MCP Server
Bear notes via CloudKit: CRUD, tags, TODOs, attachments, search, front matter, stats and health checks.
Install
The installation steps are in the documentation below. Documentation
Documentation
From the project's README on GitHub, refreshed weekly. Links open on GitHub.
better-bear
MCP server for Bear notes. Read, search, create, edit, tag, and manage your notes from Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or any MCP client. Includes a context library for building curated, LLM-optimized knowledge bases from your notes.
Works via CloudKit — no Bear URL scheme, no AppleScript. Your notes stay in sync across all devices.
Context Library — Inspired by Karpathy's LLM Knowledge Base pattern: tag Bear notes with
#context, sync to a local folder, and Claude uses index-first retrieval to navigate your knowledge. No RAG pipeline, no vector database — just curated markdown with a manifest.
Quick start
curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/KuvopLLC/better-bear/main/install.sh | bash
bcli auth
bcli mcp installThis installs the bcli binary, authenticates with iCloud, and sets up the MCP server for Claude Desktop (.mcpb bundle) and Claude Code.
Other install methods
| Method | Command |
|---|---|
| Claude Desktop only | bcli mcp install --desktop-only |
| Claude Code only | bcli mcp install --code-only |
| Claude Code (direct) | claude mcp add better-bear -- npx -y better-bear |
| Config file | bcli mcp install --json |
| .mcpb bundle | Download from latest release and double-click |
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+
- bcli binary (installed by the script above)
- iCloud authentication via
bcli auth
Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
bear_sync | Sync notes from iCloud (incremental or full) |
bear_list_notes | List notes with optional tag/archive/trash filters |
bear_get_note | Get full note content, metadata, and front matter |
bear_search | Full-text search with date filters (since/before) |
bear_create_note | Create a note with title, body, tags, front matter |
bear_edit_note | Edit note body, append text, replace sections, manage front matter |
bear_trash_note | Move a note to trash |
bear_archive_note | Archive or unarchive a note |
bear_get_tags | List all tags with note counts |
bear_add_tag | Add a tag to a note |
bear_remove_tag | Remove a tag from a note |
bear_rename_tag | Rename a tag across all notes |
bear_delete_tag | Delete a tag from all notes |
bear_find_untagged | Find notes with no tags |
bear_attach_file | Attach images or files to a note |
bear_list_todos | List notes with incomplete TODOs |
bear_get_todos | Get all TODO items in a note |
bear_toggle_todo | Toggle a TODO item complete/incomplete |
bear_note_stats | Library statistics (counts, words, top tags) |
bear_find_duplicates | Find notes with duplicate titles |
bear_health_check | Diagnose library issues |
Context library
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
bear_context_setup | Initialize a context library (one-time) |
bear_context_sync | Sync qualifying Bear notes to the library |
bear_context_index | Get the index manifest + freshness metadata |
bear_context_fetch | Load specific files by path |
bear_context_search | Full-text search across all context files |
bear_context_add | Tag a Bear note for inclusion |
bear_context_remove | Untag and remove a note |
bear_context_status | Health stats, token counts, warnings |
How it works
This MCP server wraps bcli, a native macOS binary that talks to Bear's CloudKit container. The server communicates with MCP clients via stdio and spawns bcli commands for each operation.
Authentication tokens are stored locally in ~/.config/bear-cli/auth.json and automatically refreshed when expired.
Links
Privacy Policy
Better Bear does not collect, transmit, or store any personal data on external servers. Authentication tokens and note caches are stored locally on your machine. Network requests go only to Apple CloudKit (to access your notes), GitHub (for updates), and npm (for package resolution). See the full Privacy Policy.
License
MIT
Frequently asked questions
What is MCP Server?
Bear notes via CloudKit: CRUD, tags, TODOs, attachments, search, front matter, stats and health checks.
How do I install MCP Server?
Follow the installation steps in its documentation, shown on this page and in its repository.
Is MCP Server open source?
Yes. Its code is on GitHub under the MIT license.
Who maintains MCP Server?
It is published by KuvopLLC. AI.tn lists it but does not maintain or endorse it.
From the community awesome-mcp-servers lists and the project's GitHub repository. Listing is not an endorsement: review a server's code and permissions before giving it access to your data.