Audiobookshelf MCP Server

abs-mcp exposes safe, typed MCP tools and resources for agents that need to inspect Audiobookshelf libraries, diagnose scans, and optionally trigger bounded maintenance workflows.

Table of Contents

• Highlights

• Audiobook Organizer Compatibility

• AI Generated Comparison - Last updated 2026-06-22

• Quick Start

• MCP Surface

• Configuration

• Safety

• Installation

  • Client Configs

• Local Development

• Tests

• CI and Releases

• MCP Registry

Related MCP server: obx

Highlights

• Read-only by default; scan and cleanup tools require ABS_READ_ONLY=false.

• Ships as a local stdio MCP server from a single Go binary or Docker image, with optional Streamable HTTP mode for hosted or multi-client deployments.

• Supports env vars, Docker-style env files, extra headers, and custom TLS CA bundles.

• Includes source-backed Audiobookshelf API inventory resources and repeatable fixture tests.

• Publishes release binaries and a GHCR image suitable for official MCP Registry metadata.

Audiobook Organizer Compatibility

I built this MCP server to work especially well alongside jeeftor/audiobook-organizer. While it exposes the normal Audiobookshelf MCP tools for inspecting libraries, items, metadata, and server state, one of its most useful workflows is auditing whether books are actually organized the way you expect on disk.

The abs_find_misorganized_items tool checks Audiobookshelf item paths against supported folder layout conventions, including author/title and author/series/title structures. It is audit-only, so it reports likely misconfigured or misplaced books without moving or deleting files. That makes it a good companion to Audiobook Organizer: use this MCP server to identify layout problems from Audiobookshelf's perspective, then use Audiobook Organizer to clean up or standardize the underlying files.

AI Generated Comparison - Last updated 2026-06-22

This comparison is generated from public GitHub repository metadata, public project READMEs, registry/package searches, and this repository's current docs. It is descriptive rather than a recommendation.

Mutating versus non-mutating coverage:

• jeeftor/abs-mcp exposes read-only inspection, search, author, series, collection, current-user progress/bookmark/listening reads, backups, ereader device discovery, ebook send preview, metadata-object, layout-audit, resources, and prompts by default. Ebook device-send tools perform outbound delivery but do not mutate Audiobookshelf library, metadata, backup, progress, collection, or playlist state, so they remain usable in read-only mode. Scan, cleanup, cover, chapter, progress/bookmark writes, backup creation, metadata, and collection/playlist create/update/add/delete/remove tools can mutate Audiobookshelf state only when ABS_READ_ONLY=false; destructive operations also require exact confirmation strings.

• michaeldvinci/audiobookshelf-mcp exposes a broad management surface with read tools plus mutating operations such as library, collection, playlist, progress, and backup actions. No public README evidence was found for a global default read-only gate during this pass.

• sandymac/audiobookshelf-mcp is mostly read/query oriented, with optional progress and bookmark mutation tools that are disabled by default.

• sierikov/audiobookshelf-mcp presents a read-only browsing, search, progress, stats, author, series, and collection surface.

• ForceConstant/audiobookshelf_mcp appears to be generated from Audiobookshelf OpenAPI material; mutating coverage and safety gates were not determinable from the public README.

Sources checked in this pass:

• Public GitHub repositories: michaeldvinci/audiobookshelf-mcp, sandymac/audiobookshelf-mcp, sierikov/audiobookshelf-mcp, ForceConstant/audiobookshelf_mcp, and schmidt-software/mcp-audiobookshelf.

• Search checks for additional npm and PyPI packages did not surface a credible Audiobookshelf-specific MCP server beyond the GitHub targets above.

Weak or placeholder hits, such as schmidt-software/mcp-audiobookshelf, were excluded when no implementation or feature evidence was available.

Candidate gaps from this comparison

• Candidate: evaluate a bounded podcast workflow. Public peers expose podcast browsing or episode checks; this server currently has no dedicated podcast tools beyond generic item/library APIs.

• Candidate: evaluate library creation/update workflows. One public peer exposes library creation, but this remains an admin-level operation that would need source verification, fixture coverage, ABS_READ_ONLY=false, and destructive confirmations for any delete/remove path.

• Candidate: evaluate .mcpb desktop bundle packaging. One public peer ships Claude Desktop .mcpb bundles; this server currently publishes binaries, Docker/GHCR artifacts, and MCP Registry metadata instead.

• Existing candidate still relevant: #5 tracks Streamable HTTP transport support. Public peers show both HTTP/SSE and Streamable HTTP shapes, so the issue should be reconciled with the current optional Streamable HTTP implementation and any remaining hardening or documentation gaps.

Quick Start

Run a downloaded release binary over MCP stdio:

ABS_BASE_URL=http://localhost:13378 \
ABS_API_KEY=... \
ABS_READ_ONLY=true \
/path/to/abs-mcp

Or run the container image:

docker run --rm -i \
  -e ABS_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:13378 \
  -e ABS_API_KEY=... \
  -e ABS_READ_ONLY=true \
  ghcr.io/jeeftor/abs-mcp:0.5.0

For client-specific snippets, see Client Configs.

MCP Surface

Tools

The server exposes all registered tools in the README, grouped by whether they can change Audiobookshelf state.

Read-only and non-ABS-mutating tools:

• abs_health_check

• abs_list_libraries

• abs_get_library

• abs_list_library_items

• abs_get_library_item

• abs_search_library

• abs_search_ebooks

• abs_preview_ebook_device_send

• abs_get_library_stats

• abs_get_filter_data

• abs_list_library_authors

• abs_get_author

• abs_list_library_series

• abs_get_series

• abs_list_collections

• abs_get_collection

• abs_get_items_in_progress

• abs_get_listening_stats

• abs_list_listening_sessions

• abs_get_item_progress

• abs_list_bookmarks

• abs_list_backups

• abs_list_ereader_devices

• abs_send_ebook_to_device

• abs_send_ebook_by_query

• abs_get_item_metadata_object

• abs_find_misorganized_items

Implemented mutating tools:

• abs_scan_library

• abs_scan_library_and_wait

• abs_scan_item

• abs_update_item_metadata

• abs_update_item_progress

• abs_create_bookmark

• abs_update_bookmark

• abs_create_backup

• abs_update_item_cover

• abs_remove_item_cover

• abs_update_item_chapters

• abs_create_collection

• abs_update_collection

• abs_delete_collection

• abs_add_collection_item

• abs_remove_collection_item

• abs_create_playlist

• abs_update_playlist

• abs_delete_playlist

• abs_add_playlist_item

• abs_remove_playlist_item

• abs_remove_library_items_with_issues

Planned mutating tools advertised for discovery:

• abs_match_item

• abs_update_item_tracks

Tools that mutate Audiobookshelf state are blocked by default because ABS_READ_ONLY defaults to true. Scan tools, issue cleanup, cover updates, chapter updates, typed item metadata, current-user progress/bookmark writes, backup creation, and collection/playlist create, update, add-item, delete, and remove-item tools are implemented mutating operations. Ebook send-to-device delivery and guarded query-based device send only email an already-existing ebook file out; they create, change, or delete nothing on Audiobookshelf (library, metadata, backup, progress, collection, or playlist state), so they are allowed while read-only mode is enabled. Read-only here means "does not mutate Audiobookshelf state," not "produces no outbound side effect"; if you need to suppress device delivery entirely, do not configure an ereader device. Use abs_preview_ebook_device_send first for device-send UX: it is read-only, returns compact ebook candidates, sanitized device names, ready, the exact confirmation string when one ebook and one saved device name resolve, and nextTool for the send step. ABS still authorizes device access and delivery during the final device-send call. Remaining planned mutating tools, including item matching and item track updates, are advertised for discovery but return a not-implemented error after read-only checks until their ABS source and fixture behavior is verified.

Resources

• abs://server/info

• abs://libraries

• abs://libraries/{library_id}

• abs://libraries/{library_id}/items?limit=...&offset=...

• abs://libraries/{library_id}/stats

• abs://libraries/{library_id}/filterdata

• abs://items/{item_id}

• abs://items/{item_id}/metadata-object

• abs://api-inventory/current

• abs://fixture/status

Prompts

• abs_library_audit

• abs_scan_troubleshooting

• abs_api_update_review

See docs/tools.md for tool inputs, output shapes, mutation behavior, and common errors.

Configuration

Environment variables and env files are the preferred configuration paths for MCP clients, containers, and other launchers that inject secrets:

export ABS_BASE_URL=http://localhost:13388
export ABS_API_KEY=...
export ABS_READ_ONLY=true
export ABS_TIMEOUT=30s
export ABS_FIXTURE_DIR=test/abs
export ABS_EXTRA_HEADERS_FILE=/path/to/headers.json
export ABS_TLS_CA_CERT_FILE=/path/to/corporate-ca.pem
export ABS_TLS_INSECURE_SKIP_VERIFY=false
export ABS_TRANSPORT=stdio
export ABS_HTTP_ADDR=127.0.0.1:3333
export ABS_HTTP_PATH=/mcp
export ABS_HTTP_BEARER_TOKEN=

The server can load those same values from a Docker-style env file:

go run ./cmd/abs-mcp --env-file /path/to/.env

The server also accepts matching Cobra/Viper CLI flags. Precedence is explicit CLI flags, then process environment variables, then --env-file, then built-in defaults:

go run ./cmd/abs-mcp \
  --env-file /path/to/.env \
  --base-url http://localhost:13388 \
  --api-key ... \
  --read-only=true \
  --timeout 30s \
  --fixture-dir test/abs \
  --extra-headers-file /path/to/headers.json \
  --header 'CF-Access-Client-Id=...' \
  --header 'CF-Access-Client-Secret=...' \
  --tls-ca-cert-file /path/to/corporate-ca.pem \
  --transport stdio \
  --http-bearer-token ...

Prefer ABS_API_KEY and ABS_HTTP_BEARER_TOKEN over --api-key and --http-bearer-token outside short local debugging sessions so tokens do not land in shell history or process listings.

Use ABS_TRANSPORT=http or --transport=http to serve Streamable HTTP at http://<ABS_HTTP_ADDR><ABS_HTTP_PATH>. The default bind address is local-only. When ABS_HTTP_BEARER_TOKEN is set, HTTP clients must send Authorization: Bearer <token> to the MCP endpoint. This token protects the MCP HTTP endpoint and is separate from the upstream ABS_API_KEY sent to Audiobookshelf. For remote or multi-user access, put the server behind a TLS/authenticating reverse proxy such as Cloudflare Access / Zero Trust and keep Audiobookshelf credentials in environment variables or secret files, not URL query parameters.

ABS_EXTRA_HEADERS_FILE is optional. When set, it must point to a JSON object of string header names to string values, for example {"X-Corp-Trace":"trace-1"}. Authorization is rejected there; use ABS_API_KEY for Audiobookshelf authentication.

--env-file supports simple Docker-style dotenv lines such as KEY=value, KEY="value", KEY='value', blank lines, comments, and optional export prefixes. Unknown keys are ignored by the MCP server.

Use --header NAME=VALUE for quick local header injection. It is repeatable, and duplicate names override values from ABS_EXTRA_HEADERS_FILE. Prefer the file for secrets such as Cloudflare Access credentials because CLI flags can show up in shell history and process listings.

For private or corporate TLS certificates, prefer ABS_TLS_CA_CERT_FILE or --tls-ca-cert-file with a PEM CA bundle. Use ABS_TLS_INSECURE_SKIP_VERIFY=true or --tls-insecure-skip-verify only as a temporary fallback while fixing local trust.

Safety

abs-mcp defaults to read-only mode. With ABS_READ_ONLY=true, all mutating tools are blocked before making Audiobookshelf API calls.

These tools can mutate Audiobookshelf state and require ABS_READ_ONLY=false:

• abs_scan_library

• abs_scan_library_and_wait

• abs_scan_item

• abs_update_item_cover

• abs_remove_item_cover

• abs_update_item_chapters

• abs_update_item_metadata

• abs_update_item_progress

• abs_create_bookmark

• abs_update_bookmark

• abs_create_backup

• abs_send_ebook_to_device

• abs_send_ebook_by_query

• abs_match_item (planned; not implemented)

• abs_update_item_tracks (planned; not implemented)

• abs_create_collection

• abs_update_collection

• abs_delete_collection

• abs_add_collection_item

• abs_remove_collection_item

• abs_create_playlist

• abs_update_playlist

• abs_delete_playlist

• abs_add_playlist_item

• abs_remove_playlist_item

• abs_remove_library_items_with_issues

The item match and item track tools are stubs: they validate read-only mode, then return a clear not-implemented error until their Audiobookshelf source and Docker fixture behavior are verified.

abs_remove_library_items_with_issues also requires the exact confirmation string remove issues from <libraryId> and can check an expected issue count before it asks Audiobookshelf to remove missing or invalid items.

Future destructive tools should follow the same pattern: ABS_READ_ONLY=false must be necessary but not sufficient, and the tool should require an explicit confirmation input before deleting, removing, purging, replacing, overwriting, or broadly batch-mutating Audiobookshelf data.

The server requires an Audiobookshelf base URL and API key or bearer token. Prefer an Audiobookshelf API key with the least permissions needed for the tools you plan to expose. Bearer tokens, API keys, raw Authorization headers, and extra header values are not logged by this server. Authorization is rejected in ABS_EXTRA_HEADERS_FILE; use ABS_API_KEY for Audiobookshelf authentication.

Installation

Download a release archive from the GitHub releases page, unpack it, and point your MCP client at the abs-mcp binary. The server defaults to MCP over stdio, which remains the release and registry path.

For local development, you can also run the server from source:

go run ./cmd/abs-mcp

For local Streamable HTTP testing:

ABS_TRANSPORT=http \
ABS_HTTP_ADDR=127.0.0.1:3333 \
ABS_HTTP_PATH=/mcp \
ABS_HTTP_BEARER_TOKEN=dev-mcp-token \
go run ./cmd/abs-mcp

Point Streamable HTTP clients, including local tools such as Hermes or MCP Inspector, at http://127.0.0.1:3333/mcp. If ABS_HTTP_BEARER_TOKEN is set, configure the client to send the matching bearer token.

Client Configs

Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, and Windsurf all support stdio MCP servers with a command, arguments, and environment values. Use an absolute binary path and prefer env or --env-file for secrets.

Claude Desktop claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Audiobookshelf": {
      "command": "/path/to/abs-mcp",
      "args": [
        "--env-file",
        "/path/to/abs-mcp.env",
        "--extra-headers-file",
        "/path/to/cf-headers.json"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code:

claude mcp add Audiobookshelf /path/to/abs-mcp \
  -e ABS_BASE_URL=http://localhost:13378 \
  -e ABS_API_KEY=... \
  -e ABS_READ_ONLY=true

Cursor mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Audiobookshelf": {
      "command": "/path/to/abs-mcp",
      "env": {
        "ABS_BASE_URL": "http://localhost:13378",
        "ABS_API_KEY": "...",
        "ABS_READ_ONLY": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code MCP config:

{
  "servers": {
    "Audiobookshelf": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/path/to/abs-mcp",
      "env": {
        "ABS_BASE_URL": "http://localhost:13378",
        "ABS_API_KEY": "...",
        "ABS_READ_ONLY": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windsurf MCP config using an env file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Audiobookshelf": {
      "command": "/path/to/abs-mcp",
      "args": [
        "--env-file",
        "/path/to/abs-mcp.env"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Docker-based stdio config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Audiobookshelf": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e",
        "ABS_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:13378",
        "-e",
        "ABS_API_KEY",
        "-e",
        "ABS_READ_ONLY=true",
        "ghcr.io/jeeftor/abs-mcp:0.5.0"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ABS_API_KEY": "..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Run the container image directly:

docker run --rm -i \
  -e ABS_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:13388 \
  -e ABS_API_KEY=... \
  -e ABS_READ_ONLY=true \
  ghcr.io/jeeftor/abs-mcp:0.5.0

With Cloudflare Access headers and a corporate/private CA bundle:

docker run --rm -i \
  -e ABS_BASE_URL=https://abs.example.com \
  -e ABS_API_KEY=... \
  -e ABS_EXTRA_HEADERS_FILE=/run/secrets/abs-headers.json \
  -e ABS_TLS_CA_CERT_FILE=/run/secrets/corporate-ca.pem \
  -v /path/to/headers.json:/run/secrets/abs-headers.json:ro \
  -v /path/to/corporate-ca.pem:/run/secrets/corporate-ca.pem:ro \
  ghcr.io/jeeftor/abs-mcp:0.5.0

Build a local image:

make docker-build

Local Development

Bring up the repo-local Audiobookshelf fixture, scan the staged test media, build the MCP server, and write a local MCP client config:

make dev

That target leaves Audiobookshelf running on http://localhost:13388 and writes .mcp.dev.json. The generated config points at bin/abs-mcp, includes the fixture token from test/abs/.env.testing, sets ABS_READ_ONLY=true, and is gitignored.

Use this command when you need mutating scan tools enabled in a local client:

make mcp-dev-config-read-write

Stop the fixture when done:

make abs-dev-down

Install the local pre-commit hooks:

prek install
prek install --hook-type commit-msg

Run all hooks manually:

prek run --all-files

Tests

Run unit and protocol tests:

make test-unit

Run Docker-backed Audiobookshelf integration tests:

make abs-test-integration

The integration target resets and scans the repo-local ABS fixture before running tests.

Stop fixture containers when done:

make abs-dev-down

CI and Releases

GitHub Actions runs unit tests, Go package tests, a binary build, and a Docker image build on pushes and pull requests to master.

Tags matching v* publish release archives for Linux, macOS, and Windows on amd64 and arm64. The release workflow also publishes a multi-arch Docker image to ghcr.io/jeeftor/abs-mcp.

MCP Registry

This repository is prepared for the official MCP Registry using the OCI package path:

• Registry name: io.github.jeeftor/abs-mcp

• Package: ghcr.io/jeeftor/abs-mcp:<version>

• Registry transport: stdio

• Runtime transports: stdio by default; optional local Streamable HTTP with ABS_TRANSPORT=http

• Metadata file: server.json

The Docker image includes the required MCP ownership label io.modelcontextprotocol.server.name=io.github.jeeftor/abs-mcp.

On v* tags, the release workflow builds the immutable GHCR image tag, rewrites server.json to the tag version, authenticates to the MCP Registry with GitHub OIDC, and publishes with mcp-publisher. GitHub OIDC does not require a dedicated registry secret.

After the official registry entry is published, downstream aggregators can pick it up from the registry API. Glama is the next practical listing target. Smithery should wait until this project either ships an MCPB bundle for stdio distribution or has a hardened public Streamable HTTP deployment profile with documented external authentication.