Setting up
The RemNote desktop app includes a built-in MCP server that runs on your computer. Connecting it takes about a minute.
Open RemNote and copy the setup prompt.
Go to Settings > Desktop App > MCP Server, turn on Enable MCP server, and choose an access mode — Read only to start, or Read and write if you want your agent to create and edit notes too. Then click Copy MCP installation instructions for your agent. Keep RemNote open — your AI app needs it running to connect.
Open your AI app and paste the prompt.
Paste the prompt and send it. Your AI will read the instructions, write its own configuration, and confirm when it's done. The steps your AI takes will look different depending on which app you use, but your part is the same: paste and send.
Any desktop MCP client will work — for example, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Grok build, or ChatGPT Desktop app. Web-only AI apps (like chatgpt.com or claude.ai) can't connect, because the MCP server runs on your computer and is only reachable locally.
Example shown in Grok. Your steps are the same in any desktop MCP client.
Restart your AI app.
After restarting, RemNote will be available in every future conversation. Some AI apps also let you type
@RemNoteto bring your notes into a conversation directly — if your app doesn't mention this, just ask your questions normally.
That's it. There's nothing else to install or configure.
Keep your setup prompt private. It contains an access token — pasting it into an AI app gives that app access to read (and, depending on your access mode, modify) your current knowledge base. Don't share the prompt or commit it to a repository.
Super Private bullets are visible to a connected agent. If you keep anything in them you don't want an AI app to read, turn off the MCP server before working in that knowledge base.
What you can do with it
Here are a few ideas to get started:
With Read only:
"What did I write about the Krebs cycle?" — search and quote from your own notes instead of the internet.
"Summarize the PDF I have open" — your agent can read text from documents you've imported into RemNote.
With Read and write:
"Add a note to today's Daily Document that the exam moved to the 14th."
"Create a table comparing the three papers I read this week."
"Tag all the documents I edited yesterday with #Review."
Your agent can do more than this — just ask it what's available.
Good to know
One knowledge base at a time.
Your agent sees whichever knowledge base you currently have open.
You control the access level.
In Settings > Desktop App, you can choose between Read only (search and read) and Read and write (also create, edit, and tag notes). Start with Read only if you'd like to try it out safely.
What it can't do.
Your agent can't access your flashcard queue (no practicing, scheduling, or seeing what's due), can't read the contents of images in your notes, and doesn't work on mobile or in the web app.
Privacy.
The MCP server runs locally — requests don't go through RemNote's servers. But your AI app has its own privacy policy for anything it reads, just like with any other file on your computer. This is separate from RemNote's own AI features — the providers listed in Privacy of Your Notes are not involved, and turning off Use AI Features in Settings does not affect an MCP connection.
Can't connect?
The most common cause is that the RemNote desktop app isn't running. Your agent can only reach your notes while RemNote is open.
Disconnecting
Turn off Enable MCP server in Settings > Desktop App. The connection stops immediately. You can also remove the RemNote entry from your AI app's MCP server list to clean things up.