RedNote MCP for Claude Code: Setup & Config

What you can do with RedNote in Claude Code

A focused Xiaohongshu note-access bridge with keyword search and reusable browser authentication.

• Search Xiaohongshu notes by keyword from an assistant.
• Inspect protocol requests during local development with MCP Inspector.

Before you start: RedNote in Claude Code

• Node.js 16 or later
• npm 7 or later
• Playwright browser environment
• A manually initialized Xiaohongshu login session
• An MCP-compatible client

The README begins with npx playwright install. Its global setup runs npm install -g rednote-mcp followed by rednote-mcp init for browser login. Cookies are saved to ~/.mcp/rednote/cookies.json. The --stdio flag is required in the documented Cursor configuration. No required environment variables are stated.

RedNote Claude Code configuration

1. Choose Claude Code configuration scope

   For RedNote MCP, open Project scope: .mcp.json at the repository root. Project JSON: merge into mcpServers; user scope: use the CLI.

2. Add RedNote MCP to Claude Code

   Use the RedNote-MCP entry below in mcpServers. Keep RedNote MCP's documented stdio connection fields and your other Claude Code entries.

3. Check RedNote MCP in Claude Code

   RedNote MCP: Inspect claude mcp list and /mcp status.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "RedNote-MCP": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "rednote-mcp",
        "--stdio"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

claude mcp add-json --scope project 'RedNote-MCP' '{"type":"stdio","command":"npx","args":["rednote-mcp","--stdio"],"env":{}}'

RedNote tools available to Claude Code

RedNote's stored tool list documents 1 tool; compare it with Claude Code's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

login

For RedNote's login, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Initialize authentication from an MCP client; the README does not detail its parameters.

RedNote: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting RedNote in Claude Code

• If RedNote MCP fails to start, check npx rednote-mcp (Node.js/npm), the working directory, and Claude Code's selected scope; inspect claude mcp list and /mcp.
• RedNote MCP uses stdio here: Claude Code must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
• Known limitation: Initial login must be completed manually in a browser.
• Known limitation: Saved cookies are sensitive and need periodic renewal.
• Known limitation: Comment retrieval by URL is not yet implemented.
• General Claude Code troubleshooting lives in the /clients/claude-code guide.

Frequently asked questions