Screenpipe MCP

Local-first workflow memory for AI agents: screenpipe captures selected screen, audio, app and meeting context on-device 24/7, then exposes that searchable history to Claude, Codex, Cursor and other MCP clients through an MCP server and local API. YC S26 company, 21,000+ GitHub stars, and raw history stays local by default. The local MCP server queries the screenpipe API at localhost:3030; configured cloud AI, transcription, sync, integrations and connected AI clients can transmit context off-device.

Server type: stdio via npm (local API at localhost:3030), optional HTTP wrapper
Auth: Screenpipe local API authentication; configure SCREENPIPE_LOCAL_API_KEY
Install: desktop Settings > Connections, or manual setup in the official MCP guide
Tools: search-content, export-video over the local capture index
Requirements: screenpipe app running, Node.js 18+
License: source-available under the Screenpipe Commercial License
Category: Productivity / local-first workflow memory
Built by: screenpipe (screenpipe.com, YC S26) - 21,061★ on GitHub

Why This Matters for Operators

Operators live in context nobody captures: the dashboard you checked before the call, the meeting where a decision was actually made, the error you fixed last Tuesday. Agents work from what you tell them. Screenpipe closes that gap by recording everything locally, OCR-ing screens, transcribing audio and meetings, and letting the agent search it the way it searches any tool. "What did I say about the pricing page last Thursday" becomes a real query instead of a memory test.

Review the data path for business data. Screenpipe stores raw history locally by default and publishes its source for inspection. Review configured AI and transcription providers, sync, integrations and MCP clients before exposing financials, customer data or internal strategy. Local storage does not guarantee that retrieved context stays on-device.

Tools & Capabilities

Tool	What it does
search-content	Search the local index across screen text, audio transcripts, user input events, apps, windows and time ranges
export-video	Export recorded video for a selected local time range

The MCP server is a thin layer over the richer local API (localhost:3030), which adds OCR, full-text search, audio transcription, and pipe-based processing. The capture app must be running; check capture status and API authentication when retrieval fails or returns no history.

Installation and authentication

Keep Screenpipe running, then connect Claude Desktop from Settings > Connections in the desktop app. The app writes a configuration using its bundled runtime and supplies the local API key.

For manual setup, follow the official Screenpipe MCP installation guide. It includes the current client configuration, Node/NPX prerequisites and SCREENPIPE_LOCAL_API_KEY environment setting. Obtain the key locally with screenpipe auth token; keep it private.

The MCP server can attempt key discovery when the environment setting is omitted. That fallback does not make the local API unauthenticated, and it can delay startup on a cold package cache. Explicitly providing the key is the recommended manual setup.

The HTTP transport guide distinguishes the Screenpipe API key from the separate bearer credential used by remote MCP callers.

Verify the connection by asking the agent "what did I do in the last 5 minutes". A successful query requires a running recorder, working API authentication and captured history in that time range.

Business Relevance

• Executives and operators get searchable meeting memory; transcription and AI processing depend on the configured providers. See current plans for pricing
• Support and ops teams can reconstruct "what was on screen when the error happened" from the captured window history
• Solo operators replace fragmented note-taking with a queryable record of their actual workday
• Security-conscious teams can review local capture settings and the data handling of each connected client and optional cloud feature

Integration with CorpusIQ

Screenpipe is context infrastructure, not a business-data connector - it does not overlap with CorpusIQ's 40+ connectors for commerce, ads, finance and analytics. The two compose: screenpipe supplies the agent's memory of what happened in your workspace, and CorpusIQ supplies the live business data to act on it. An agent with both can go from "what did the CFO say about churn in Tuesday's call" (screenpipe) to "what is churn this quarter by plan" (CorpusIQ) in one session.

Limitations

• Capture app must be running locally; the MCP server is a search surface, not a recorder
• Source-available under the Screenpipe Commercial License, not OSI open source; review its terms for your use
• Local index grows with recording time; plan disk usage for always-on capture
• Windows, macOS and Linux supported, but setup paths differ per client and platform