ZettelkastenSAFE
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that implements the Zettelkasten knowledge management methodology, allowing you to create, link, explore and synthesize atomic notes through Claude and other MCP-compatible clients.
Overview
From the repository's own README, as read at the audited commit. Badges and raw HTML are left out.
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that implements the Zettelkasten knowledge management methodology, allowing you to create, link, explore and synthesize atomic notes through Claude and other MCP-compatible clients.
What is Zettelkasten?
The Zettelkasten method is a knowledge management system developed by German sociologist Niklas Luhmann, who used it to produce over 70 books and hundreds of articles. It consists of three core principles:
- Atomicity: Each note contains exactly one idea, making it a discrete unit of knowledge
- Connectivity: Notes are linked together to create a network of knowledge, with meaningful relationships between ideas
- Emergence: As the network grows, new patterns and insights emerge that weren't obvious when the individual notes were created
What makes the Zettelkasten approach powerful is how it enables exploration in multiple ways:
- Vertical exploration: dive deeper into specific topics by following connections within a subject area.
- Horizontal exploration: discover unexpected relationships between different fields by traversing links that cross domains.
This structure invites serendipitous discoveries as you follow trails of thought from note to note, all while keeping each piece of information easily accessible through its unique identifier. Luhmann called his system his "second brain" or "communication partner" - this digital implementation aims to provide similar benefits through modern technology.
Features
- Create atomic notes with unique timestamp-based IDs
- Link notes bidirectionally to build a knowledge graph
- Tag notes for categorical organization
- Search notes by content, tags, or links
- Use markdown format for human readability and editing
- Integrate with Claude through MCP for AI-assisted knowledge management
- Dual storage architecture (see below)
- Synchronous operation model for simplified architecture
Examples
- Knowledge creation: [A smal
f3ff5dfdeb47OBSERVED · 2026-10-06Connect
Built from this server's own package name, version and transport as found in its source — not copied from anyone's documentation, so it cannot drift against a page we do not control.
claude mcp add zettelkasten-mcp -- uvx zettelkasten-mcp
{
"mcpServers": {
"zettelkasten-mcp": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"zettelkasten-mcp"
]
}
}
}Exposed tools (14)
9 read · 3 write · 2 destructive. Blast radius: 2 tools can delete or overwrite — an agent that can be talked into calling a tool can be talked into calling this one.
| Tool | Risk | Description |
|---|---|---|
zk_create_link | write | Create a link between two notes. |
zk_create_note | write | Create a new Zettelkasten note. |
zk_delete_note | destructive | Delete a note. |
zk_find_central_notes | read | Find notes with the most connections (incoming + outgoing links). |
zk_find_orphaned_notes | read | Find notes with no connections to other notes. |
zk_find_similar_notes | read | Find notes similar to a given note. |
zk_get_all_tags | read | Get all tags in the Zettelkasten. |
zk_get_linked_notes | read | Get notes linked to/from a note. |
zk_get_note | read | Retrieve a note by ID or title. |
zk_list_notes_by_date | read | List notes created or updated within a date range. |
zk_rebuild_index | read | Rebuild the database index from files. |
zk_remove_link | destructive | Remove a link between two notes. |
zk_search_notes | read | Search for notes by text, tags, or type. |
zk_update_note | write | Update an existing note. |
Trust audit
SAFEgrade B · trust 89/100 Nothing in the source contradicts what it says it does. Grade A is reserved for packages that have also passed the behavioural sandbox.
| Layer | What it checks | Result |
|---|---|---|
| L0 | Provenance & inventory | PASS |
| L1 | Static analysis of the code | PASS |
| L2 | Instruction surface (what it tells the agent) | PASS |
| L3 | Class-specific surface | WARN |
| L4 | Behavioural (sandbox) | SKIPPED |
What the source does
- Filesystem
- declared (2 observation(s))
- Network
- none-observed
- Shell
- none-observed
- Dependencies
- pinned
- Secrets in source
- none-found
Findings (1)
zk_delete_note, zk_remove_link
Gates applied: no_behavioural_pass.
f3ff5dfdeb47full audit observations/trust-audit/mcp-server/entanglr__zettelkasten.json · Report an issue / request a re-scanAudit history
Every audit this server has had. A grade with a past is a grade somebody is still checking.
| Date | Source | Verdict | Grade | Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-06 | f3ff5dfdeb47 | SAFE | B | 89 | first audit |
Questions
What is the Zettelkasten MCP server?
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that implements the Zettelkasten knowledge management methodology, allowing you to create, link, explore and synthesize atomic notes through Claude and other MCP-compatible clients.
What tools does Zettelkasten expose?
14 in total: 9 read-only, 3 that write, and 2 that can delete or overwrite (zk_delete_note, zk_remove_link). Every one is listed on this page with its risk.
Is Zettelkasten safe to connect to an agent?
The audit found nothing in the source that contradicts what it says it does, and graded it B (89/100). Grade A is held back for packages that have also passed a sandboxed behavioural run, which is why a clean server reads B. Separately from the audit: 2 of its tools can destroy data, so scope the token you give it to what you actually need.
What credentials does Zettelkasten need?
No credential environment variables were found in its source, so it appears to need none.
How current is this page?
The grade is for one exact copy of the source (f3ff5dfdeb47), read on 2026-10-06. The repository is watched and re-audited when it changes.