How do I install Thebrain?

Copy the stdio config for Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or VS Code on this page. It uses the publisher's install, not a PlugMCP proxy.

Does Thebrain need an API key?

The publisher lists these environment variables: THEBRAIN_API_KEY, THEBRAIN_BASE_URL, THEBRAIN_DATA_DIR, THEBRAIN_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE, THEBRAIN_EMBEDDING_MODEL, THEBRAIN_EMBEDDING_DTYPE, THEBRAIN_TIMEOUT_MS.

What transport does Thebrain use?

Thebrain runs locally over stdio.

When was Thebrain last checked?

Last checked 2026-11-10. MCP server for TheBrain 15: search by meaning, graph traversal and batch writes over the local API

Thebrain MCP server

Power your agent

Add this server

The publisher's own command. Not a PlugMCP endpoint.

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code Run on PlugMCP

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

Local command

npx -y [email protected]

Credentials from the publisher

THEBRAIN_API_KEY — Local API key from TheBrain: Settings > User > Local API Key
THEBRAIN_BASE_URL — Address of the local API. Default http://localhost:11522, then http://localhost:8001 for older TheBrain builds
THEBRAIN_DATA_DIR — Where semantic indexes are stored. Default ~/.thebrain-mcp
THEBRAIN_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE — Set to 1 to allow deleting thoughts. Deletion still requires human confirmation. Default 0
THEBRAIN_EMBEDDING_MODEL — Embedding model for semantic search. Default Xenova/multilingual-e5-small
THEBRAIN_EMBEDDING_DTYPE — Weight precision: fp32, fp16, q8 or q4. Default q8
THEBRAIN_TIMEOUT_MS — API request timeout in milliseconds. Default 30000

Claude Code has no install link for a local command. Copy the command below and run it in a terminal.

shClaude Code

1THEBRAIN_API_KEY=<secret> THEBRAIN_BASE_URL=<value> THEBRAIN_DATA_DIR=<value> THEBRAIN_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE=<value> THEBRAIN_EMBEDDING_MODEL=<value> THEBRAIN_EMBEDDING_DTYPE=<value> THEBRAIN_TIMEOUT_MS=<value> claude mcp add io.github.ybookoff-thebrain -- npx -y thebrain-mcp-server@0.3.0

Run in a terminal.

jsonClaude Desktop

1{2  "mcpServers": {3    "io.github.ybookoff-thebrain": {4      "command": "npx",5      "args": [6        "-y",7        "[email protected]"8      ],9      "env": {10        "THEBRAIN_API_KEY": "<secret>",11        "THEBRAIN_BASE_URL": "<value>",12        "THEBRAIN_DATA_DIR": "<value>",13        "THEBRAIN_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE": "<value>",14        "THEBRAIN_EMBEDDING_MODEL": "<value>",15        "THEBRAIN_EMBEDDING_DTYPE": "<value>",16        "THEBRAIN_TIMEOUT_MS": "<value>"17      }18    }19  }20}

claude_desktop_config.json

Local · npmPublisher installStep-by-step: add this in Claude

Remote URL or a command on your machine? How the two installs differ

Run on PlugMCP

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

A new server you create. It is not this listing's official endpoint. Use the publisher install when you want their URL and their credentials.

Launch

Server facts

Local

Transport: stdio
Version

Tools

No tool list yet. Remote servers get one after the first health check.

FAQ

Thebrain

Add this server

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

Server facts

Tools

Questions

How do I install Thebrain?

Does Thebrain need an API key?

What transport does Thebrain use?

When was Thebrain last checked?

Documentation