Bear Notes MCP MCP Server

MCP server for interfacing with Bear's SQLite database

Local serverstdioTypeScript

What is the Bear Notes MCP MCP server?

Connect Bear Notes MCP to Claude, Cursor or any other MCP client and it stops being a tab you switch to. MCP server for interfacing with Bear's SQLite database. The bear notes mcp mcp server is what makes that connection.

What the server does

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides Claude with comprehensive access to your Bear notes using a hybrid sync-safe approach - combining direct database reads with Bear's API for writes.

  • Maintainable code - Clear service boundaries and responsibilities
  • 100% test coverage - 384 tests across all services
  • Type safety - Eliminated 50+ any types
  • Performance optimized - Multi-level caching and query optimization
  • Production ready - Comprehensive logging, monitoring, and error handling
  • Sync-safe operations - Hybrid approach eliminates iCloud conflicts

Installation

npm on npm is all you need. Most clients run it directly, so configuration is a few lines and a restart.

Available tools

The toolset is worth reading before you wire it up, because it tells you what the integration is really for:

  • Organization — Browse by tags, analyze note relationships, get statistics
  • Organize — ✅ Via Bear API (sync-safe)
  • get_database_stats — Overview of your Bear database
  • get_notes — List notes with filtering options
  • get_note_by_id — Get specific note by ID
  • get_note_by_title — Find note by exact title
  • get_tags — List all tags with usage counts
  • get_notes_by_tag — Find notes with specific tag
  • get_notes_advanced — Complex filtering and sorting
  • get_notes_with_criteria — Multi-criteria search
  • search_notes_fulltext — Full-text search with relevance scoring
  • get_search_suggestions — Auto-complete for searches

Credentials and setup notes

Configuration is passed through the environment: BEAR_DB_PATH. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

  • Bear app installed on macOS - Claude Desktop app - Node.js 18+ installed

Worth knowing first

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • With 14 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch Bear Notes MCP.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Where it fits

Among the database access options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. Bear Notes MCP's toolset — Organization, Organize, get_database_stats and 11 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by bejaminjones; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

SyncDev reviews every entry in this directory against the project's own documentation before publishing, and revisits them as servers change.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
OrganizationBrowse by tags, analyze note relationships, get statistics
Organize✅ Via Bear API (sync-safe)
get_database_statsOverview of your Bear database
get_notesList notes with filtering options
get_note_by_idGet specific note by ID
get_note_by_titleFind note by exact title
get_tagsList all tags with usage counts
get_notes_by_tagFind notes with specific tag
get_notes_advancedComplex filtering and sorting
get_notes_with_criteriaMulti-criteria search
search_notes_fulltextFull-text search with relevance scoring
get_search_suggestionsAuto-complete for searches
find_similar_notesContent similarity matching
get_related_notesFind related notes by tags and content

How to install the Bear Notes MCP MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bear-notes": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "npm"],
      "env": {
        "BEAR_DB_PATH": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

  • Bear app installed on macOS - Claude Desktop app - Node.js 18+ installed
VariableDescriptionRequired
BEAR_DB_PATHFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use Bear Notes MCP to Organization.
  • Use Bear Notes MCP to Organize.
  • Use Bear Notes MCP to get database stats.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Bear Notes MCP to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 14 tools (Organization, Organize, get_database_stats, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Bear Notes MCP directly.