Openwhispr API

OpenWhispr API v1

Use this reference when making requests to the OpenWhispr REST API. All endpoints are under the V1 path and require API key authentication.

Authentication

Pass the API key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header on every request.

Authorization: Bearer owk_live_YOUR_KEY

There are two kinds of key:

• Personal keys (owk_live_) — access your own private notes, folders, and transcriptions. Generated under Settings > API Keys.
• Workspace keys (ow_wks_live_) — access a workspace's team spaces. Generated by a workspace admin under Settings > Workspace > Developer.

Both are shown once at creation.

Scopes

Each key has scoped permissions. The API rejects requests missing the required scope with 403 Forbidden.

Personal key scopes:

Workspace key scopes:

Any of the content scopes above also grants GET /spaces/list (space discovery).

Team spaces

A space is a shared container of notes and folders inside a workspace. Personal keys never see team-space content; workspace keys do, and always address one space at a time via a space_id:

• Discover the spaces a key can reach with GET /spaces/list.
• list, create, and search for notes and folders require a space_id (query param or body field) when called with a workspace key, and reject one when called with a personal key.
• Operations addressed by note id (GET/PATCH/DELETE /notes/{id}, GET /notes/{id}/transcript) resolve the note's space automatically — no space_id needed. A workspace key may act on any note in any of its workspace's spaces.
• space_id cannot be changed through the API — a note stays in the space it was created in. Move notes between spaces from the desktop app.

Base URL

https://api.openwhispr.com/api/v1

Response Envelope

Wrap all responses in a consistent envelope.

Single resource:

{ "data": { "id": "uuid", "title": "My note", ... } }

Paginated list:

{
  "data": [{ ... }, { ... }],
  "has_more": true,
  "next_cursor": "opaque-cursor-string"
}

Error:

{ "error": { "code": "not_found", "message": "Note not found" } }

Error Codes

Rate Limits

Enforced per API key with minute and daily windows. Search requests cost 5x against the rate limit.

Response headers on every request:

Pagination

List endpoints use cursor-based pagination. Treat next_cursor as an opaque string: pass it back verbatim as the cursor query parameter to fetch the next page — never parse it. (Notes cursors are base64url-encoded composites; transcription cursors are timestamps. Timestamp cursors issued before the composite format remain accepted.) When has_more is false, there are no more results. An unparseable cursor returns 400 validation_error.

GET /notes/list?limit=50&cursor=NEXT_CURSOR_FROM_PREVIOUS_RESPONSE

Endpoints

Spaces (workspace keys only)

List Spaces — GET /spaces/list Scope: any workspace content scope (workspace:notes:read/write, workspace:folders:read/write, or workspace:transcriptions:read). Returns the non-archived team spaces in the key's workspace (id, name, slug, description, emoji, created_at, updated_at). Use a returned id as the space_id on notes/folders requests.

Notes

List Notes — GET /notes/list

Get Note — GET /notes/{id} Scope: notes:read / workspace:notes:read. Returns 404 if the note does not exist or is deleted. A workspace key may fetch any note in its workspace's spaces.

Create Note — POST /notes/create

Update Note — PATCH /notes/{id}

Delete Note — DELETE /notes/{id} Scope: notes:write / workspace:notes:write. Soft-deletes the note. Returns 204 No Content.

Search Notes — POST /notes/search

Folders

List Folders — GET /folders/list

Create Folder — POST /folders/create

Transcriptions

List Transcriptions — GET /transcriptions/list

Get Transcription — GET /transcriptions/{id} Scope: transcriptions:read.

Usage

Get Usage — GET /usage Scope: usage:read. Returns:

• words_used — Words consumed this period
• words_remaining — Words left in quota
• limit — Total word quota
• plan — Current plan (free, pro, business)
• is_subscribed — Whether user has active subscription
• current_period_end — End of current billing period
• billing_interval — Billing cycle

MCP Server

For AI assistant integration (Claude, Cursor, VS Code), connect to the remote MCP server at:

https://mcp.openwhispr.com/mcp

Pass the API key via Authorization: Bearer header. All V1 endpoints are available as MCP tools. The server uses Streamable HTTP transport (stateless, no sessions).

Claude Code

claude mcp add openwhispr --transport http https://mcp.openwhispr.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer owk_live_YOUR_KEY"

Cursor / VS Code

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openwhispr": {
      "url": "https://mcp.openwhispr.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer owk_live_YOUR_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

Examples

List recent notes

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer owk_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  "https://api.openwhispr.com/api/v1/notes/list?limit=10"

Create a note in a folder

curl -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer owk_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"content": "Remember to review PR #42", "title": "TODO", "folder_id": "UUID"}' \
  https://api.openwhispr.com/api/v1/notes/create

Search notes

curl -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer owk_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"query": "quarterly budget discussion"}' \
  https://api.openwhispr.com/api/v1/notes/search

Paginate through all notes

cursor=""
while true; do
  response=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer owk_live_YOUR_KEY" \
    "https://api.openwhispr.com/api/v1/notes/list?limit=100&cursor=${cursor}")
  echo "$response" | jq '.data[]'
  has_more=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.has_more')
  [ "$has_more" != "true" ] && break
  cursor=$(echo "$response" | jq -r '.next_cursor')
done

Check usage

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer owk_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  https://api.openwhispr.com/api/v1/usage

Work with team spaces (workspace key)

# 1. Discover the spaces this workspace key can reach
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer ow_wks_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  https://api.openwhispr.com/api/v1/spaces/list

# 2. List notes in a space (space_id is required for workspace keys)
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer ow_wks_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  "https://api.openwhispr.com/api/v1/notes/list?space_id=SPACE_UUID&limit=50"

# 3. Create a note in that space
curl -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ow_wks_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"content": "Kickoff notes", "title": "Kickoff", "space_id": "SPACE_UUID"}' \
  https://api.openwhispr.com/api/v1/notes/create