus a key — uvx mcp-bear, then supply credentials
USE CASES
01
Capturing a note from a conversation
Create a note in Bear, or append text to one you already have.
02
Finding a note you wrote earlier
Search Bear, or pull the today, untagged or locked lists.
03
Tidying tags across your notes
List the tags, then rename or delete the ones you no longer want.
04
Saving a web page into Bear
Grab a URL straight into a note.
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Requires
- uvx on PATH
- BEAR_API_TOKEN in your environment
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
TERMINAL
uvx mcp-bearMCP Clients
Goose
GOOSE · YAML
extensions:
bear:
name: Bear
cmd: uvx
args:
- --from
- git+https://github.com/jkawamoto/mcp-bear
- mcp-bear
envs:
BEAR_API_TOKEN: "<YOUR_TOKEN>"
enabled: true
type: stdioClaude Desktop
CLAUDE DESKTOP · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"bear": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"--from",
"git+https://github.com/jkawamoto/mcp-bear",
"mcp-bear",
"--token",
"<YOUR_TOKEN>"
]
}
}
}LM Studio
LM STUDIO · URL
https://lmstudio.ai/install-mcp?name=bear&config=eyJjb21tYW5kIjoidXZ4IiwiYXJncyI6WyItLWZyb20iLCJnaXQraHR0cHM6Ly9naXRodWIuY29tL2prYXdhbW90by9tY3AtYmVhciIsIm1jcC1iZWFyIiwiLS10b2tlbiIsIjxZT1VSX1RPS0VOPiJdfQ%3D%3D