Readwise MCP Server

Readwise integration for Model Context Protocol - Access your highlights, books, and documents through MCP

Local serverstdioTypeScript

What is the Readwise MCP server?

If you already use Readwise, the readwise mcp server is the piece that lets your assistant work with it directly. Readwise integration for Model Context Protocol - Access your highlights, books, and documents through MCP.

What the server does

To install Readwise MCP for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

  • Books & Articles — Browse your collection of saved books and articles
  • Highlights — Access all your highlighted passages
  • Search — Find content across your entire Readwise library
  • Recent Content — Quickly retrieve your latest saved items
  • Tag Management — Organize and filter content with tags
  • Advanced Search — Powerful filtering by author, date, tags, and more

Installation

@smithery/cli 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:

  • get_highlights — Retrieve highlights with filtering and pagination
  • get_books — Get books from your library
  • get_documents — Get documents from your library
  • search_highlights — Search for highlights by query
  • get_tags — List all tags in your library
  • get_recent_content — Get recently saved content
  • advanced_search — Powerful multi-parameter search
  • search_by_tag — Find content by tags
  • search_by_date — Find content by date range
  • get_videos — List videos in your library
  • get_video — Get video details with transcript
  • create_video_highlight — Create highlight with timestamp

Credentials and setup notes

Configuration is passed through the environment: READWISE_API_KEY, YOUR_API_KEY. 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.

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 Readwise.
  • 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.

Where it fits

Plenty of developer tooling servers cover similar ground. The differences that matter in practice are scope of access and how much setup stands between you and a working tool call. Readwise's toolset — get_highlights, get_books, get_documents and 11 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by iamalexander; 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.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
get_highlightsRetrieve highlights with filtering and pagination
get_booksGet books from your library
get_documentsGet documents from your library
search_highlightsSearch for highlights by query
get_tagsList all tags in your library
get_recent_contentGet recently saved content
advanced_searchPowerful multi-parameter search
search_by_tagFind content by tags
search_by_dateFind content by date range
get_videosList videos in your library
get_videoGet video details with transcript
create_video_highlightCreate highlight with timestamp
get_video_highlightsGet all highlights for a video
update_video_positionSave playback position

How to install the Readwise MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "readwise": {
      "command": "readwise-mcp",
      "env": {
        "READWISE_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

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

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
READWISE_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
YOUR_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Readwise to get highlights.
  • Use Readwise to get books.
  • Use Readwise to get documents.

Frequently asked questions

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