The Pensieve MCP Server
LocalAbout The Pensieve MCP Server
The Pensieve MCP Server is a RAG-based knowledge management MCP server for people organizing and querying Markdown files. It retrieves relevant material with an LLM, synthesizes contextual answers, and exposes knowledge as resources with metadata.
Key features
- 01Store knowledge in Markdown files
- 02Expose resources through memory:// URIs
- 03Categorize and retrieve using metadata
- 04Ask questions in natural language
- 05LLM-based retrieval and answer synthesis
Use cases
- 01Query personal or team notes
- 02Find relevant details across categorized files
- 03Generate contextual answers from stored material
MCP support
The MCP server exposes knowledge resources through memory:// URIs and provides the ask_pensieve tool for natural-language queries from clients.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
We haven’t collected a package or remote endpoint for this server. Follow the instructions in the project README.
Tools
Local servers expose tools only once running on your machine, and the maintainer has not provided a tool list.
Details
From the project READMEThe Pensieve MCP Server
One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one's mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one's leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form.
This is a TypeScript-based MCP server that implements a RAG-based knowledge management system. It demonstrates core MCP concepts by providing:
- Resources representing stored knowledge with URIs and metadata
- Natural language interface for querying knowledge
- LLM-powered analysis and response synthesis
Features
Resources
- Access knowledge via
memory://URIs - Markdown files containing structured knowledge
- Metadata for categorization and retrieval
Tools
ask_pensieve- Query your stored knowledge- Takes natural language questions
- Uses LLM to analyze and retrieve relevant information
- Provides contextual answers based on stored knowledge
Development
Install dependencies:
npm install
Build the server:
npm run build
For development with auto-rebuild:
npm run watch
Knowledge Organization
Store your knowledge as markdown files in the root directory:
- Use clear categories in filenames (e.g.,
skills-javascript.md) - One topic per file
- Include relevant metadata (dates, sources, etc.)
- Use clear, well-structured content
Installation
To use with Claude Desktop, add the server config:
On MacOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
On Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"The Pensieve": {
"command": "/path/to/The Pensieve/build/index.js"
}
}
}
Debugging
Since MCP servers communicate over stdio, debugging can be challenging. We recommend using the MCP Inspector:
npm run inspector
The Inspector will provide a URL to access debugging tools in your browser.
async function handleQuestion(question: string) { // 1. Analyze question const analysis = await server.request(SamplingCreateMessageRequestSchema, { messages: [{ role: "user", content: { type: "text", text: question } }], systemPrompt: "You are the Pensieve. Analyze questions to determine what knowledge to retrieve.", includeContext: "none" });
// 2. Use existing RAG query (from our working code) const results = await ragPipeline.semanticSearch(analysis.content.text);
// 3. Compose response
const response = await server.request(SamplingCreateMessageRequestSchema, {
messages: [{
role: "user",
content: {
type: "text",
text: Answer using this knowledge: ${results.map(r => r.payload.full_text).join('\n')}
}
}],
systemPrompt: "You are the Pensieve. Provide clear answers based on stored knowledge.",
includeContext: "none"
});
return response.content.text; }
const documentGuide = `To prepare documents for the Pensieve:
- Place files in the root directory
- Use clear categories in filenames (e.g., skills-javascript.md)
- One topic per file
- Clear, well-structured content
- Include relevant metadata (dates, sources, etc.)`;
{ uri: "memory://knowledge/skills-javascript.md", mimeType: "text/markdown", // Since we're using markdown files name: "JavaScript Skills", description: "Knowledge about JavaScript development" }
Comments
New to MCP?
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