MCP Outline Server: AI Integration & Workflow Optimization

MCP Outline Server empowers AI assistants to seamlessly integrate with outline docs, streamlining workflows and boosting productivity—your ultimate tool for structured, smart collaboration.

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Users create an average of 39 projects per month with this tool

About MCP Outline Server

What is MCP Outline Server: AI Integration & Workflow Optimization?

MCP Outline Server acts as a bridge between AI assistants like Claude and the Outline document management platform. This tool leverages the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to enable seamless interactions between natural language commands and Outline’s robust document features. Think of it as a translator that lets your AI assistant perform tasks like searching documents, managing comments, or organizing content—all while keeping your workflow humming along.

How to Use MCP Outline Server: AI Integration & Workflow Optimization?

Getting started is straightforward. First, clone the GitHub repository and install dependencies. Configure your Outline API key in the .env file (remember self-hosted instances need a custom URL!). Once running, you can trigger actions via the MCP Inspector or integrate directly into tools like Claude Desktop. For example, say "Find all docs mentioning ‘Q4 goals’"—the server does the heavy lifting, returning results in seconds.

MCP Outline Server Features

Key Features of MCP Outline Server: AI Integration & Workflow Optimization?

Intuitive Search: Effortlessly search documents by keywords, saving hours of manual sifting.
Comment Mastery: Automate comment tracking and resolution across projects.
Structure Smarter: Organize documents into hierarchies or tag systems with AI assistance.
Lightning Workflows: Automate repetitive tasks like status updates or version checks.

Use Cases of MCP Outline Server: AI Integration & Workflow Optimization?

MCP Outline Server FAQ

FAQ from MCP Outline Server: AI Integration & Workflow Optimization?

Why use MCP over native Outline features? Adds AI-driven automation—imagine asking "summarize this document" instead of clicking menus.
Does it work with non-AI tools? Yep! The server exposes APIs for integration with any automation workflow.
How secure is my data? Relies on Outline’s existing authentication—no new data is stored here.
Can I customize commands? Absolutely! The open-source code lets you tweak triggers and responses to match your team’s jargon.

Content

MCP Outline Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server enabling AI assistants to interact with Outline (https://www.getoutline.com)

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

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Python 3.10+
Outline account with API access
Outline API key (get this from your Outline account settings)

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Vortiago/mcp-outline.git
cd mcp-outline

# Install in development mode
uv pip install -e ".[dev]"

Configuration

Create a .env file in the project root with the following variables:

# Outline API Configuration
OUTLINE_API_KEY=your_outline_api_key_here

# For cloud-hosted Outline (default)
# OUTLINE_API_URL=https://app.getoutline.com/api

# For self-hosted Outline
# OUTLINE_API_URL=https://your-outline-instance.example.com/api

Running the Server

# Development mode with the MCP Inspector
mcp dev src/mcp_outline/server.py

# Or use the provided script
./start_server.sh

# Install in Claude Desktop (if available)
mcp install src/mcp_outline/server.py --name "Document Outline Assistant"

Usage Examples

Search for Documents

Search for documents containing "project planning"

List Collections

Show me all available collections

Read a Document

Get the content of document with ID "docId123"

Create a New Document

Create a new document titled "Research Report" in collection "colId456" with content "# Introduction\n\nThis is a research report..."

Add a Comment

Add a comment to document "docId123" saying "This looks great, but we should add more details to the methodology section."

Move a Document

Move document "docId123" to collection "colId789"

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Development

# Run tests
uv run pytest tests/

# 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

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