What can you do with this server?

The Joplin MCP Server provides a comprehensive MCP (Model Context Protocol) interface for managing Joplin notes and notebooks. It enables you to: Read & Search * List complete notebook hierarchies * Search for notes using queries * Read individual notes or multiple notes at once * Read notebook contents Create Content * Create new notes with attributes like title, body, todo status, HTML body, parent notebook, and image data * Create new folders/notebooks with optional parent relationships Edit Content * Update existing notes (title, body, todo status, due date, completion status, parent notebook) * Edit folders/notebooks (title, parent folder) Delete Content * Delete notes and folders/notebooks (both require confirmation, with optional force deletion for folders) This server essentially provides full CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations for your Joplin workspace through a programmatic interface.

Which integrations are available for this server?

Enables loading configuration from environment files, supporting custom environment file paths for flexible configuration management. Provides tools for interacting with Joplin notebooks and notes, including listing notebooks, searching notes, reading notebook contents, and accessing individual or multiple notes with their full content. Server implementation is built on Node.js, allowing the MCP server to run in Node.js environments. Enables installation and execution via npm's package manager, supporting both local installation and execution via npx without installation.

How do I use joplin-mcp-server?

1. Click on "Install Server". 2. Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state. 3. In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@joplin-mcp-server find my meeting notes from last week" That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed. Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.

Joplin MCP Server

npm version License: MIT

A self-contained MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for Joplin. Bundles the Joplin Terminal CLI as a dependency — no desktop app, no global installs, no external processes to manage. Coexists with Joplin Desktop via automatic port negotiation.

Quick Start

npx joplin-mcp-server --token your_joplin_token

That's it. The server spawns its own Joplin Terminal instance (sidecar mode), syncs to your configured backend, and exposes your notes via MCP.

Related MCP server: MISP-MCP-SERVER

Architecture

Sidecar Mode (Default)

The server bundles joplin as an npm dependency and manages its own Joplin Terminal process. No Joplin desktop app needed — the sidecar handles everything: data storage, sync, and the REST API.

If Joplin Desktop is already running, the sidecar automatically finds a free port (scanning 41184-41193) and runs alongside it. Both instances stay in sync if configured with the same sync target.

# Basic usage — sidecar starts automatically
npx joplin-mcp-server --token your_token

# With cloud sync
npx joplin-mcp-server --token your_token \
  --sync-target joplin-cloud \
  --sync-username user@example.com --sync-password pass

# With filesystem sync (e.g. OneDrive folder)
npx joplin-mcp-server --token your_token \
  --sync-target filesystem \
  --sync-path /mnt/c/Users/you/OneDrive/Joplin

The Joplin CLI is resolved in this order: JOPLIN_CLI env var > node_modules/.bin/joplin (bundled) > global install > npx fallback.

Data is stored in ~/.config/joplin-mcp by default (separate from any desktop Joplin install).

External Mode

Connects to an existing Joplin instance instead of spawning a sidecar. Activated by setting JOPLIN_HOST or JOPLIN_PORT.

# Connect to Joplin desktop on another machine or Windows host
JOPLIN_HOST=192.168.0.40 JOPLIN_PORT=41184 npx joplin-mcp-server --token your_token

Configuration

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Default
`JOPLIN_TOKEN`	API token (required)	--
`JOPLIN_HOST`	Connect to existing Joplin at this host (skips sidecar)	--
`JOPLIN_PORT`	Connect to existing Joplin on this port (skips sidecar)	--
`JOPLIN_CLI`	Path to joplin CLI binary (overrides auto-detection)	--
`JOPLIN_PROFILE`	Joplin data directory for sidecar mode	`~/.config/joplin-mcp`
`JOPLIN_SYNC_TARGET`	Sync target type	`none`
`JOPLIN_SYNC_PATH`	Sync target URL/path	--
`JOPLIN_SYNC_USERNAME`	Sync username/email	--
`JOPLIN_SYNC_PASSWORD`	Sync password	--
`LOG_LEVEL`	Log level: debug, info, warn, error	`info`

Command Line Options

OPTIONS:
  --env-file <file>          Load environment variables from file
  --token <token>            Joplin API token
  --transport <type>         Transport type: stdio (default) or http
  --http-port <port>         HTTP server port (default: 3000, only with --transport http)
  --profile <dir>            Joplin data directory (default: ~/.config/joplin-mcp)
  --sync-target <type>       Sync target: none, filesystem, webdav, nextcloud,
                             joplin-cloud, joplin-server, s3, dropbox, onedrive
  --sync-path <url>          URL or path for sync target
  --sync-username <user>     Username/email for sync
  --sync-password <pass>     Password for sync
  --help, -h                 Show help message

Path Expansion

The --sync-path and --profile options support ~ and environment variable expansion for cross-platform compatibility:

# Tilde expands to home directory (Linux, macOS, Windows)
--sync-path ~/OneDrive/Apps/Joplin

# Environment variables (both forms supported)
--sync-path ${HOME}/OneDrive/Apps/Joplin
--sync-path $HOME/OneDrive/Apps/Joplin

# Windows example using USERPROFILE
--sync-path ${USERPROFILE}/OneDrive/Apps/Joplin

This works in MCP client configs (.mcp.json, Claude Desktop) where shell expansion isn't available.

WSL auto-detection: On WSL, if a ~/ path is empty or missing, the server automatically checks the corresponding Windows path at /mnt/c/Users/<user>/.... This means --sync-path ~/OneDrive/Apps/Joplin just works on WSL without needing the full /mnt/c/... path.

Sync Targets

Target	Required Options
`none`	(default, no sync)
`filesystem`	`--sync-path /path/to/dir`
`webdav`	`--sync-path <url>` `--sync-username` `--sync-password`
`nextcloud`	`--sync-path <url>` `--sync-username` `--sync-password`
`joplin-cloud`	`--sync-username` `--sync-password`
`joplin-server`	`--sync-path <url>` `--sync-username` `--sync-password`
`s3`	`--sync-path <bucket>` `--sync-username <access-key>` `--sync-password <secret-key>`
`dropbox`	(OAuth flow)
`onedrive`	(OAuth flow)

MCP Client Configuration

Claude Code

The repository includes a .mcp.json that works with Claude Code's env var expansion:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "joplin": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["dist/bin.js"],
      "env": {
        "JOPLIN_TOKEN": "${JOPLIN_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Set JOPLIN_TOKEN in your shell (add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc):

export JOPLIN_TOKEN="your_actual_token_here"

Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop does not support ${VAR} expansion. Provide values directly:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "joplin": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["joplin-mcp-server", "--token", "your_actual_token_here"]
    }
  }
}

With Sync (Claude Desktop)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "joplin": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "joplin-mcp-server",
        "--token",
        "your_token",
        "--sync-target",
        "filesystem",
        "--sync-path",
        "/path/to/sync/dir"
      ]
    }
  }
}

External Mode

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "joplin": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["joplin-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "JOPLIN_TOKEN": "your_actual_token_here",
        "JOPLIN_HOST": "192.168.0.40",
        "JOPLIN_PORT": "41184"
      }
    }
  }
}

Docker

docker build -t joplin-mcp .
docker run -e JOPLIN_TOKEN=your_token -p 3000:3000 joplin-mcp

WSL Setup

Running in WSL? The sidecar architecture makes this straightforward — no Windows port forwarding needed. The server auto-detects WSL and handles path resolution between Linux and Windows filesystems.

Filesystem Sync via OneDrive (Recommended)

Both your Windows Joplin desktop and the WSL sidecar sync to the same OneDrive folder. They see the same notes without needing to talk to each other directly.

# Uses ~/OneDrive — automatically resolves to /mnt/c/Users/YourName/OneDrive on WSL
npx joplin-mcp-server --token your_token \
  --sync-target filesystem \
  --sync-path ~/OneDrive/Apps/Joplin

# Or specify the Windows path explicitly
npx joplin-mcp-server --token your_token \
  --sync-target filesystem \
  --sync-path /mnt/c/Users/YourName/OneDrive/Apps/Joplin

In your Joplin desktop app, configure sync to the same OneDrive folder: Tools > Options > Synchronisation > File system > /Users/YourName/OneDrive/Apps/Joplin

Joplin Desktop coexistence: If Desktop is running on port 41184, the sidecar automatically uses the next available port. A warning is logged at startup reminding you that both instances use separate databases and need the same sync target to stay in sync.

Cloud Sync

Alternatively, both instances can sync to Joplin Cloud or any other cloud backend:

npx joplin-mcp-server --token your_token \
  --sync-target joplin-cloud \
  --sync-username user@example.com --sync-password pass

External Mode (Port Forwarding)

If you prefer to connect directly to Windows Joplin instead of running a sidecar:

On Windows (PowerShell as Administrator):

netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenport=41184 listenaddress=0.0.0.0 connectport=41184 connectaddress=127.0.0.1

In WSL:

JOPLIN_HOST=192.168.0.40 JOPLIN_PORT=41184 npx joplin-mcp-server --token your_token

Find your Windows IP with ipconfig on Windows or cat /etc/resolv.conf | grep nameserver from WSL.

Available Tools

Tool	Description
`list_notebooks`	Retrieve the complete notebook hierarchy
`search_notes`	Search for notes by query string
`read_notebook`	Read contents of a specific notebook
`read_note`	Read full content of a specific note
`read_multinote`	Read multiple notes at once
`create_note`	Create a new note
`create_folder`	Create a new notebook
`edit_note`	Edit an existing note
`edit_folder`	Edit an existing notebook
`delete_note`	Delete a note (requires confirmation)
`delete_folder`	Delete a notebook (requires confirmation)
`sync`	Trigger sync (auto-syncs every 5 min by default)

Development

pnpm install          # Install dependencies
pnpm build            # Build to dist/
pnpm test             # Run tests
pnpm validate         # Format + lint + typecheck + test + build
pnpm serve:dev        # Dev mode with hot reload (stdio)
pnpm serve:dev:http   # Dev mode with hot reload (HTTP)
pnpm inspect          # Build and open MCP Inspector

License

MIT

Install Server

security – no known vulnerabilities

license - permissive license

quality - confirmed to work

How are these scores calculated?

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joplin-mcp-server

Joplin MCP Server

Quick Start

Architecture

Sidecar Mode (Default)

External Mode

Configuration

Environment Variables

Command Line Options

Path Expansion

Sync Targets

MCP Client Configuration

Claude Code

Claude Desktop

With Sync (Claude Desktop)

External Mode

Docker

WSL Setup

Filesystem Sync via OneDrive (Recommended)

Cloud Sync

External Mode (Port Forwarding)

Available Tools

Development

License

Resources

Tools

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