Connect to Claude

Unmarkdown connects to Claude in two ways: through claude.ai in the browser (OAuth, no API key needed) and through Claude Desktop or Claude Code (local MCP server with an API key). Both give Claude access to the same 7 tools for managing documents, publishing, and converting markdown.

This is the simplest method. Claude handles authentication automatically via OAuth.

Steps

1. Open claude.ai and sign in
2. Click your profile icon in the bottom-left corner
3. Select Settings
4. Go to Integrations
5. Click Add More MCP Servers
6. Paste this URL:

https://unmarkdown.com/api/mcp

7. Click Add
8. You will be redirected to Unmarkdown to authorize the connection. Sign in (or create an account) and approve.
9. Claude now has access to your Unmarkdown documents and tools.

Try it

Once connected, ask Claude something like:

• "Create a document called 'Meeting Notes' in my Work folder and publish it with the executive template."
• "List the documents in my Projects folder."
• "Convert this markdown to Google Docs format using the Swiss template."

Claude Desktop connects via a local MCP server that runs on your machine. This requires an API key.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18 or later (for npx)
• An Unmarkdown account with an API key

Get an API key

1. Sign in at unmarkdown.com
2. Click your avatar in the top bar, then select Settings
3. Go to the API tab
4. Click Create API key
5. Copy the key (it starts with um_ and is shown only once)

Configure Claude Desktop

Open your Claude Desktop configuration file:

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

Add the Unmarkdown server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unmarkdown": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@un-markdown/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "UNMARKDOWN_API_KEY": "um_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace um_your_api_key_here with your actual API key.

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop. The Unmarkdown tools should appear in Claude's tool list.

Add Unmarkdown to Claude Code with a single command:

claude mcp add unmarkdown -- npx -y @un-markdown/mcp-server

Then set the API key:

export UNMARKDOWN_API_KEY="um_your_api_key_here"

Or add it to your shell profile (~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc, etc.) so it persists across sessions.

Once connected, Claude has access to these tools:

Create and publish a document

Claude will call create_document followed by publish_document and return the live URL.

Convert for a destination

Claude will call convert_markdown with destination: "google-docs" and return styled HTML ready to paste.

Organize with folders

Claude will call create_document with folder: "Team", then update_document with folder: "Archive" to move the older document. You can reference folders by name.

Manage your library

Claude will call list_documents, then update_document with the new content.

Claude says it can't find the Unmarkdown tools

• claude.ai: Check Settings > Integrations and verify Unmarkdown is listed. Try removing and re-adding the integration.
• Claude Desktop: Make sure the config JSON is valid (no trailing commas, correct nesting). Restart Claude Desktop after editing.

"Invalid API key" errors (Claude Desktop)

• Verify your API key starts with um_ and is 66 characters total
• Make sure there are no extra spaces or newline characters in the key
• Check that your key is active in Settings > API at unmarkdown.com

npx hangs or fails

• Make sure Node.js 18+ is installed: node --version
• Try installing globally instead: npm install -g @un-markdown/mcp-server, then use "command": "unmarkdown-mcp" (remove the args field)