Outline MCP Server — Claude Code MCP server: Outline wiki access
Wires your assistant into Outline: search and read documents, create and edit pages, handle collections, comments and backlinks.
claude mcp add --env OUTLINE_API_KEY=<OUTLINE_API_KEY> --env OUTLINE_API_URL=<OUTLINE_API_URL> --transport stdio outline-mcp-server -- uvx mcp-outlineWhat Outline MCP Server does
The server exposes your Outline workspace to the agent over the API. It searches and reads documents, creates, edits and archives them, works with collections and page hierarchy, adds and reads comment threads, and finds documents that link to a given page. Content is also served through URIs like outline://document/{id} and outline://collection/{id}. API rate limits are handled internally with retries.
Install it with uvx or pip, or run the Docker image. Non-Docker setups need Python 3.10+. The key comes from the Outline web interface: profile, settings, API keys section. Tool calls fail without OUTLINE_API_KEY, so get the key before the first request. For a self-hosted instance set OUTLINE_API_URL; the default is https://app.getoutline.com/api.
Several switches change what the agent can do. OUTLINE_READ_ONLY blocks every write operation, OUTLINE_DISABLE_DELETE blocks only deletes, and OUTLINE_VERIFY_SSL=false is for self-signed certificates. On an Outline instance without OpenAI, set OUTLINE_DISABLE_AI_TOOLS. Installing the repo as a Claude plugin also brings the outline-explorer subagent for fast read-only wiki browsing and the outline skill with document conventions.
What it helps with
- find a wiki page without leaving the editor
- create an Outline document from a coding task
- edit an existing page on the agent's request
- pull the comment thread for a document
- see which documents link to a page
Example prompts for the agent
- Find the onboarding document in Outline and show its structure
- Create a page in the Engineering Notes collection describing this module
- Show the comments on
outline://document/{id}
How to install Outline MCP Server
Platform CLI
claude mcp add --env OUTLINE_API_KEY=<OUTLINE_API_KEY> --env OUTLINE_API_URL=<OUTLINE_API_URL> --transport stdio outline-mcp-server -- uvx mcp-outlineReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from mcp-outline <command>
Platform CLI
codex mcp add outline-mcp-server --env OUTLINE_API_KEY=<OUTLINE_API_KEY> --env OUTLINE_API_URL=<OUTLINE_API_URL> -- uvx mcp-outlineReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from mcp-outline <command>
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"outline-mcp-server": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"mcp-outline"
],
"env": {
"OUTLINE_API_KEY": "<OUTLINE_API_KEY>",
"OUTLINE_API_URL": "<OUTLINE_API_URL>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from mcp-outline <command>
Config file
{
"servers": {
"outline-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"mcp-outline"
],
"env": {
"OUTLINE_API_KEY": "<OUTLINE_API_KEY>",
"OUTLINE_API_URL": "<OUTLINE_API_URL>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from mcp-outline <command>
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e OUTLINE_API_KEY=<OUTLINE_API_KEY> -e OUTLINE_API_URL=<OUTLINE_API_URL> outline-mcp-server uvx mcp-outlineReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from mcp-outline <command>
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about Outline MCP Server
How do I install Outline MCP Server in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add mcp-outline -e OUTLINE_API_KEY=<OUTLINE_API_KEY> -- uvx mcp-outline. Replace the key with your own; tool calls need it.
What does Outline MCP Server do?
It connects the assistant to Outline: document search and reading, page creation and editing, collections, comments and backlinks.
What do I need before running it?
An Outline account and an API key from your profile settings. Non-Docker installs need Python 3.10+. For self-hosted Outline set OUTLINE_API_URL.
