Mowen

You can run an MCP server that lets you create, edit, and manage Mowen notes directly from MCP-enabled apps. This server supports rich text notes, file uploads, citations, and in-note links, all accessible through MCP clients like Cursor or Claude Desktop.

How to use

You connect to the MCP server from your MCP client and perform note operations using the unified rich text format. Create new notes, edit existing ones, attach files (images, audio, PDFs), insert quoting blocks, and reference other notes through internal links. Every action uses a consistent data structure, so your notes look the same across tools.

How to install

Prerequisites: Python 3.10 or newer, and a Mowen Pro membership to access API features. You also need a Mowen API key to authorize the server.

Option 1 — Install from source (recommended)

git clone https://github.com/z4656207/mowen-mcp-server.git
cd mowen-mcp-server
pip install -e .

Option 2 — Install dependencies directly

pip install mcp httpx pydantic

Configure your API key in your environment. You can set it for a session, or persist it for future sessions.

# Windows PowerShell
$env:MOWEN_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"

# Linux/macOS
export MOWEN_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"

# Persist for all sessions
# Create a .env file with:
# MOWEN_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY_HERE

Configure the MCP client to use this server. If you installed via the module, you can reference the MCP server like this.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mowen-mcp-server": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "mowen_mcp_server.server"],
      "env": {
        "MOWEN_API_KEY": "${env:MOWEN_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

If you prefer running from a local file path (no package install), use the direct path form shown here.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mowen-mcp-server": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/mowen_mcp_server/server.py"],
      "env": {
        "MOWEN_API_KEY": "${env:MOWEN_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Additional configuration and notes

API key management and privacy controls are provided to help you manage who can access your notes. You can reset the API key when needed, and set privacy rules on individual notes to control public visibility.

You can upload files as part of notes. Supported file types include images, audio, and PDFs. Use absolute file paths for local uploads to avoid path resolution issues between the MCP server and client.

Examples of common operations include creating notes with rich text, inserting quotes, linking to other notes, and attaching files to a note.

Security and usage limits

The server relies on your Mowen API key for authentication. Treat the key as a sensitive credential. If you suspect compromise, reset the key immediately.

Familiarize yourself with any usage quotas that apply to your API access to avoid hitting limits during bulk note operations.

Examples of common tasks

Create a simple note with a heading and a paragraph. Add a file image via local upload and include a reference to another note.

Available tools

create_note

Create a new Mowen note using a unified rich text format with support for paragraphs, quotes, in-note links, and file blocks.

edit_note

Edit an existing note by replacing its content with a new rich text block set.

set_note_privacy

Set the privacy level for a note (public, private, or rule-based with optional expiration and sharing restrictions).

reset_api_key

Reset the Mowen API key used to authorize the MCP server.