Outline MCP Connector

Outline MCP Connector

Overview

This skill enables Claude to interact with Outline through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). It provides a bridge between Claude's AI capabilities and Outline's REST API, allowing natural language control of Outline operations, intelligent automation, and AI-powered assistance for Outline workflows.

When to Use This Skill

• Document creation and organization in collections
• Template management and content generation
• Search and knowledge retrieval
• Team and permission management
• API integration and webhook configuration

Architecture

┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐     ┌──────────────────┐
│   Claude     │────▶│   MCP Server    │────▶│   Outline          │
│   (Client)   │◀────│   (TypeScript)  │◀────│   (REST API      )│
└─────────────┘     └─────────────────┘     └──────────────────┘

Core Concepts

MCP Server Setup

The connector implements an MCP server that exposes Outline operations as tools Claude can invoke. The server translates natural language intentions into REST API calls.

Key Endpoints/Interfaces

/api/documents.create, /api/documents.search, /api/collections.list, /api/teams.info, /api/events.list

Implementation

// Outline MCP Server Implementation
import { McpServer } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/mcp.js";
import { StdioServerTransport } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/stdio.js";
import { z } from "zod";

const server = new McpServer({
  name: "outline-mcp-connector",
  version: "1.0.0",
});

// Tool: List/Query Resources
server.tool(
  "list_resources",
  "List and query Outline resources with optional filters",
  {
    query: z.string().optional().describe("Search query or filter"),
    limit: z.number().optional().describe("Max results to return"),
  },
  async ({ query, limit }) => {
    // Call Outline REST API
    const response = await fetch(`${BASE_URL}/api/documents.create`, {
      headers: { "Authorization": `Bearer ${API_KEY}` },
    });
    const data = await response.json();
    return {
      content: [{ type: "text", text: JSON.stringify(data, null, 2) }],
    };
  }
);

// Tool: Create Resource
server.tool(
  "create_resource",
  "Create a new resource in Outline",
  {
    name: z.string().describe("Resource name"),
    config: z.object({}).passthrough().optional().describe("Resource configuration"),
  },
  async ({ name, config }) => {
    const response = await fetch(`${BASE_URL}/api/documents.create`, {
      method: "POST",
      headers: {
        "Authorization": `Bearer ${API_KEY}`,
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({ name, ...config }),
    });
    const data = await response.json();
    return {
      content: [{ type: "text", text: `Created: ${JSON.stringify(data)}` }],
    };
  }
);

// Tool: Analyze/Report
server.tool(
  "analyze",
  "AI-powered analysis of Outline data",
  {
    type: z.string().describe("Analysis type"),
    timeframe: z.string().optional().describe("Time range for analysis"),
  },
  async ({ type, timeframe }) => {
    // Fetch data and provide AI analysis
    const response = await fetch(`${BASE_URL}/api/documents.create`, {
      headers: { "Authorization": `Bearer ${API_KEY}` },
    });
    const data = await response.json();
    return {
      content: [{ type: "text", text: JSON.stringify(data, null, 2) }],
    };
  }
);

// Start server
const transport = new StdioServerTransport();
await server.connect(transport);

Claude Desktop Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "outline-mcp-connector": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["path/to/outline-mcp-connector/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "OUTLINE_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
        "OUTLINE_BASE_URL": "https://your-instance-url"
      }
    }
  }
}

Best Practices

1. Authentication: Store API keys securely using environment variables; never hardcode credentials
2. Rate Limiting: Implement request throttling to respect Outline API rate limits
3. Error Handling: Provide clear, actionable error messages for common failure scenarios
4. Pagination: Handle paginated responses for large datasets efficiently
5. Caching: Cache frequently accessed read-only data to reduce API calls
6. Security: Validate all inputs before passing to the Outline API; sanitize outputs
7. Logging: Log all API interactions for debugging and audit purposes

Example Prompts

"Create a collection for Engineering RFCs with a template including Problem, Proposal, and Alternatives sections"

Security Considerations

• All API credentials must be stored as environment variables
• Implement input validation and sanitization for all tool parameters
• Use HTTPS for all API communications
• Follow the principle of least privilege for API token permissions
• Audit log all write operations for compliance tracking

Resources

• Outline Official Documentation
• MCP SDK Documentation: https://modelcontextprotocol.io
• MCP Server Examples: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers
• SkillGalaxy Repository: https://github.com/Sandeeprdy1729/skill_galaxy

Changelog

Part of SkillGalaxy - 10,000+ comprehensive skills for AI-assisted development.