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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.notis.ai/llms.txt

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Local MCPs are Model Context Protocol servers that run on your computer — either as a small process Notis starts for you (the standard MCP “stdio” setup, like npx @something/mcp), or as a server you’re already running locally on http://localhost:…. Notis routes their traffic through the Notis desktop app so nothing leaves your machine. If the MCP server you want lives on the public internet instead, see MCP for the cloud setup.
Local MCPs stay on your laptop. The command, its arguments, and any tool calls run on your computer, not in the cloud.

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When to use a local MCP

Reach for a local MCP when:
  • You want Notis to use a tool that needs to touch your own computer — your files, a local CLI, or a service running on localhost.
  • A vendor publishes an MCP server you’d like to run on your own machine rather than in the cloud.
  • You’re prototyping your own MCP server and want Notis to call it without deploying anything.

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Before you start

Local MCPs need the Notis desktop app, signed in, with Local shell turned on. Open the Notis desktop app and enable Local shell first — otherwise the integration won’t be reachable. See Local Shell for the one-time setup.
There are two ways to add a local MCP, depending on how the server runs.

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Run a local process (stdio)

This is the most common setup — you give Notis a command, and it starts (and stops) the MCP server for you.
  1. Open Notis → Settings → Integrations → Add MCP.
  2. Switch the Transport to stdio.
  3. Fill in the fields:
    • Command — the program to launch. Examples: npx, uvx, python, or an absolute path like /opt/homebrew/bin/peekaboo.
    • Arguments — one per line. For example, to run Peekaboo you’d enter: 
      -y
@steipete/peekaboo
mcp
    • Environment variables — add any secrets or config the server expects (API keys, tokens). Values are masked.
  4. Save. Notis tags the integration Local MCP in the list and discovers its tools through the desktop app.

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Connect to a server running on localhost

If you already run an MCP server on your machine (for example a self-hosted vendor server bound to http://localhost:3333), just paste that URL:
  1. Open Notis → Settings → Integrations → Add MCP.
  2. Keep the transport as HTTP or SSE (whatever your server speaks).
  3. Paste the URL — http://localhost:…, http://127.0.0.1:…, or http://[::1]:….
  4. Save. Notis sees the loopback address, tags it Local MCP, and routes traffic through your desktop app.

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Troubleshooting

  • Integration shows a warning about the desktop app. Local MCPs only work while the Notis desktop app is running and Local shell is enabled. Open the app, sign in, and turn Local shell on — the integration becomes reachable again automatically.
  • “Command not found” when starting a stdio MCP. Notis searches the usual locations (/opt/homebrew/bin, /usr/local/bin, /usr/bin, /bin, /usr/sbin, /sbin) on top of your shell’s PATH. If your command lives somewhere else, use the absolute path in the Command field (e.g. /Users/you/.local/bin/my-mcp).
  • Server expects secrets. Put them in Environment variables in the form rather than baking them into Arguments — the values are masked and stored securely.