The Heptabase MCP server is a Model Context Protocol service for interacting with Heptabase backup data, allowing you to:
Manage backups: Configure paths, list available backups, and load specific ones
Search: Find whiteboards and cards using keywords, tags, spaces, date ranges, or content types
Retrieve data: Access detailed whiteboard and card information, including content and relationships
Export: Convert whiteboards to Markdown, JSON, or HTML formats
Analyze: Examine card relationships, generate summaries, calculate graph metrics, and compare backups
Debug: Access troubleshooting information about the server
Spatial queries: Find cards within specified areas on whiteboards
@heptabase/mcp
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) service for interacting with Heptabase backup data. This service allows AI assistants like Claude to search, retrieve, analyze, and export Heptabase whiteboards and cards.
Features
🔍 Search whiteboards and cards
📁 Automatic backup file management
📄 Export to multiple formats (Markdown, JSON, Mermaid)
🔗 Analyze card relationships
📊 Generate whiteboard summaries
⚡ Smart caching for performance
Quick Start
Installation and Setup
Clone and install:
git clone <repository-url> cd heptabase-mcp npm installConfigure using environment variables:
cp .env.example .env # Edit .env with your actual pathsBuild the project:
npm run buildTest locally (optional):
npm start
Using with Claude Desktop
Configure Claude Desktop to use your local build:
Edit your Claude Desktop config file:
macOS:
~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows:
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Linux:
~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Add this configuration:
Important:
Replace
/path/to/node
with your Node.js path (find withwhich node
)Replace
/path/to/your/heptabase-mcp
with your actual project pathSet
HEPTABASE_BACKUP_PATH
to your Heptabase backup directory
See QUICK_START.md for detailed setup instructions.
Configuration
This project uses a privacy-safe configuration system:
Example files (safe for git):
claude-config-example.json
,.env.example
Personal files (gitignored):
claude-config-*personal*.json
,.env
See CONFIG.md for detailed configuration instructions.
Basic Usage
Available Tools
Backup Management
configureBackupPath
- Set backup directorylistBackups
- List available backupsloadBackup
- Load a specific backup
Search Operations
searchWhiteboards
- Search whiteboards by name or contentsearchCards
- Search cards across all whiteboards
Data Retrieval
getWhiteboard
- Get complete whiteboard datagetCard
- Get card content in multiple formatsgetCardContent
- Get card content as resource (bypasses size limits)getCardsByArea
- Find cards by position on whiteboard
Export Functions
exportWhiteboard
- Export to Markdown, JSON, HTML formatssummarizeWhiteboard
- Generate AI-powered summaries
Analysis Tools
analyzeGraph
- Analyze card relationships and connectionscompareBackups
- Compare different backup versions
Debug Tools
debugInfo
- Get system status and diagnostics
Development
Project Structure
Testing
Building
Documentation
📚 Complete Specification - Detailed API and architecture
🚀 Quick Start Guide - Get up and running fast
⚙️ Configuration Guide - Safe configuration practices
📖 Claude Desktop Setup - Local development setup
Privacy & Security
This project follows privacy-by-design principles:
✅ Personal paths are never committed to git
✅ Backup data stays local on your machine
✅ Configuration templates use safe placeholders
✅ Gitignore protects sensitive files
Requirements
Node.js 18+
Heptabase with backup exports enabled
Claude Desktop (for MCP integration)
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
"No backups found" - Check your
HEPTABASE_BACKUP_PATH
points to the correct directory"Command not found" - Ensure Node.js is installed and paths are correct
Claude doesn't see tools - Restart Claude Desktop completely after config changes
Build errors - Run
npm install
andnpm run build
before using
Debug Mode
Use the debugInfo
tool to check system status:
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please:
Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Make your changes
Add tests for new functionality
Ensure all tests pass
Submit a pull request
See SPECIFICATION.md for architecture details.
License
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.
Support
🐛 Bug reports: GitHub Issues
💬 Questions: GitHub Discussions
📧 Security issues: Please report privately
Made with ❤️ for the Heptabase community
local-only server
The server can only run on the client's local machine because it depends on local resources.
Tools
A Model Context Protocol service that allows AI assistants to search, retrieve, analyze, and export data from Heptabase backups.
- Features
- Quick Start
- Available Tools
- Development
- Documentation
- Privacy & Security
- Requirements
- Troubleshooting
- Contributing
- License
- Support
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