Handbook MCP Server

MCP server for the Handbook API – manage handbook entries via CRUD, overview and tag search.

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What is the Handbook MCP server?

Most developer tooling work still happens through a UI a human drives. Handbook MCP server moves it into the conversation instead. MCP server for the Handbook API – manage handbook entries via CRUD, overview and tag search.

The short version

Once the MCP server is connected, you can ask Claude things like:

Getting it running

Installation goes through your MCP client rather than a global install: point it at @ah-oh/handbook-mcp-server on npm and it is fetched when the client starts. The copy-paste blocks for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are further down this page.

What it needs from you

Configuration is passed through the environment: HANDBOOK_API_TOKEN, HANDBOOK_API_URL. 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.

  • Node.js >= 18 - Bearer Token for the Handbook API ---

Things to watch

  • 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.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

How it compares

Among the developer tooling 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. It is maintained by jannks; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

This entry was verified against Handbook's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.

How to install the Handbook MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "handbook": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/handbook-mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "HANDBOOK_API_TOKEN": "your-bearer-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

  • Node.js >= 18 - Bearer Token for the Handbook API ---
VariableDescriptionRequired
HANDBOOK_API_TOKENCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
HANDBOOK_API_URLEndpoint or connection string the server talks to.Yes

Frequently asked questions

It connects Handbook to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Handbook directly.