affine-mcp-server

# AFFiNE MCP Server A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates with AFFiNE (self‑hosted or cloud). It exposes AFFiNE workspaces and documents to AI assistants over stdio (default) or HTTP (`/mcp`). [](https://github.com/dawncr0w/affine-mcp-server/releases) [](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk) [](https://github.com/dawncr0w/affine-mcp-server/actions/workflows/ci.yml) [](LICENSE) <a href="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/@DAWNCR0W/affine-mcp-server"> <img width="380" height="200" src="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/@DAWNCR0W/affine-mcp-server/badge" alt="AFFiNE Server MCP server" /> </a> ## Overview - Purpose: Manage AFFiNE workspaces and documents through MCP - Transport: stdio (default) and optional HTTP (`/mcp`) for remote MCP deployments - Auth: Token, Cookie, or Email/Password (priority order) - Tools: 43 focused tools with WebSocket-based document editing - Status: Active > New in v1.7.0: Added remote HTTP MCP support (`/mcp`) with token/CORS controls, while retaining legacy SSE compatibility (`/sse`, `/messages`) for older clients. ## Features - Workspace: create (with initial doc), read, update, delete - Documents: list/get/read/publish/revoke + create/append/replace/delete + markdown import/export + tags (WebSocket‑based) - Database workflows: create database blocks, then add columns/rows via MCP tools - Comments: full CRUD and resolve - Version History: list - Users & Tokens: current user, sign in, profile/settings, and personal access tokens - Notifications: list and mark as read - Blob storage: upload/delete/cleanup ## Requirements - Node.js 18+ - An AFFiNE instance (self‑hosted or cloud) - Valid AFFiNE credentials or access token ## Installation ```bash # Global install (recommended) npm i -g affine-mcp-server # Or run ad‑hoc via npx (no install) npx -y -p affine-mcp-server affine-mcp -- --version ``` The package installs a CLI named `affine-mcp` that runs the MCP server over stdio. Note: From v1.2.2+ the CLI wrapper (`bin/affine-mcp`) ensures Node runs the ESM entrypoint, preventing shell from misinterpreting JS. ## Configuration ### Interactive login (recommended) The easiest way to configure credentials: ```bash npm i -g affine-mcp-server affine-mcp login ``` This stores credentials in `~/.config/affine-mcp/config` (mode 600). The MCP server reads them automatically — no environment variables needed. **AFFiNE Cloud** (`app.affine.pro`): you'll be prompted to paste an API token from Settings → Integrations → MCP Server. **Self-hosted instances**: you can choose between email/password (recommended — auto-generates an API token) or pasting a token manually. ``` $ affine-mcp login Affine MCP Server — Login Affine URL [https://app.affine.pro]: https://my-affine.example.com Auth method — [1] Email/password (recommended) [2] Paste API token: 1 Email: user@example.com Password: **** Signing in... ✓ Signed in as: User Name <user@example.com> Generating API token... ✓ Created token: ut_abc123... (name: affine-mcp-2026-02-18) Detecting workspaces... Found 1 workspace: abc-def-123 (by User Name, 1 member, 2/10/2026) Auto-selected. ✓ Saved to /home/user/.config/affine-mcp/config (mode 600) The MCP server will use these credentials automatically. ``` Other CLI commands: - `affine-mcp status` — show current config and test connection - `affine-mcp logout` — remove stored credentials ### Environment variables You can also configure via environment variables (they override the config file): - Required: `AFFINE_BASE_URL` - Auth (choose one): `AFFINE_API_TOKEN` | `AFFINE_COOKIE` | `AFFINE_EMAIL` + `AFFINE_PASSWORD` - Optional: `AFFINE_GRAPHQL_PATH` (default `/graphql`), `AFFINE_WORKSPACE_ID`, `AFFINE_LOGIN_AT_START` (set `sync` only when you must block startup) Authentication priority: 1) `AFFINE_API_TOKEN` → 2) `AFFINE_COOKIE` → 3) `AFFINE_EMAIL` + `AFFINE_PASSWORD` > **Cloudflare note**: `AFFINE_EMAIL`/`AFFINE_PASSWORD` auth requires programmatic access to `/api/auth/sign-in`. AFFiNE Cloud (`app.affine.pro`) is behind Cloudflare, which blocks these requests. Use `AFFINE_API_TOKEN` for cloud, or use `affine-mcp login` which handles this automatically. Email/password works for self-hosted instances without Cloudflare. ## Quick Start ### Claude Code After running `affine-mcp login`, add to your project's `.mcp.json`: ```json { "mcpServers": { "affine": { "command": "affine-mcp" } } } ``` No `env` block needed — the server reads `~/.config/affine-mcp/config` automatically. If you prefer explicit env vars instead of the config file: ```json { "mcpServers": { "affine": { "command": "affine-mcp", "env": { "AFFINE_BASE_URL": "https://app.affine.pro", "AFFINE_API_TOKEN": "ut_xxx" } } } } ``` ### Claude Desktop Add to your Claude Desktop configuration: - macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` - Windows: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` - Linux: `~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` ```json { "mcpServers": { "affine": { "command": "affine-mcp", "env": { "AFFINE_BASE_URL": "https://app.affine.pro", "AFFINE_API_TOKEN": "ut_xxx" } } } } ``` Or with email/password for self-hosted instances (not supported on AFFiNE Cloud — see Cloudflare note above): ```json { "mcpServers": { "affine": { "command": "affine-mcp", "env": { "AFFINE_BASE_URL": "https://your-self-hosted-affine.com", "AFFINE_EMAIL": "you@example.com", "AFFINE_PASSWORD": "secret!" } } } } ``` Tips - Prefer `affine-mcp login` or `AFFINE_API_TOKEN` for zero‑latency startup. - If your password contains `!` (zsh history expansion), wrap it in single quotes in shells or use the JSON config above. ### Codex CLI Register the MCP server with Codex: - With config file (after `affine-mcp login`): - `codex mcp add affine -- affine-mcp` - With API token: - `codex mcp add affine --env AFFINE_BASE_URL=https://app.affine.pro --env AFFINE_API_TOKEN=ut_xxx -- affine-mcp` - With email/password (self-hosted only): - `codex mcp add affine --env AFFINE_BASE_URL=https://your-self-hosted-affine.com --env 'AFFINE_EMAIL=you@example.com' --env 'AFFINE_PASSWORD=secret!' -- affine-mcp` ### Cursor Cursor also supports MCP over stdio with `mcp.json`. Project-local (`.cursor/mcp.json`) example: ```json { "mcpServers": { "affine": { "command": "affine-mcp", "env": { "AFFINE_BASE_URL": "https://app.affine.pro", "AFFINE_API_TOKEN": "ut_xxx" } } } } ``` If you prefer `npx`: ```json { "mcpServers": { "affine": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "-p", "affine-mcp-server", "affine-mcp"], "env": { "AFFINE_BASE_URL": "https://app.affine.pro", "AFFINE_API_TOKEN": "ut_xxx" } } } } ``` ### Remote Server If you want to host the server remotely (e.g., using Render, Railway, Docker, or a VPS) and connect via HTTP MCP (Streamable HTTP on `/mcp`) instead of local `stdio`, run the server in HTTP mode. #### Environment variables (HTTP mode) Required: - `MCP_TRANSPORT=http` - `AFFINE_BASE_URL` (example: `https://app.affine.pro`) - One auth method: - `AFFINE_API_TOKEN` (recommended), or `AFFINE_COOKIE`, or `AFFINE_EMAIL` + `AFFINE_PASSWORD` Recommended for remote/public deployments: - `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_HOST=0.0.0.0` - `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_TOKEN=<strong-random-token>` (protects `/mcp`, `/sse`, `/messages`) - `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_ALLOWED_ORIGINS=<comma-separated-origins>` (for browser clients) Optional: - `PORT` (defaults to `3000`; many platforms like Render inject this automatically) - `AFFINE_WORKSPACE_ID` - `AFFINE_GRAPHQL_PATH` (defaults to `/graphql`) - `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_ALLOW_ALL_ORIGINS=true` (testing only) ```bash # Export your configuration first export MCP_TRANSPORT=http export AFFINE_API_TOKEN="your_token..." export AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_HOST="0.0.0.0" # Default: 127.0.0.1 export AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_TOKEN="your-super-secret-token" export PORT=3000 # Start in HTTP mode (Streamable HTTP on /mcp) npm run start:http # OR manually: # MCP_TRANSPORT=http node dist/index.js # ("sse" is still accepted at /sse) ``` #### Recommended presets Local testing (HTTP mode): - `MCP_TRANSPORT=http` - `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_HOST=127.0.0.1` - `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_TOKEN=<token>` (recommended even locally) - `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_ALLOWED_ORIGINS=http://localhost:3000` (if testing from a browser app) Docker / container runtime: - `MCP_TRANSPORT=http` - `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_HOST=0.0.0.0` - `PORT=3000` (or container/platform port) - `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_TOKEN=<strong-token>` - `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_ALLOWED_ORIGINS=<your app origin(s)>` Render / Railway / VPS (public endpoint): - `MCP_TRANSPORT=http` - `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_HOST=0.0.0.0` - `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_TOKEN=<strong-token>` - `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_ALLOWED_ORIGINS=<your client origin(s)>` Endpoints currently available: - `/mcp` - MCP server (Streamable HTTP) - `/sse` - SSE endpoint (old protocol compatible) - `/messages` - Messages endpoint (old protocol compatible) ## Available Tools ### Workspace - `list_workspaces` – list all workspaces - `get_workspace` – get workspace details - `create_workspace` – create workspace with initial document - `update_workspace` – update workspace settings - `delete_workspace` – delete workspace permanently ### Documents - `list_docs` – list documents with pagination (includes `node.tags`) - `list_tags` – list all tags in a workspace - `list_docs_by_tag` – list documents by tag - `get_doc` – get document metadata - `read_doc` – read document block content and plain text snapshot (WebSocket) - `export_doc_markdown` – export document content as markdown - `publish_doc` – make document public - `revoke_doc` – revoke public access - `create_doc` – create a new document (WebSocket) - `create_doc_from_markdown` – create a document from markdown content - `create_tag` – create a reusable workspace-level tag - `add_tag_to_doc` – attach a tag to a document - `remove_tag_from_doc` – detach a tag from a document - `append_paragraph` – append a paragraph block (WebSocket) - `append_block` – append canonical block types (text/list/code/media/embed/database/edgeless) with strict validation and placement control (`data_view` currently falls back to database) - `add_database_column` – add a column to a database block (`rich-text`, `select`, `multi-select`, `number`, `checkbox`, `link`, `date`) - `add_database_row` – add a row to a database block with values mapped by column name/ID - `append_markdown` – append markdown content to an existing document - `replace_doc_with_markdown` – replace the main note content with markdown content - `delete_doc` – delete a document (WebSocket) ### Comments - `list_comments`, `create_comment`, `update_comment`, `delete_comment`, `resolve_comment` ### Version History - `list_histories` ### Users & Tokens - `current_user`, `sign_in`, `update_profile`, `update_settings` - `list_access_tokens`, `generate_access_token`, `revoke_access_token` ### Notifications - `list_notifications`, `read_all_notifications` ### Blob Storage - `upload_blob`, `delete_blob`, `cleanup_blobs` ## Use Locally (clone) ```bash git clone https://github.com/dawncr0w/affine-mcp-server.git cd affine-mcp-server npm install npm run build # Run directly node dist/index.js # Or expose as a global CLI for Codex/Claude without publishing npm link # Now use `affine-mcp` like a global binary ``` ## Quality Gates ```bash npm run build npm run test:tool-manifest npm run pack:check ``` - `tool-manifest.json` is the source of truth for publicly exposed tool names. - CI validates that `registerTool(...)` declarations match the manifest exactly. - For full tool-surface verification, run `npm run test:comprehensive`. - For full environment verification, run `npm run test:e2e` (Docker + MCP + Playwright). - Additional focused runners: `npm run test:db-create`, `npm run test:bearer`, `npm run test:playwright`. ## Troubleshooting Authentication - **Cloudflare (403 "Just a moment...")**: AFFiNE Cloud (`app.affine.pro`) uses Cloudflare protection, which blocks programmatic sign-in via `/api/auth/sign-in`. Use `AFFINE_API_TOKEN` instead, or run `affine-mcp login` which guides you through the right method automatically. Email/password auth only works for self-hosted instances. - Email/Password: only works on self-hosted instances without Cloudflare. Ensure your instance allows password auth and credentials are valid. - Cookie: copy cookies (e.g., `affine_session`, `affine_csrf`) from the browser DevTools after login - Token: generate a personal access token; verify it hasn't expired. Run `affine-mcp status` to test. - Startup timeouts: v1.2.2+ includes a CLI wrapper fix and default async login to avoid blocking the MCP handshake. Set `AFFINE_LOGIN_AT_START=sync` only if needed. Connection - Confirm `AFFINE_BASE_URL` is reachable - GraphQL endpoint default is `/graphql` - Check firewall/proxy rules; verify CORS if self‑hosted Method not found - MCP tool names (for example `list_workspaces`) are not JSON-RPC top-level method names. - Use an MCP client (`tools/list`, `tools/call`) instead of sending direct JSON-RPC calls like `{\"method\":\"list_workspaces\"}`. - From v1.3.0, only canonical tool names are exposed (legacy `affine_*` aliases were removed). Workspace visibility - This MCP server can access server-backed workspaces only (AFFiNE cloud/self-hosted). - Browser local-storage workspaces are client-side data, so they are not visible via server GraphQL/WebSocket APIs. ## Security Considerations - Never commit `.env` with secrets - Prefer environment variables in production - Rotate access tokens regularly - Use HTTPS - Store credentials in a secrets manager ## Version History ### 1.7.0 (2026‑02‑27) - Added Streamable HTTP MCP support on `/mcp` for remote hosting while keeping legacy SSE compatibility paths (`/sse`, `/messages`) - Added HTTP deployment controls: `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_HOST`, `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_TOKEN`, `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_ALLOWED_ORIGINS`, `AFFINE_MCP_HTTP_ALLOW_ALL_ORIGINS` - Added `npm run start:http` for one-command HTTP mode startup - Hardened HTTP request handling with explicit 50MB parser application and case-insensitive Bearer auth parsing - Expanded docs with remote deployment/security presets (Docker, Render, Railway, VPS) - Verified full release checks with `npm run ci`, `npm run test:e2e`, and `npm run test:comprehensive` ### 1.6.0 (2026‑02‑24) - Added 11 document workflow tools: tags (`list_tags`, `list_docs_by_tag`, `create_tag`, `add_tag_to_doc`, `remove_tag_from_doc`), markdown roundtrip (`export_doc_markdown`, `create_doc_from_markdown`, `append_markdown`, `replace_doc_with_markdown`), and database operations (`add_database_column`, `add_database_row`) - Added interactive CLI commands: `affine-mcp login`, `affine-mcp status`, `affine-mcp logout` - Added Docker + Playwright E2E pipeline and CI workflow for auth/database regression checks - Tool surface increased from 32 to 43 canonical tools - Added release test commands (`test:e2e`, `test:db-create`, `test:bearer`, `test:playwright`) and package dependencies for markdown conversion + Playwright ### 1.5.0 (2026‑02‑13) - Expanded `append_block` from Step1 to Step4 profiles: canonical text/list/code/divider/callout/latex/table/bookmark/media/embed plus `database`, `data_view`, `surface_ref`, `frame`, `edgeless_text`, `note` (`data_view` currently mapped to database for stability) - Added strict field validation and canonical parent enforcement for page/note/surface containers - Added local integration runner coverage for all 30 append_block cases against a live AFFINE server ### 1.4.0 (2026‑02‑13) - Added `read_doc` for reading document block snapshot + plain text - Added Cursor setup examples and troubleshooting notes for JSON-RPC method usage - Added explicit local-storage workspace limitation notes ### 1.3.0 (2026‑02‑13) - Added `append_block` for slash-command style editing (`heading/list/todo/code/divider/quote`) - Tool surface simplified to 31 canonical tools (duplicate aliases removed) - Added CI + manifest parity verification (`npm run test:tool-manifest`, `npm run ci`) - Added open-source community health docs and issue/PR templates ### 1.2.2 (2025‑09‑18) - CLI wrapper added to ensure Node runs ESM entry (`bin/affine-mcp`), preventing shell mis-execution - Docs cleaned: use env vars via shell/app config; `.env` file no longer recommended - MCP startup behavior unchanged from 1.2.1 (async login by default) ### 1.2.1 (2025‑09‑17) - Default to asynchronous email/password login after MCP stdio handshake - `AFFINE_LOGIN_AT_START` supports `sync` when you need blocking startup (default is non-blocking) - Expanded docs for Codex/Claude using npm, npx, and local clone ### 1.2.0 (2025‑09‑16) - WebSocket-based document tools: `create_doc`, `append_paragraph`, `delete_doc` (create/edit/delete now supported) - Tool aliases introduced at the time (`affine_*` + non-prefixed names). They were removed later to reduce duplication. - ESM resolution: NodeNext; improved build stability - CLI binary: `affine-mcp` for easy `npm i -g` usage ### 1.1.0 (2025‑08‑12) - Fixed workspace creation with initial documents (UI accessible) - 30+ tools, simplified tool names - Improved error handling and authentication ### 1.0.0 (2025‑08‑12) - Initial stable release - Basic workspace and document operations - Full authentication support ## Contributing Contributions are welcome! 1. Read `CONTRIBUTING.md` 2. Run `npm run ci` locally before opening PR 3. Keep tool changes synced with `tool-manifest.json` 4. Use issue/PR templates in `.github/` ## Community Health - Code of Conduct: `CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md` - Security policy: `SECURITY.md` - Contributing guide: `CONTRIBUTING.md` ## License MIT License - see LICENSE file for details ## Support For issues and questions: - Open an issue on [GitHub](https://github.com/dawncr0w/affine-mcp-server/issues) - Check AFFiNE documentation at https://docs.affine.pro ## Author **dawncr0w** - [GitHub](https://github.com/dawncr0w) ## Acknowledgments - Built for the [AFFiNE](https://affine.pro) knowledge base platform - Uses the [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) specification - Powered by [@modelcontextprotocol/sdk](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk)