Openzim MCP Server

Offline MCP access to ZIM knowledge archives — Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Stack Exchange, Kiwix.

Local serverstdio

What is the Openzim MCP server?

Connect Openzim to Claude, Cursor or any other MCP client and it stops being a tab you switch to. Offline MCP access to ZIM knowledge archives — Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Stack Exchange, Kiwix. The openzim mcp server is what makes that connection.

What the server does

Transform static ZIM archives into dynamic knowledge engines for AI models

  • 8-tool advanced surface — — zim_query, zim_search, zim_get, zim_get_section, zim_browse, zim_metadata, zim_links, zim_health. Down from 22; advanced-mode schema drops from ~36KB to ~23.5KB, clearing the MCP Tax pain band. API reference →
  • Streamable HTTP transport — — bearer-token auth, CORS, health endpoints, multi-arch Docker image. HTTP & Docker deployment →
  • Per-entry MCP resources + subscriptions — — zim://{name}/entry/{path} with native MIME types; clients subscribe and receive notifications/resources/updated when archives change. Resources, prompts & subscriptions →
  • Simple-mode zim_query — — one natural-language tool that dispatches to the right operation, tuned for small-model deployment targets. Quick start →
  • Native libzim introspection — — zim_health(zim_file_path=...) validates an archive's integrity (Archive.check() + checksum), and zim_metadata reports archive identity, full-text / title index capabilities, and an M/Counter mimetype breakdown. API reference →

Available tools

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

  • Per — entry MCP resources + subscriptions** — zim://{name}/entry/{path} with native MIME types; clients subscribe and receive
  • Simple — mode zim_query** — one natural-language tool that dispatches to the right operation, tuned for small-model deployment targets. [Quick start
  • Archive — type presets** — OpenZIM MCP detects the archive type (Wikipedia, Stack Exchange, and more) and auto-tunes retrieval and summarization for it — e.g
  • Group — Pages

Credentials and setup notes

Configuration is passed through the environment: OPENZIM_MCP_HOST, OPENZIM_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN, OPENZIM_MCP_PRESETS_OVERRIDE_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.

Installation

Installation goes through your MCP client rather than a global install: point it at @smithery/cli 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.

Where it fits

This sits in the cloud and infrastructure group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. Openzim's toolset — Per, Simple, Archive and 1 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by cameronrye; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

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

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.
  • 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
Perentry MCP resources + subscriptions** — zim://{name}/entry/{path} with native MIME types; clients subscribe and receive notifications/resources/updated when archives change. [Resources, prompts & subscriptions →](https:/
Simplemode zim_query** — one natural-language tool that dispatches to the right operation, tuned for small-model deployment targets. [Quick start →](https://cameronrye.github.io/openzim-mcp/docs/quick-start/)
Archivetype presets** — OpenZIM MCP detects the archive type (Wikipedia, Stack Exchange, and more) and auto-tunes retrieval and summarization for it — e.g. Stack Exchange dumps render as clean Q&A instead of vote-score noise. O
GroupPages

How to install the Openzim MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openzim": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@smithery/cli"],
      "env": {
        "OPENZIM_MCP_HOST": "your-value",
        "OPENZIM_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "OPENZIM_MCP_PRESETS_OVERRIDE_PATH": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
OPENZIM_MCP_HOSTEndpoint or connection string the server talks to.Optional
OPENZIM_MCP_AUTH_TOKENCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
OPENZIM_MCP_PRESETS_OVERRIDE_PATHFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use Openzim to Per.
  • Use Openzim to Simple.
  • Use Openzim to Archive.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Openzim to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 4 tools (Per, Simple, Archive, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Openzim directly.