Scrivener MCP

v1.3.2

MCP server for Scrivener. AI assistants can read, write, and organize Scrivener projects.

Overview

Scrivener MCP lets AI assistants work directly with your Scrivener projects. Read manuscripts, write content, organize documents, search across your project, and compile to PDF. Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and other MCP-compatible tools.

Features

Read & Write - Full access to manuscript content, notes, and synopses
Organize - Create, move, rename, and delete documents and folders
Search - Find content across your entire project with context
Compile - Export your manuscript to PDF directly from AI
Continuity Tools - Check character/setting consistency across your manuscript

Requirements

Node.js 18 or higher
Scrivener 3 (macOS or Windows)
An MCP-compatible AI client (Claude Desktop, ChatGPT Desktop, Cursor, etc.)

Installation

Option 1: npm (Recommended)

npm install -g @twelvetake/scrivener-mcp

Then add to your MCP client's configuration:

Claude Desktop

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scrivener": {
      "command": "scrivener-mcp"
    }
  }
}

ChatGPT Desktop

Settings → Beta features → Enable MCP servers, then add to config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scrivener": {
      "command": "scrivener-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Settings → Features → MCP Servers, or add to .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scrivener": {
      "command": "scrivener-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Other MCP Clients

For Windsurf, Continue, Zed, or any other MCP-compatible client, add the server to your client's MCP configuration. The standard format is:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scrivener": {
      "command": "scrivener-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Check your client's documentation for the config file location. Common paths:

Windsurf: ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json
Continue: ~/.continue/config.json
Zed: ~/.config/zed/settings.json

Option 2: From Source

git clone https://github.com/TwelveTake-Studios/scrivener-mcp.git
cd scrivener-mcp
npm install
npm run build

Then add to configuration with full path:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scrivener": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/full/path/to/scrivener-mcp/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Restart your AI client after configuration.

Quick Start

Once installed, try these commands with your AI assistant:

Open my Scrivener project at /path/to/mynovel.scriv

Show me the structure of my manuscript

Read Chapter 3

Create a new scene called "The Confrontation" in Chapter 5

Compile everything up to Chapter 7 into a PDF

Find all mentions of "Sarah" and check if her descriptions are consistent

Available Tools (22)

Project Management

Tool	Description
open_project	Open a Scrivener project (.scriv folder)
get_structure	Get the hierarchical structure of the project binder

Document Operations

Tool	Description
read_document	Read content from a document
write_document	Write/replace content in a document
append_to_document	Append content to end of document
create_document	Create new documents or folders
delete_document	Move documents to trash
move_document	Reorganize items in the binder
rename_document	Rename documents
batch_read	Read multiple documents at once

Synopsis & Notes

Tool	Description
read_synopsis	Read the synopsis (index card text)
write_synopsis	Write/update the synopsis
read_notes	Read inspector notes for a document
write_notes	Write/update inspector notes

Search

Tool	Description
search_content	Search across all documents
search_with_context	Search with surrounding paragraphs

Compile & Export

Tool	Description
get_compile_order	Preview what will be compiled
compile_manuscript	Export manuscript to PDF
set_include_in_compile	Toggle document's compile setting
word_count	Get word count for document or manuscript

Continuity Checking

Tool	Description
find_all_mentions	Find all sentences mentioning a term
compare_descriptions	Find descriptive sentences to check consistency

FAQ

Do I need to close Scrivener to use this?

Yes. Close Scrivener before using the MCP server to avoid file conflicts. The server modifies project files directly.

Is this affiliated with Literature & Latte?

No. This is an unofficial, third-party tool. Scrivener is a registered trademark of Literature & Latte Ltd.

What Scrivener versions are supported?

Scrivener 3 on macOS and Windows. The server parses the .scriv project format used by Scrivener 3.

Will this corrupt my project?

The server modifies the .scrivx binder file and RTF content files directly. Always keep backups of important projects. The write operations have been tested, but as with any tool that modifies files, backups are recommended.

Which AI clients work with this?

Any MCP-compatible client: Claude Desktop, ChatGPT Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, and others that support the Model Context Protocol.

How does compile work?

The compile_manuscript tool exports documents marked "Include in Compile" to PDF using pdfkit. It preserves bold, italic, and basic formatting. This is simpler than Scrivener's built-in compile but works directly from AI.

Changelog

v1.3.2

Added title/author to compile - compile_manuscript now accepts title and author parameters for cover page and PDF metadata.

v1.3.1

Fixed PDF compile formatting - proper paragraph spacing, text formatting (bold/italic), improved chapter titles.

v1.3.0

Added utility tools (word_count, append_to_document, batch_read, notes) and continuity tools (search_with_context, find_all_mentions, compare_descriptions). 22 tools total.

v1.2.0

Added compile features (get_compile_order, compile_manuscript) and synopsis tools.

v1.0.0

Initial release with 11 core tools. Custom RTF parser with formatting preservation.

Important Notes

Close Scrivener before using this server to avoid conflicts
Always keep backups of important projects
Only documents marked "Include in Compile" are included in PDF export
This is unofficial software, not affiliated with Literature & Latte

Questions or Issues?

Open an issue on GitHub or get in touch.

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