Linkwarden MCP

linkwarden-mcp

MCP server for self-hosted [Linkwarden](https://linkwarden.app/): ask your AI about bookmarks, collections, and tags.

What is Linkwarden?

Linkwarden is a self-hosted, open-source bookmark manager. You collect, organize, annotate, and preserve webpages in one place, with full-page archives so content stays readable after the original page disappears. It also supports collaboration and public sharing.

This project wires the Linkwarden HTTP API into the Model Context Protocol so Cursor, Claude, VS Code Copilot, and other MCP hosts can query your live library in natural language.

Useful Linkwarden links:

• Documentation
• GitHub
• Cloud
• Demo
• Self-hosting setup

What this server does

Default is read-only. You get:

• 18 read tools - discovery (list_resources), six core reads (search, get, preserved content, collections, tags, overview), and eleven triage/hygiene workflows
• Task tools (opt-in) - intent-shaped writes such as save_link, smart_save_link, organise_links, create_collection, apply_triage_plan (register when matching write scopes are set)
• Delete tools (opt-in) - delete_links, delete_tags, merge_tags, delete_collection (register only under delete scopes; never implied by write)
• Hard denylist - tokens, session, auth, user admin (except GET /api/v1/users/me), migration, and whole-instance preservation stay blocked even when writes are on

Transport is stdio. No HTTP server. No global install required if you use uv / uvx.

Branding / icons

Four surfaces (keep them in sync when the mark changes):

1. stdio hosts (Cursor, Claude Desktop via `mcp.json`): serverInfo.icons from server_icons() — embedded data URI from src/linkwarden_mcp/assets/icon.png, plus HTTPS fallback docs/icon-512.png (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/flumpiey/linkwarden-mcp/main/docs/icon-512.png). website_url is https://linkwarden.app/.
2. Cursor plugin: .cursor-plugin/plugin.json logo → docs/linkwarden-icon.svg.
3. Claude Desktop Extension: mcpb/icon.png (packed with npx @anthropic-ai/mcpb pack mcpb).
4. Claude.ai remote connectors: Claude.ai ignores serverInfo.icons and uses the root-domain favicon of the connector URL. If you host a remote MCP later, serve docs/favicon.ico at the registrable domain root (e.g. https://acme.com/favicon.ico for https://mcp.acme.com/...).

server.json registry metadata also points its icons[0].src at the same raw docs/icon-512.png URL.

Requirements

• Python ≥ 3.10 (pulled in automatically by uvx)
• uv (provides uvx)
• A reachable Linkwarden instance: LINKWARDEN_API_URL + LINKWARDEN_API_KEY

Access token

1. Sign in to your Linkwarden instance (self-hosted or Cloud).
2. Open Settings → Access Tokens (or go to /settings/access-tokens).
3. Create a New Access Token, give it a name, and copy the value into LINKWARDEN_API_KEY.
4. Set LINKWARDEN_API_URL to your instance base URL (usually without /api/v1; include /api/v1 only if your deployment requires it), e.g. https://links.example.com or local Docker http://127.0.0.1:3000.

linkwarden-mcp sends the token as Authorization: Bearer …. API overview: API Introduction.

Copy .env.example to .env for local runs — never commit `.env`. Prefer the Cursor plugin Configure UI for credentials, or a secret manager in production.

Quick start

Run the PyPI package with uvx:

uvx linkwarden-mcp

Paste a client config below, set LINKWARDEN_API_URL / LINKWARDEN_API_KEY, restart the host, then ask: *“Find my unread bookmarks about Python”* or *“What's in my Dev collection?”*

From a git clone (dev): uvx --from git+https://github.com/flumpiey/linkwarden-mcp linkwarden-mcp or uv run --directory /path/to/linkwarden-mcp linkwarden-mcp.

Installation

Configs below pull linkwarden-mcp from PyPI. Leave write-scope env vars unset for read-only.

Cursor

Plugin (Configure UI for URL, key, and scopes): this repo is a Cursor plugin via .cursor-plugin/plugin.json + root mcp.json.

1. Symlink or copy the clone to ~/.cursor/plugins/local/linkwarden-mcp (Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\plugins\local\linkwarden-mcp).

• macOS / Linux: ln -s /path/to/linkwarden-mcp ~/.cursor/plugins/local/linkwarden-mcp
• Windows: Cursor does not follow symlinks for local plugins. Use a junction or copy instead: bat mklink /J "%USERPROFILE%\.cursor\plugins\local\linkwarden-mcp" "E:\Development\linkwarden-mcp" or: bat robocopy "E:\Development\linkwarden-mcp" "%USERPROFILE%\.cursor\plugins\local\linkwarden-mcp" /E

1. Reload the window.
2. Open Plugins → Configure on linkwarden-mcp. Set Linkwarden API URL and Linkwarden API key. Leave Write scopes / Delete scopes empty for read-only, or paste a CSV such as links,collections.
3. Confirm the linkwarden MCP server is enabled under Customize / MCP.

Marketplace listing is a separate submit at cursor.com/marketplace/publish.

Manual `mcp.json`: project .cursor/mcp.json or user-wide ~/.cursor/mcp.json. Root mcp.json is plugin wiring with ${…} placeholders only — never commit real secrets there.

From PyPI:

{

"mcpServers": { "linkwarden": { "type": "stdio", "command": "uvx", "args": ["linkwarden-mcp"], "env": { "LINKWARDEN_API_URL": "https://links.example.com", "LINKWARDEN_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Local editable (dev):

{

"mcpServers": { "linkwarden": { "type": "stdio", "command": "uv", "args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/linkwarden-mcp", "linkwarden-mcp"], "env": { "LINKWARDEN_API_URL": "https://links.example.com", "LINKWARDEN_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Optional scoped writes in the env block:

"LINKWARDEN_MCP_WRITE_SCOPES": "links,collections",

"LINKWARDEN_MCP_DELETE_SCOPES": "links"

Restart Cursor after saving. Confirm linkwarden under MCP settings.

Claude Desktop

Desktop Extension (`.mcpb`): download mcpb.mcpb from GitHub Releases. Use v0.1.5+ (needs uv on PATH). Launch is uv tool run --python 3.12 linkwarden-mcp. Do not put the PyPI package in mcpb/pyproject.toml dependencies — Claude Desktop syncs that file at install and can fail on system Python 3.13.

1. Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Extensions.
2. Open Advanced settings → Install Extension…
3. Select mcpb.mcpb. Review permissions, enter Linkwarden API URL and Linkwarden API key, then click Install.
4. Leave Write scopes and Delete scopes empty for read-only.
5. Restart Claude Desktop if tools do not appear.

Build your own bundle from a clone:

npx @anthropic-ai/mcpb pack mcpb

On Windows, double-click often does nothing and dragging the file into chat attaches it to the conversation instead of installing it. Use Install Extension… in Settings.

Manual `claude_desktop_config.json` fallback: edit the Claude Desktop config, then restart the app.

{

"mcpServers": { "linkwarden": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["linkwarden-mcp"], "env": { "LINKWARDEN_API_URL": "https://links.example.com", "LINKWARDEN_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Local clone:

{

"mcpServers": { "linkwarden": { "command": "uv", "args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/linkwarden-mcp", "linkwarden-mcp"], "env": { "LINKWARDEN_API_URL": "https://links.example.com", "LINKWARDEN_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Claude Code

Add via CLI:

claude mcp add linkwarden --env LINKWARDEN_API_URL=https://links.example.com --env LINKWARDEN_API_KEY=your-token -- uvx linkwarden-mcp

Or edit ~/.claude.json / project MCP config:

{

"mcpServers": { "linkwarden": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["linkwarden-mcp"], "env": { "LINKWARDEN_API_URL": "https://links.example.com", "LINKWARDEN_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

VS Code / GitHub Copilot

Create .vscode/mcp.json in the project root:

{

"servers": { "linkwarden": { "type": "stdio", "command": "uvx", "args": ["linkwarden-mcp"], "env": { "LINKWARDEN_API_URL": "https://links.example.com", "LINKWARDEN_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Local editable:

{

"servers": { "linkwarden": { "type": "stdio", "command": "uv", "args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/linkwarden-mcp", "linkwarden-mcp"], "env": { "LINKWARDEN_API_URL": "https://links.example.com", "LINKWARDEN_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Reload the window. Open Copilot Chat and confirm the linkwarden tools are available.

Windsurf

Edit ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json (macOS/Linux) or the Windsurf MCP settings UI:

{

"mcpServers": { "linkwarden": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["linkwarden-mcp"], "env": { "LINKWARDEN_API_URL": "https://links.example.com", "LINKWARDEN_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Restart Windsurf after saving.

Zed

Add under context_servers in Zed settings.json (Agent Panel → settings also works):

{

"context_servers": { "linkwarden": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["linkwarden-mcp"], "env": { "LINKWARDEN_API_URL": "https://links.example.com", "LINKWARDEN_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Cline </sum