Usage Guide

Running the Server

The simplest way to run Mousetail is:

uvx mousetail

This will start the MCP server using the latest version from PyPI.

Integrating with Claude

Claude Code (CLI)

1. Add the MCP server with user scope (available globally):

   claude mcp add --transport stdio --scope user anki -- uvx mousetail
   

   Flags explained:

   • --transport stdio: Specifies stdio communication

   • --scope user: Makes the server available in all Claude Code sessions (not just current project)

   • anki: The name you want to give this MCP server

   • --: Separates Claude Code flags from the server command

   • uvx mousetail: Runs the mousetail package from PyPI using uvx

2. Verify it’s configured:

   claude mcp list
   

3. Start using it in any Claude Code session:

   "List my Anki decks"
   "Create a flashcard in my Spanish deck"
   

That’s it! Claude Code will now have access to your Anki collections across all sessions.

Note: If you prefer to use pip instead of uvx, you can install with pip install mousetail and then add the server with:

claude mcp add --transport stdio --scope user anki -- python -m mousetail.mcp.stdio_server

Claude Desktop (GUI App)

For the Claude Desktop application:

1. Edit your Claude Desktop configuration file:

   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

   • Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add the MCP server configuration:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "anki": {
         "command": "uvx",
         "args": ["mousetail"]
       }
     }
   }
   

3. Restart Claude Desktop

   Close and reopen Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect.

4. Start Using!

   You can now ask Claude to interact with your Anki:

   "List my Anki decks"
   "Create a flashcard in my Spanish deck with 'Hola' on the front and 'Hello' on the back"
   "Search for all cards in my Physics deck that are tagged 'formulas'"
   

Example Use Cases

• Selectively commit what you learn in conversation with an LLM to memory.

  • “Create an anki deck based on our conversation”

  • “Create a card in the algebra deck”

• Use an LLM to interact with your deck.

  • “Work through the algebra deck with me”

Important Notes

How Collections Are Accessed

The MCP server finds Anki collections at their standard locations:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Anki2/[Profile]/collection.anki2

• Linux: ~/.local/share/Anki2/[Profile]/collection.anki2

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Anki2\[Profile]\collection.anki2

You don’t need to configure paths - the server automatically discovers available collections.

Configuration

Edit config.json to customize settings:

{
  "collection": {
    "auto_open_default": true,
    "default_path": null
  },
  "logging": {
    "level": "INFO",
    "file": null
  }
}