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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/screenpipe/screenpipe/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Claude Desktop can access your screenpipe recordings via MCP (Model Context Protocol), allowing Claude to search your screen history, recall information, and access meeting transcriptions.

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one-click setup

the easiest way:
1

Open screenpipe connections

open the screenpipe app → settings → connections
2

Install extension

click “install extension” in the Claude Desktop section
3

Confirm in Claude

Claude Desktop will open and prompt you to confirm. click install — done!
4

Test it

try asking Claude: “what did I do in the last 5 minutes?”
make sure screenpipe is running when you use Claude with screenpipe features.

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manual setup

if the one-click method doesn’t work, you can configure manually: 
// ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "screenpipe": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "screenpipe-mcp"]
    }
  }
}
after editing the config file:
  1. save the file
  2. restart Claude Desktop (important!)
  3. look for the MCP indicator in Claude’s interface

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what you can do

once connected, Claude can: search your screen history: 
> what was I working on this morning?

> find that documentation page I was reading about React hooks

> show me what was on my screen in Chrome yesterday afternoon
access meeting transcriptions: 
> what did we discuss in the standup about the API?

> find what John said in our meeting about the database migration

> summarize my last Zoom call
recall clipboard and inputs: 
> what did I copy to my clipboard recently?

> show me what I typed in Slack today

> which apps did I switch between most this morning?
export screen recordings: 
> export a video of my screen from 2-3pm today

> create a video of my screen during the meeting

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available tools

Claude gets access to these screenpipe tools via MCP:

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search-content

search screen OCR, audio transcriptions, and input events with filters:
  • time range (start_time, end_time)
  • content type (all, ocr, audio, input, accessibility)
  • app/window filtering
  • speaker filtering for audio
  • pagination support

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export-video

create MP4 videos from screen recordings for specific time ranges.

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activity-summary

get app usage statistics and activity overview for a time range.

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list-meetings

list detected meetings with duration, app, and attendees.

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search-elements

search structured UI elements (lighter than search-content).

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frame-context

get detailed context for a specific frame including accessibility tree and URLs. see the MCP server documentation for detailed parameter reference.

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example workflows

context-aware research: 
user: I was researching kubernetes networking earlier, what were the key concepts?

Claude: [searches screenpipe for kubernetes content, summarizes findings]
meeting follow-up: 
user: create a summary of what we discussed about the database migration in today's meeting

Claude: [searches audio transcriptions, generates summary with action items]
code review with context: 
user: I saw an error message earlier in my terminal, help me debug it

Claude: [searches screen history, finds error, provides solution]
time tracking: 
user: how much time did I spend in VS Code today?

Claude: [uses activity-summary to analyze app usage]

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tips for best results

be specific with time ranges: 
✅ "what did I work on this morning"
✅ "find my meeting notes from yesterday afternoon"
✅ "show me what I was doing between 2-3pm"

❌ "what have I been working on" (too vague)
mention the app when relevant: 
✅ "what was I looking at in Chrome"
✅ "show me my Slack messages from today"
✅ "what code was I editing in VS Code"
for meetings, mention audio: 
✅ "what was said in my last meeting"
✅ "find audio transcriptions from the standup"
✅ "who spoke in my Zoom call this morning"

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privacy & data

  • all data stays local on your machine
  • Claude only accesses screenpipe via localhost (no external access)
  • you can disable the MCP connection anytime by removing it from config
  • screenpipe never sends data to Anthropic’s servers

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troubleshooting

MCP not connecting?
  • verify screenpipe is running: curl http://localhost:3030/health
  • restart Claude Desktop after config changes
  • check for the MCP indicator in Claude’s interface (should show “screenpipe”)
Claude says “no data found”?
  • ensure screenpipe has been running and recording
  • check you have screen recording permissions granted
  • try a broader time range
queries returning errors?
  • update to latest screenpipe version
  • ensure port 3030 is not blocked
  • check screenpipe logs for errors
configuration file not found?
  • create the directory if it doesn’t exist:
    • macOS: mkdir -p ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude
    • Windows: directory should exist after Claude installation
  • create the claude_desktop_config.json file manually
still stuck? ask in our discord — we can help debug setup issues.

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resources