MCP Evernote Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides seamless integration with Evernote for note management, organization, and knowledge capture. Works with both Claude Code and Claude Desktop.

Version: 1.0.0
Release Date: August 29th, 2025

Installation Requirements

For Claude Desktop Users:

• OAuth Authentication Required: Yes, run the auth command once (prompts for API keys)
• Repository Download: No, you can use npx directly from npm
• API Credentials: The auth script will prompt you for your Evernote API keys
• Simple Setup: Just one command to authenticate and configure

For Claude Code Users:

• OAuth Authentication: Handled automatically via /mcp command
• Repository Download: Not required
• Setup: Single command installation

Current Status

✅ Working Features

• 🔐 OAuth Authentication - Interactive setup for Claude Desktop, automatic for Claude Code
• 📝 Note Operations
  • Create notes with plain text or markdown content
  • Read and retrieve note contents
  • Update existing notes
  • Delete notes
  • Automatic Markdown ↔ ENML conversion (GFM + local attachments)
• 📚 Notebook Management
  • List all notebooks
  • Create new notebooks
  • Organize with stacks
• 🏷️ Tag System
  • List all tags
  • Create new tags
  • Hierarchical tag support
• 🔍 Advanced Search - Full Evernote search syntax support
• 👤 User Info - Get account details and quota usage
• 🤖 Smart Setup - Interactive credential prompts and environment detection

Quick Start

Installation Methods

Option 1: Using NPX (No Installation Required)

The simplest way - no need to install anything globally:

# For Claude Desktop - Run authentication
npx -p @verygoodplugins/mcp-evernote mcp-evernote-auth

# For Claude Code - Just add the server
claude mcp add evernote "npx @verygoodplugins/mcp-evernote"

Option 2: Global Installation

Install once, use anywhere:

# Install globally
npm install -g @verygoodplugins/mcp-evernote

# For Claude Desktop - Run authentication
mcp-evernote-auth

# For Claude Code - Add the server
claude mcp add evernote "mcp-evernote"

Option 3: Local Development

For contributing or customization:

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/verygoodplugins/mcp-evernote.git
cd mcp-evernote
npm install

# Run setup wizard
npm run setup

Configuration

1. Get Evernote API Credentials

1. Visit Evernote Developers
2. Create a new application
3. Copy your Consumer Key and Consumer Secret

2. Authentication Options

Interactive Setup (Recommended)

The auth script will prompt you for credentials if not found:

# Run authentication - prompts for API keys if needed
npx -p @verygoodplugins/mcp-evernote mcp-evernote-auth

Environment Variables (Optional)

For automation, you can set credentials via environment variables:

# Create .env file (optional)
EVERNOTE_CONSUMER_KEY=your-consumer-key
EVERNOTE_CONSUMER_SECRET=your-consumer-secret
EVERNOTE_ENVIRONMENT=production  # or 'sandbox'
OAUTH_CALLBACK_PORT=3000        # Default: 3000

3. Configure Your Client

Quick Setup (Using NPX)

claude mcp add evernote "npx @verygoodplugins/mcp-evernote" \
  --env EVERNOTE_CONSUMER_KEY=your-key \
  --env EVERNOTE_CONSUMER_SECRET=your-secret

OAuth Authentication

1. In Claude Code, type /mcp
2. Select "Evernote"
3. Choose "Authenticate"
4. Follow the browser OAuth flow
5. Tokens are stored and refreshed automatically by Claude Code

Note: Claude Code handles OAuth automatically - no manual token management needed!

Step 1: Authenticate

Using NPX (no installation required):

npx -p @verygoodplugins/mcp-evernote mcp-evernote-auth

The auth script will:

1. Prompt for your API credentials (if not in environment)
2. Optionally save credentials for future use
3. Open your browser for OAuth authentication
4. Save the token to .evernote-token.json
5. Display the configuration to add to Claude Desktop

Or if installed globally:

mcp-evernote-auth

Step 2: Add to Configuration

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "evernote": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@verygoodplugins/mcp-evernote"],
      "env": {
        "EVERNOTE_CONSUMER_KEY": "your-consumer-key",
        "EVERNOTE_CONSUMER_SECRET": "your-consumer-secret",
        "EVERNOTE_ENVIRONMENT": "production"
      }
    }
  }
}

Or if installed globally:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "evernote": {
      "command": "mcp-evernote",
      "env": {
        "EVERNOTE_CONSUMER_KEY": "your-consumer-key",
        "EVERNOTE_CONSUMER_SECRET": "your-consumer-secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

Authentication Methods

1. Claude Code (Automatic)

Claude Code handles OAuth automatically via the /mcp command. Tokens are managed by Claude Code.

2. Claude Desktop (Manual)

Run npx -p @verygoodplugins/mcp-evernote mcp-evernote-auth to authenticate via browser. Token saved to .evernote-token.json.

3. Environment Variables (CI/CD)

EVERNOTE_ACCESS_TOKEN=your-token
EVERNOTE_NOTESTORE_URL=your-notestore-url

4. Direct Token (Advanced)

{
  "env": {
    "EVERNOTE_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your-access-token",
    "EVERNOTE_NOTESTORE_URL": "your-notestore-url"
  }
}

Available Tools

Markdown Support

This server automatically converts between Markdown and Evernote's ENML format:

• Create/update: Markdown input is rendered to ENML-safe HTML inside <en-note>.
  • GFM task lists - [ ] map to Evernote checkboxes <en-todo/>.
  • Checked tasks - [x] map to <en-todo checked="true"/>.
• • Local Markdown images/files (![alt](./path.png) or file://...) are uploaded as Evernote resources automatically.
• • Existing attachments are preserved by referencing evernote-resource:<hash> in Markdown.
• • Remote http(s) images remain links (download locally if you want them embedded).
• • Common Markdown elements (headings, lists, code blocks, tables, emphasis, links) are preserved.
• Retrieve: ENML content is converted back to Markdown (GFM), including task lists and attachments.
  • Embedded images become ![alt](evernote-resource:<hash>) and other files become [file](evernote-resource:<hash>) so you can round-trip them safely.

Limitations:

• Remote URLs are not fetched automatically; save them locally and reference the file to embed.
• Keep the evernote-resource:<hash> references in Markdown if you want existing attachments to survive edits.
• Some exotic HTML not supported by ENML will be sanitized/removed.

Note Operations

evernote_create_note

Create a new note in Evernote.

Parameters:

• title (required): Note title
• content (required): Note content (plain text or markdown)
• notebookName (optional): Target notebook name
• tags (optional): Array of tag names

Example:

Create a note titled "Meeting Notes" with content "Discussed Q4 planning" in notebook "Work" with tags ["meetings", "planning"]

evernote_search_notes

Search for notes using Evernote's search syntax.

Parameters:

• query (required): Search query
• notebookName (optional): Limit to specific notebook
• maxResults (optional): Maximum results (default: 20, max: 100)

Example:

Search for notes containing "project roadmap" in the "Work" notebook

evernote_get_note

Retrieve a specific note by GUID.

Parameters:

• guid (required): Note GUID
• includeContent (optional): Include note content (default: true)

Returned Markdown represents embedded resources with evernote-resource:<hash> URLs. Leave those references intact so attachments stay linked when you edit the note.

evernote_update_note

Update an existing note.

Parameters:

• guid (required): Note GUID
• title (optional): New title
• content (optional): New content
• tags (optional): New tags (replaces existing)

evernote_delete_note

Delete a note.

Parameters:

• guid (required): Note GUID

Notebook Operations

evernote_list_notebooks

List all notebooks in your account.

evernote_create_notebook

Create a new notebook.

Parameters:

• name (required): Notebook name
• stack (optional): Stack name for organization

Tag Operations

evernote_list_tags

List all tags in your account.

evernote_create_tag

Create a new tag.

Parameters:

• name (required): Tag name
• parentTagName (optional): Parent tag for hierarchy

Account Operations

evernote_get_user_info

Get current user information and quota usage.

evernote_revoke_auth

Revoke stored authentication token.

Search Syntax

Evernote supports advanced search operators:

• intitle:keyword - Search in titles
• notebook:name - Search in specific notebook
• tag:tagname - Search by tag
• created:20240101 - Search by creation date
• updated:day-1 - Recently updated notes
• resource:image/* - Notes with images
• todo:true - Notes with checkboxes
• -tag:archive - Exclude archived notes

Integration with Claude Automation Hub

This MCP server works seamlessly with the Claude Automation Hub for workflow automation:

// Example workflow tool
export default {
  name: 'capture-idea',
  description: 'Capture an idea to Evernote',
  handler: async ({ idea, category }) => {
    // The MCP server handles the Evernote integration
    return {
      tool: 'evernote_create_note',
      args: {
        title: `Idea: ${new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]}`,
        content: idea,
        notebookName: 'Ideas',
        tags: [category, 'automated']
      }
    };
  }
};

Memory Service Integration

To enable synchronization with MCP memory service:

1. Set the memory service URL in your environment:

MCP_MEMORY_SERVICE_URL=http://localhost:8765

2. Use the sync tools to persist important notes to memory:

Sync my "Important Concepts" notebook to memory for long-term retention

Troubleshooting

Authentication Issues

"Authentication required" error in Claude Desktop

This means you haven't authenticated yet. Run the authentication script:

npx -p @verygoodplugins/mcp-evernote mcp-evernote-auth

Or if installed globally:

mcp-evernote-auth

OAuth callback fails

If the OAuth callback doesn't work:

1. Make sure port 3000 is available (or set OAUTH_CALLBACK_PORT in .env)
2. Check your firewall settings
3. Try using a different browser

Token expired

If your token expires:

1. Delete .evernote-token.json
2. Run npx -p @verygoodplugins/mcp-evernote mcp-evernote-auth again
3. Restart Claude Desktop

Connection Errors

• Verify your API credentials are correct
• Check if you're using the right environment (sandbox vs production)
• Ensure your firewall allows the OAuth callback port

Rate Limiting

Evernote API has rate limits. If you encounter limits:

• Reduce the frequency of requests
• Use batch operations where possible
• Implement caching for frequently accessed data

Development

Building from Source

npm install
npm run build

Running in Development Mode

npm run dev

Testing

npm test

Linting

npm run lint
npm run format

Security

• OAuth tokens are stored locally in .evernote-token.json
• Never commit token files to version control
• Use environment variables for sensitive configuration
• Tokens expire after one year by default

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request

License

GPL-3.0 - See LICENSE file for details.

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues

Acknowledgments

• Built with Model Context Protocol SDK
• Powered by Evernote API
• Part of the Very Good Plugins ecosystem

Roadmap

Near Term

• [ ] Tag Management - Add/remove tags from existing notes
• [x] ENML ↔ Markdown Converter - Bidirectional conversion between Evernote's ENML format and Markdown
• [ ] Real-time Sync Hooks - Detect changes made via Evernote desktop/mobile apps
• [ ] Database Monitoring - Watch Evernote DB service for live updates

Future Enhancements

• [ ] Web clipper functionality
• [ ] Rich text editing support
• [ ] File attachment handling
• [ ] Shared notebook support
• [ ] Business account features
• [ ] Template system
• [ ] Bulk operations
• [ ] Export/Import tools
• [ ] Advanced filtering options
• [ ] Reminder management