Summary
Connects Claude to your Bear notes library through CloudKit with 34 tools covering read, search, create, edit, tag, and attachment operations. Includes a context library feature that syncs notes tagged with #context into a curated folder structure following Karpathy's three-folder pattern: synced notes from Bear, external documents, and an inbox for triage. Claude navigates this via an index manifest instead of loading everything at once. The CLI handles authentication, setup, and standalone operations like appending text, managing tags, and attaching files. Installs as both an .mcpb bundle for Claude Desktop and stdio transport for Claude Code. Reach for this if you want your Bear library queryable and editable from Claude without manual export loops.
Keeps your Mac awake while Claude Code, Codex or Cursor works. Lets it sleep when they are done.
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Get the MCP →better bear
MCP server and CLI for Bear notes via CloudKit. Includes a context library — a curated, synced folder of notes optimized for LLM consumption, inspired by Karpathy's LLM Knowledge Base pattern.
Full docs: better-bear.com
Install
Install the CLI, then connect to Claude:
curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/KuvopLLC/better-bear/main/install.sh | bash
bcli auth
bcli mcp install
This installs the bcli binary, authenticates with iCloud, and sets up the MCP server for both Claude Desktop (via .mcpb bundle) and Claude Code.
Other install methods
| Method | Command |
|---|---|
| Claude Desktop only | bcli mcp install --desktop-only |
| Claude Code only | bcli mcp install --code-only |
| Claude Code (direct) | claude mcp add better-bear -- npx -y better-bear |
| Config file | bcli mcp install --json |
| .mcpb bundle | Download from latest release and double-click |
Manage
bcli mcp status # check what's configured
bcli mcp uninstall # remove from Claude Desktop and Claude Code
bcli mcp reinstall # clean uninstall + install
bcli upgrade # upgrade bcli binary
CLI
All commands also work standalone from the terminal:
bcli ls # list notes
bcli search "query" # full-text search
bcli create "Title" -b "Body" # create a note
bcli edit <id> --append "text" # append to a note
bcli tags # list all tags
bcli attach <id> photo.jpg # attach a file
bcli stats # library statistics
bcli health # health check
See better-bear.com for the full command reference.
Context Library
Turn a subset of your Bear notes into a synced, curated context folder that Claude can navigate using index-first retrieval. Tag notes with #context in Bear, sync, and Claude reads a compact index to find relevant files — loading only what it needs, not everything.
bcli context init # one-time setup
bcli context sync # pull qualifying notes
bcli context add <id> --subtag research # tag a note for inclusion
bcli context status # health check
Or tell Claude: "Set up a context library" — and it handles everything via MCP tools.
The architecture follows Karpathy's three-folder pattern: bear/ (synced from CloudKit), external/ (PDFs, exports, shared docs), and inbox/ (drop zone for triage). An index.md manifest maps everything. See better-bear.com for full documentation.
MCP Tools
34 tools covering notes, tags, TODOs, attachments, search, front matter, stats, health checks, and the context library. See the MCP server README for the full list.
Contributors
Featured
Keeps your Mac awake while Claude Code, Codex or Cursor works. Lets it sleep when they are done.
Try free for 7 days →Block distracting apps from your iPhone permanently without a 3rd party app. Free and open source.
Block now (100% free) →Notes, actions and memory. Without a meeting bot. First month 100% off.
Download for free →belt cli automatically finds the best tools and skills for your agent. image, video, music, tts...
one prompt install →Free an open-source skills that make AI coding agents easier to understand, verify, and control.
Download for free →Connect your Claude agent to live crypto prices and trading routes via 1inch
Get the MCP →Categories
Registryactive
Packagebetter-bear
TransportSTDIO
UpdatedApr 23, 2026
