Readwise MCP Server
Give your AI agent access to everything you've read — Readwise highlights and Reader docs, over MCP.
Updated
What is Readwise MCP?
The Readwise MCP server is a Model Context Protocol server that gives an AI agent direct access to everything you've read — your Readwise highlights and your Reader library of articles, books, and notes.
It is an official, fully hosted service run by Readwise at https://mcp2.readwise.io/mcp. There's nothing to install or self-host: you point an MCP-compatible client at that URL and authorize it through a browser OAuth flow against your Readwise account. Search combines full-text matching with semantic search, so an agent can surface relevant passages even when your query doesn't use the exact words you saved.
Beyond reading, the server can take actions on your behalf — creating highlights, tagging and moving Reader documents, and pulling your Daily Review — making your personal reading history available as live context to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT, and any other MCP client.
Tools the Readwise MCP server exposes
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| readwise_search_highlights | Search Readwise highlights with full-text and semantic matching. |
| readwise_list_highlights | List highlights from your Readwise library. |
| readwise_create_highlights | Create new highlights in Readwise. |
| readwise_update_highlight | Update an existing Readwise highlight. |
| readwise_delete_highlight | Delete a Readwise highlight. |
| readwise_get_daily_review | Retrieve your Readwise Daily Review highlights. |
| reader_search_documents | Search documents in your Reader library. |
| reader_list_documents | List documents in your Reader library. |
| reader_create_document | Save a new document to Reader. |
| reader_get_document_details | Get details for a specific Reader document. |
| reader_move_documents | Move Reader documents between locations (e.g., to archive). |
| reader_bulk_edit_document_metadata | Bulk-edit metadata across multiple Reader documents. |
| reader_export_documents | Export Reader documents. |
| reader_get_export_documents_status | Check the status of a Reader document export. |
| reader_list_tags | List tags used across your Reader library. |
| reader_add_tags_to_document | Add tags to a Reader document. |
| reader_remove_tags_from_document | Remove tags from a Reader document. |
| reader_get_document_highlights | Get highlights for a Reader document. |
| reader_create_highlight | Create a highlight on a Reader document. |
| reader_add_tags_to_highlight | Add tags to a Reader highlight. |
| reader_remove_tags_from_highlight | Remove tags from a Reader highlight. |
| reader_set_highlight_notes | Set or update notes on a Reader highlight. |
Connect the Readwise MCP server
Claude Code
- 1
Add the Readwise MCP server
Run: claude mcp add --transport http readwise https://mcp2.readwise.io/mcp
- 2
Authorize with Readwise
Start Claude Code and trigger a Readwise tool; you'll be redirected to Readwise to OAuth-authorize the connection.
- 3
Verify
Run /mcp in Claude Code to confirm the readwise server is connected, then ask the agent to search your highlights.
Cursor
- 1
Open MCP settings
In Cursor, go to Settings > MCP (or use the 'Add to Cursor' button on readwise.io/mcp).
- 2
Add the server
Add an HTTP MCP server named Readwise with URL https://mcp2.readwise.io/mcp
- 3
Authorize and verify
Authorize via the Readwise OAuth prompt in your browser, then confirm Readwise tools appear in Cursor's MCP tool list.
Sample use cases
Daily learning digest
An agent pulls your Daily Review and recent highlights to draft a summary of what to revisit.
Reader inbox triage
An agent lists new Reader documents, tags them by topic, and archives the ones already processed.
Research over your own reading
An agent answers questions using semantic search across your highlights instead of generic web knowledge.
Security & permissions
Authentication uses OAuth: when you add the server, you're redirected to Readwise to authorize the connection in a browser, and the agent acts on behalf of the authorizing Readwise account. The agent gains read and write access to your Readwise highlights and Reader library — it can search and list content, create and edit highlights, and tag, move, or archive Reader documents. Grant access only to clients and workflows you trust, since write tools can modify your library.
Using Readwise MCP with Gamut
In a Gamut agent workflow, Readwise becomes a connected tool that an agent calls on a schedule or in response to an event — Gamut manages the OAuth connection to https://mcp2.readwise.io/mcp so the agent can query your reading history or update your library without manual auth. For example, a daily-triggered agent can pull your Daily Review and search recent highlights to draft a learning digest, or an inbox-triage agent can list new Reader documents, tag them, and archive what's been processed. The agent only does what its prompt and the exposed tools allow, scoped to the Readwise account that authorized the connection.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Readwise MCP server?
It's the official, hosted Model Context Protocol server from Readwise at https://mcp2.readwise.io/mcp. It lets an MCP-compatible AI client like Claude, Cursor, or ChatGPT search and edit your Readwise highlights and Reader library directly.
Is the Readwise MCP server free?
The MCP server itself doesn't cost extra, but it requires a Readwise account. Readwise offers a 30-day free trial; after that, paid plans start at $9.99/month billed annually for the full plan including Reader. There is no permanent free tier.
How do I connect the Readwise MCP server to Claude Code or Cursor?
For Claude Code, run: claude mcp add --transport http readwise https://mcp2.readwise.io/mcp, then authorize via the Readwise OAuth prompt. For Cursor, add an HTTP MCP server with URL https://mcp2.readwise.io/mcp (or use the 'Add to Cursor' button on readwise.io/mcp) and authorize in the browser.
Is the Readwise MCP server hosted or self-hosted?
It's officially hosted by Readwise — there's nothing to install. The older self-hosted readwiseio/readwise-mcp project is deprecated in favor of the hosted server at https://mcp2.readwise.io/mcp.