Outline
Created 6 months ago
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server enabling AI assistants to interact with Outline.
What is Outline?
MCP Server to interact with [Outline](https://www.getoutline.com) knowledge base to search, read, create, and manage documents and their content, access collections, add comments, and manage document backlinks.
Documentation
MCP Outline Server
Overview
This project implements a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants (like Claude) to interact with Outline document services, providing a bridge between natural language interactions and Outline's document management capabilities.
Features
Currently implemented:
- Document Search: Search for documents by keywords
- Collection Management: List collections and view document structure
- Document Reading: Read document content, export as markdown
- Comment Management: View and add comments on documents
- Document Creation: Create new documents in collections
- Document Editing: Update document content and move documents
- Backlink Management: View documents that link to a specific document
Add to Cursor with Docker
We recommend running this python MCP server using Docker to avoid having to install dependencies on your machine.
- Install and run Docker (or Docker Desktop)
- Build the Docker image
docker buildx build -t mcp-outline . - In Cursor, go to the "MCP Servers" tab and click "Add Server"
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-outline": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"--init",
"-e",
"DOCKER_CONTAINER=true",
"-e",
"OUTLINE_API_KEY",
"-e",
"OUTLINE_API_URL",
"mcp-outline"
],
"env": {
"OUTLINE_API_KEY": "",
"OUTLINE_API_URL": ""
}
}
}
}
OUTLINE_API_URL is optional, defaulting to https://app.getoutline.com/api
- Debug the docker image by using MCP inspector and passing the docker image to it:
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector docker run -i --rm --init -e DOCKER_CONTAINER=true --env-file .env mcp-outline
Development# Prerequisites
- Python 3.10+
- Outline account with API access
- Outline API key (get this from your Outline account settings)
Installation
git clone https://github.com/Vortiago/mcp-outline.git
cd mcp-outline\n\n# Install in development mode
uv pip install -e ".[dev]"
Configuration
Create a .env file in the project root with the following variables:
OUTLINE_API_KEY=your_outline_api_key_here\n\n# For cloud-hosted Outline (default)\n\n# OUTLINE_API_URL=https://app.getoutline.com/api\n\n# For self-hosted Outline\n\n# OUTLINE_API_URL=https://your-outline-instance.example.com/api
Running the Server
mcp dev src/mcp_outline/server.py\n\n# Or use the provided script
./start_server.sh\n\n# Install in Claude Desktop (if available)
mcp install src/mcp_outline/server.py --name "Document Outline Assistant"
When running the MCP Inspector, go to Tools > Click on a tool > it appears on the right side so that you can query it.
Usage Examples# Search for Documents
Search for documents containing "project planning"
```\n\n### List Collections
```bash
Show me all available collections
```\n\n### Read a Document
```bash
Get the content of document with ID "docId123"
```\n\n### Create a New Document
```bash
Create a new document titled "Research Report" in collection "colId456" with content "# Introduction\n\nThis is a research report..."
```\n\n### Add a Comment
```bash
Add a comment to document "docId123" saying "This looks great, but we should add more details to the methodology section."
```\n\n### Move a Document
```bash
Move document "docId123" to collection "colId789"
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.
Development
uv run pytest tests/\n\n# Format code
uv run ruff format .
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
Acknowledgments
- Built with MCP Python SDK
- Uses Outline API for document management
Server Config
{
"mcpServers": {
"outline-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"outline"
]
}
}
}