io.github.mreider/better-bear
MCP server for Bear notes — read, search, create, edit, tag, and manage notes via CloudKit
Install
Add this to your client's MCP configuration (Claude Desktop: claude_desktop_config.json; Cursor: .cursor/mcp.json; VS Code and others use the same "mcpServers" shape).
better-bearclaude mcp add better-bear -- npx -y better-bear@0.4.21{
"mcpServers": {
"better-bear": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"better-bear@0.4.21"
]
}
}
}Documentation
From the project's README on GitHub, refreshed weekly. Links open on GitHub.
better bear
MCP server and CLI for Bear notes via CloudKit. Includes a context library — a curated, synced folder of notes optimized for LLM consumption, inspired by Karpathy's LLM Knowledge Base pattern.
Full docs: better-bear.com
Install
Install the CLI, then connect to Claude:
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 both Claude Desktop (via .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 |
Manage
bcli mcp status # check what's configured
bcli mcp uninstall # remove from Claude Desktop and Claude Code
bcli mcp reinstall # clean uninstall + install
bcli upgrade # upgrade bcli binaryCLI
All commands also work standalone from the terminal:
bcli ls # list notes
bcli search "query" # full-text search
bcli create "Title" -b "Body" # create a note
bcli edit <id> --append "text" # append to a note
bcli tags # list all tags
bcli attach <id> photo.jpg # attach a file
bcli stats # library statistics
bcli health # health checkSee better-bear.com for the full command reference.
Context Library
Turn a subset of your Bear notes into a synced, curated context folder that Claude can navigate using index-first retrieval. Tag notes with #context in Bear, sync, and Claude reads a compact index to find relevant files — loading only what it needs, not everything.
bcli context init # one-time setup
bcli context sync # pull qualifying notes
bcli context add <id> --subtag research # tag a note for inclusion
bcli context status # health checkOr tell Claude: "Set up a context library" — and it handles everything via MCP tools.
The architecture follows Karpathy's three-folder pattern: bear/ (synced from CloudKit), external/ (PDFs, exports, shared docs), and inbox/ (drop zone for triage). An index.md manifest maps everything. See better-bear.com for full documentation.
MCP Tools
34 tools covering notes, tags, TODOs, attachments, search, front matter, stats, health checks, and the context library. See the MCP server README for the full list.
Contributors
Frequently asked questions
What is io.github.mreider/better-bear?
MCP server for Bear notes — read, search, create, edit, tag, and manage notes via CloudKit
How do I install io.github.mreider/better-bear?
It runs on your machine. In Claude Code: claude mcp add better-bear -- npx -y better-bear@0.4.21. For other clients, paste the JSON configuration from this page into their MCP settings.
Does io.github.mreider/better-bear need an API key?
Its registry entry lists no required key or secret. Some features may still need an account with the service it connects to.
Is io.github.mreider/better-bear open source?
Yes. Its code is on GitHub under the MIT license.
Who maintains io.github.mreider/better-bear?
It is published by mreider. AI.tn lists it but does not maintain or endorse it.
From the official MCP Registry. Listing is not an endorsement: review a server's code and permissions before giving it access to your data.