MCP Setup

idea.log · Model Context Protocol Server

idea.log ships with a bundled MCP server that lets any MCP-capable AI agent search, create, and update your ideas. This page is a complete setup guide for humans and a machine-readable install plan for coding agents.

Setting up with an AI coding agent?

Copy the prompt below and paste it into Claude Code, Cursor, or any agent that can fetch URLs. The agent will read the instructions below and walk you through installation.

Paste it into your agent and it will handle the rest.

Instructions for AI Coding Agents

You are an AI coding agent. The user wants to install the idea.log MCP server. Follow these steps exactly:

Verify the app is installed. Run ls /Applications/IdeaLog.app. If it does not exist, tell the user to install idea.log from the Mac App Store before continuing. Do not proceed until the app is installed.
Confirm the bundled MCP binary exists. Run ls "/Applications/IdeaLog.app/Contents/MacOS/idealog-mcp.app/Contents/MacOS/idealog-mcp". If missing, the user likely has an old build — ask them to update the app.
Detect the MCP client by asking the user which they use (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Zed). If unsure, default to Claude Desktop.
Install the server config using the appropriate method from the Client Instructions section below. Use this exact server definition:
```
{
  "command": "/Applications/IdeaLog.app/Contents/MacOS/idealog-mcp.app/Contents/MacOS/idealog-mcp",
  "args": []
}
```
Register it under the key idealog.
Restart the MCP client so it picks up the new server.
Verify by listing tools. The server exposes these tools: search_ideas, get_idea, create_idea, update_idea, add_comment, get_stats. Call get_stats — it should return the user's current idea counts.
If any step fails, read the Troubleshooting section and apply the relevant fix. Do not invent alternative paths.

What is idea.log MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that lets AI agents talk to local applications. idea.log bundles an MCP server inside its macOS app — no separate install, no npm, no Docker. Once connected, your coding agent can capture ideas mid-conversation, pull relevant past ideas as context, and log follow-up comments as you iterate.

Client Instructions

Claude Desktop

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config.
Merge the following into claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "idealog": {
      "command": "/Applications/IdeaLog.app/Contents/MacOS/idealog-mcp.app/Contents/MacOS/idealog-mcp",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

Save and fully quit Claude Desktop (⌘Q), then reopen it.
Look for the MCP icon in the message composer — idealog should appear in the server list.

Claude Code

Use the CLI:

claude mcp add idealog /Applications/IdeaLog.app/Contents/MacOS/idealog-mcp.app/Contents/MacOS/idealog-mcp

Restart your Claude Code session and run /mcp to verify.

Cursor

Open Cursor Settings → MCP → Add new MCP server.
Or edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json directly with the same JSON as the Claude Desktop block above.
Toggle the server on in Cursor Settings.

Windsurf / Zed / Other MCP Clients

Any client that supports stdio-transport MCP servers will work. Point it at the binary path and leave args empty.

Available Tools

search_ideas

Full-text search across your idea log. Optional tag filter.

get_idea

Fetch a single idea by ID with all metadata and comments.

create_idea

Capture a new idea with content, first step, and tags.

update_idea

Edit an existing idea's content, status, or first step.

add_comment

Append a timestamped comment to an existing idea.

get_stats

Total counts by status — good for verification.

Troubleshooting

"command not found" or ENOENT

The binary path is case-sensitive and must be exact. If you renamed the app or installed it outside /Applications, update the command field to the full path of the embedded idealog-mcp binary.

Server shows as "disconnected"

Launch idea.log once manually so macOS can register the App Group container. The MCP server reads from the same CloudKit-backed store and needs the container to exist.

No ideas returned but I know I have some

The MCP server reads local data only — it does not wait for CloudKit sync. Open idea.log, confirm the ideas are visible, then try again.

Permission / Gatekeeper warnings

The first launch of the embedded MCP binary may trigger Gatekeeper. Run open /Applications/IdeaLog.app/Contents/MacOS/idealog-mcp.app once and approve the dialog if it appears.