readwise-mcp

What This Skill Does

The readwise-mcp skill integrates the Readwise Reader platform directly into the OpenClaw environment via the Model Context Protocol (MCP). It allows users to search, manage, and synchronize their reading list, highlights, and document metadata programmatically through the mcporter CLI. By bridging the gap between your local terminal and Readwise's cloud database, it turns your reading workflow into an automated data pipeline. Whether you are performing complex semantic searches across your highlights using vector search or organizing your reading queue with precise tagging and document movement tools, this skill provides a powerful programmatic interface to your knowledge base.

Installation

To begin, ensure you have the mcporter CLI installed and are within the root of your workspace. Run the following commands to register the server:

1. Add the configuration: mcporter config add readwise https://mcp2.readwise.io/mcp --auth oauth --description "Readwise MCP"
2. Trigger the authentication flow: mcporter auth readwise --reset
3. Follow the browser prompts to authorize access and return to the terminal.
4. Verify the connection: mcporter list readwise --output json

Use Cases

• Knowledge Retrieval: Perform semantic vector searches to find specific highlights across your library by topic or concept rather than just keywords.
• Content Curation: Automate the movement of documents between 'inbox', 'later', 'shortlist', and 'archive' statuses based on project-specific rules.
• Metadata Management: Batch edit metadata or add/remove tags from documents and highlights to keep your Readwise library clean and searchable.
• Exporting Content: Programmatically generate and manage exports of your Reader library for external backup or reporting purposes.

Example Prompts

1. "Connect Readwise to OpenClaw and verify the connection is active."
2. "Search my Readwise highlights for any notes related to the concept of 'incentives' and return the top 5 results."
3. "Move all documents currently tagged with 'AI' from my inbox to the shortlist in Readwise."

Tips & Limitations

When troubleshooting, remember that the most common failure point is the OAuth callback URL mismatch. Ensure your browser is not forcing an old port number if you have reset your configuration. If you encounter an 'Invalid OAuth state' error, clear your browser session or use a private window to re-authenticate. The tool relies on valid JSON for all arguments passed via --args, so always use single quotes to wrap your input strings to avoid shell parsing issues. Note that all operations are limited by your Readwise account API rate limits.