Where do I obtain my Readwise Access Token?

You can quickly find or generate your specific access token by logging into your Readwise account and directly visiting `https://readwise.io/access_token`. Copy the alphanumeric token presented there and insert it directly into the prompt required by this integration.

Can the AI add native highlights or upload PDFs to Reader for me?

Currently, the integration server functions on a Read-Only standard format designed specifically to fetch existing knowledge. It fetches metadata or full-text values from highlights, tags, and Reader items, but it doesn't support publishing or updating new sources back to Readwise natively.

Does it also search through to my saved Readwise Reader feed?

Yes. Tools like `list_reader_documents` and `get_reader_document` are designated explicitly for extracting articles or stored reads directly residing inside your connected Readwise Reader account, keeping both typical highlights and Reader data separate but reachable.

Readwise MCP Server for Claude Desktop 6 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: Readwise
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

modelcontextprotocol.io/quickstart/user

Built by Vinkius GDPR 6 Tools IDE

Claude Desktop is Anthropic's native application for interacting with Claude AI models on macOS and Windows. It was the first consumer application to ship with built-in MCP support, making it the reference implementation for the Model Context Protocol standard.

Get MCP Server for AI Agents

ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Perplexity

Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

RecommendedModern Approach — Zero Configuration

Vinkius Desktop App

The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install Readwise and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

Download Free Open SourceNo signup required

Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "readwise": {
      // Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Fully ManagedVinkius Servers

60%Token savings

High SecurityEnterprise-grade

IAMAccess control

EU AI ActCompliant

DLPData protection

V8 IsolateSandboxed

Ed25519Audit chain

<40msKill switch

Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About Readwise MCP Server

Connect your Readwise account directly to your AI agent. Enabling this integration turns your AI into an expert research assistant, capable of instantly scanning your entire timeline of book highlights, article snippets, tweet saves, and personal tags directly from your unified Readwise and Readwise Reader library.

Claude Desktop is the definitive way to connect Readwise to your AI workflow. Add Vinkius Edge URL to your config, restart the app, and Claude immediately exposes all 6 tools in the chat interface. ask a question, Claude calls the right tool, and you see the answer. Zero code, zero context switching.

What you can do

Highlight Retrieval — Perform searches or bulk retrievals of every snippet, quote, or highlight you've ever saved from your Kindle, Apple Books, and web browsers.
Library Browsing — Ask your AI to list all the books, articles, and sources currently populated in your Readwise database.
Readwise Reader Documents — Full access to list and extract content directly from articles and feeds saved into your Readwise Reader app.
Tag Management Analysis — Retrieve the categorizations and tags you use to organize your knowledge base system.

The Readwise MCP Server exposes 6 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Claude Desktop in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect Readwise to Claude Desktop via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Readwise MCP Server with Claude Desktop.

Open Claude Desktop Settings

Go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config to open claude_desktop_config.json

Add the MCP Server

Paste the configuration above into the mcpServers section

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop to load the new server

Start using Readwise

Look for the 🔌 icon in the chat. your 6 tools are now available

Why Use Claude Desktop with the Readwise MCP Server

Claude Desktop by Anthropic provides unique advantages when paired with Readwise through the Model Context Protocol.

Claude Desktop is the reference MCP client. it was designed alongside the protocol itself, ensuring the most complete and stable MCP implementation available

Zero-code configuration: add a server URL to a JSON file and Claude instantly discovers and exposes all available tools in the chat interface

Claude's extended thinking capability lets it reason through multi-step tool usage, chaining multiple API calls to answer complex questions

Enterprise-grade security with local config storage. your tokens never leave your machine, and connections go directly to Vinkius Edge network

Readwise + Claude Desktop Use Cases

Practical scenarios where Claude Desktop combined with the Readwise MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Interactive data exploration: ask Claude to query DNS records, look up WHOIS data, and cross-reference results in a single conversation

Ad-hoc security audits: type a domain name and let Claude enumerate subdomains, check DNS history, and flag configuration anomalies. all through natural language

Executive briefings: generate comprehensive domain intelligence reports by asking Claude to compile findings into a formatted summary

Learning and training: new team members can explore API capabilities conversationally without needing to read documentation

Readwise MCP Tools for Claude Desktop (6)

These 6 tools become available when you connect Readwise to Claude Desktop via MCP:

check_auth_status

Verifies the validity of the Readwise access token

get_reader_document

Retrieves details for a specific Reader document

list_books

Lists all books and sources in Readwise

list_highlights

Lists all highlights from the user's Readwise account

list_reader_documents

Lists documents in the Readwise Reader

list_tags

Lists all tags used in Readwise

Example Prompts for Readwise in Claude Desktop

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Claude Desktop agent to start working with Readwise immediately.

"List the most recent 5 books I highlighted on Readwise."

"Show me the text of the recent document I saved to Reader with the ID 1234."

"Search my highlights for any mentions of 'productivity'."

Troubleshooting Readwise MCP Server with Claude Desktop

Common issues when connecting Readwise to Claude Desktop through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

Server not appearing after restart

Ensure the JSON is valid (no trailing commas). Check the file path: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\\Claude\\ (Windows).

Authentication error

Verify your Vinkius token is correct. Go to cloud.vinkius.com to regenerate it if needed.

Tools not showing in chat

Click the 🔌 icon at the bottom of the chat input. If it shows 0 tools, the server may still be connecting. wait a few seconds.

Readwise + Claude Desktop FAQ

Common questions about integrating Readwise MCP Server with Claude Desktop.

How does Claude Desktop discover MCP tools?

When Claude Desktop starts, it reads the claude_desktop_config.json file and connects to each configured MCP server. It calls the tools/list endpoint to fetch the schema for every available tool, then surfaces them as clickable options in the chat interface via the 🔌 icon.

What happens if the MCP server is temporarily unavailable?

Claude Desktop handles disconnections gracefully. if the server is unreachable at startup, the tools simply won't appear. Once the server becomes available again, restarting Claude Desktop will re-establish the connection. There is no timeout penalty or error loop.

Can I connect multiple MCP servers simultaneously?

Yes. You can add as many servers as you need in the mcpServers section of the config file. Each server appears as a separate tool provider, and Claude can use tools from multiple servers in a single conversation turn.

Is there a limit on the number of tools per server?

Claude Desktop can handle hundreds of tools per server. However, for optimal LLM performance, Vinkius servers are designed to expose focused, well-documented tool sets rather than overwhelming the model with too many options.

Does Claude Desktop support Streamable HTTP transport?

Yes. Claude Desktop supports both SSE (Server-Sent Events) and the newer Streamable HTTP transport that Vinkius uses. Simply provide the server URL. Claude auto-negotiates the transport protocol.