Joplin MCP Server

FastMCP server exposing Joplin notes, notebooks, tags, and imports.

Local serverstdioPython

What is the Joplin MCP server?

Most developer tooling work still happens through a UI a human drives. Joplin MCP server moves it into the conversation instead. FastMCP server exposing Joplin notes, notebooks, tags, and imports.

The short version

This MCP server provides 26 optimized tools for comprehensive Joplin integration:

The tools it exposes

The server publishes 1 tool. What each one is for:

  • Build — The Build tool exposed by this server

Getting it running

The server ships on PyPI as joplin-mcp, so your MCP client can launch it on demand — there is no separate build step. Add the server block to your client's configuration, restart it, and the tools register themselves.

What it needs from you

Configuration is passed through the environment: JOPLIN_TOKEN, JOPLIN_NOTEBOOK_ALLOWLIST, JOPLIN_HOST, JOPLIN_PORT, JOPLIN_TIMEOUT, MCP_HTTP_COMPAT. 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.

How it compares

This sits in the developer tooling group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. Joplin's toolset — Build — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by alondmnt; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.

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.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
BuildThe Build tool exposed by this server.

How to install the Joplin MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "joplin": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["joplin-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "JOPLIN_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "JOPLIN_NOTEBOOK_ALLOWLIST": "your-value",
        "JOPLIN_HOST": "your-value",
        "JOPLIN_PORT": "your-value",
        "JOPLIN_TIMEOUT": "your-value",
        "MCP_HTTP_COMPAT": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
JOPLIN_TOKENCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
JOPLIN_NOTEBOOK_ALLOWLISTConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
JOPLIN_HOSTEndpoint or connection string the server talks to.Optional
JOPLIN_PORTConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
JOPLIN_TIMEOUTConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
MCP_HTTP_COMPATConfiguration value read at startup.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use Joplin to Build.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Joplin to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 1 tool (Build) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Joplin directly.