npm package: @iflow-mcp/rickysullivan-gitbook-mcp
Description: GitBook Model Context Protocol server - read and search GitBook documentation with AI assistants
Author: Ricky Sullivan
Latest version: 1.0.4

# GitBook MCP Server Reference

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides access to GitBook's API for AI assistants and LLM applications.

## Overview

The GitBook MCP server enables programmatic access to GitBook Organizations, Spaces, Collections, and Content through a standardized MCP interface. It provides 12 tools for content operations and 6 AI-powered prompts for documentation workflows.

## Quick Setup

### Prerequisites

- GitBook API token (obtain from https://app.gitbook.com/account/developer)
- Your GitBook Organization ID (optional but recommended)

### IDE and AI Assistant Integration

#### VS Code (with GitHub Copilot)

Add to your VS Code MCP settings:

```json
{
    "servers": {
        "gitbook-mcp": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "gitbook-mcp",
                "--organization-id=your_organization_id_here"
            ],
            "env": {
                "GITBOOK_API_TOKEN": "gb_api_your_token_here"
            }
        }
    }
}
```

#### Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration (`%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` on Windows or `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` on macOS):

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "gitbook-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": ["gitbook-mcp", "--organization-id=your_organization_id"],
            "env": {
                "GITBOOK_API_TOKEN": "gb_api_your_token_here"
            }
        }
    }
}
```

See https://modelcontextprotocol.io/quickstart/user for details.

#### GitHub Copilot plugin for JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, etc.):

Add to your GitHub Copilot MCP settings for JetBrains IDEs (the path may vary by product and OS, e.g., `~/.config/github-copilot/intellij/mcp.json` for IntelliJ on Linux/macOS, or the equivalent directory for your JetBrains IDE and platform):

```json
{
    "servers": {
        "gitbook-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "gitbook-mcp",
                "--organization-id=your_organization_id_here"
            ],
            "env": {
                "GITBOOK_API_TOKEN": "gb_api_your_token_here"
            }
        }
    }
}
```

#### JetBrains AI Assistant

Add to your JetBrains AI Assistant MCP configuration (see [official docs](https://www.jetbrains.com/help/ai-assistant/configure-an-mcp-server.html) for the exact path):

### Getting Your GitBook Credentials

1. **API Token**: Visit https://app.gitbook.com/account/developer to generate your API token
2. **Organization ID**: Use the `list_organizations` tool after setup to find your organization ID
3. **Space ID** (optional): Use the `list_spaces` tool (requires a valid organization ID and API token) to find specific space IDs
4. **Space ID** (optional): Use the `list_spaces` tool to find specific space IDs

### Configuration Options

You can configure the server using:

- **CLI arguments**: `--organization-id`, `--space-id`
- **Environment variables in MCP config**: Set via the `env` object in your MCP configuration
- **System environment variables**: `GITBOOK_API_TOKEN`, `GITBOOK_ORGANIZATION_ID`, `GITBOOK_SPACE_ID`

**Note**: `.env` files are only supported when running the server locally for development, not when using `npx gitbook-mcp`.

## API Reference

### Tools

The GitBook MCP server provides 12 tools organized into functional categories. Each tool includes behavioral hints:

- 📖 **Read-only**: Tool only reads data and doesn't modify anything
- 🔄 **Idempotent**: Repeated calls with same args have no additional effect with the same result
- 🌐 **Open-world**: Tool interacts with external entities

#### Organization Discovery

##### List Organizations (`list_organizations`) 📖 🔄 🌐

Lists all accessible GitBook organizations.

**Parameters:** None

**Returns:**

```json
{
    "organizations": [
        {
            "id": "string",
            "title": "string",
            "urls": {
                "app": "string",
                "public": "string"
            }
        }
    ]
}
```

#### Space Management

##### List Spaces (`list_spaces`) 📖 🔄 🌐

Lists spaces, optionally filtered by organization.

**Parameters:**

- `organizationId` (optional): Organization ID to filter spaces

**Returns:**

```json
{
    "spaces": [
        {
            "id": "string",
            "title": "string",
            "visibility": "string",
            "urls": {
                "app": "string",
                "public": "string"
            }
        }
    ]
}
```

##### Get Space Details (`get_space`) 📖 🔄 🌐

Retrieves detailed information about a specific space.

**Parameters:**

- `spaceId` (required): The ID of the space to retrieve

**Returns:**

```json
{
    "id": "string",
    "title": "string",
    "description": "string",
    "visibility": "string",
    "urls": {
        "app": "string",
        "public": "string"
    }
}
```

##### Get Space Content (`get_space_content`) 📖 🔄 🌐

Retrieves the content structure and pages of a space.

**Parameters:**

- `spaceId` (optional): The ID of the space (uses default if configured)

**Returns:**

```json
{
    "pages": [
        {
            "id": "string",
            "title": "string",
            "slug": "string",
            "path": "string"
        }
    ]
}
```

##### Search Content (`search_content`) 📖 🔄 🌐

Searches for content within a space using full-text search.

**Parameters:**

- `query` (required): Search query string
- `spaceId` (optional): The ID of the space to search (uses default if configured)

**Returns:**

```json
{
    "results": [
        {
            "id": "string",
            "title": "string",
            "excerpt": "string",
            "url": "string"
        }
    ]
}
```

#### Content Retrieval

##### Get Page Content (`get_page_content`) 📖 🔄 🌐

Retrieves the content of a specific page.

**Parameters:**

- `pageId` (required): The ID of the page to retrieve
- `spaceId` (optional): The ID of the space containing the page
- `format` (optional): Output format (`"document"` or `"markdown"`, defaults to `"document"`)
- `metadata` (optional): Include revision metadata (boolean, defaults to `false`)
- `computed` (optional): Include computed revision data (boolean, defaults to `false`)

**Returns:**

```json
{
    "id": "string",
    "title": "string",
    "content": "string",
    "format": "string"
}
```

##### Get Page by Path (`get_page_by_path`) 📖 🔄 🌐

Retrieves page content using the page path.

**Parameters:**

- `pagePath` (required): The path of the page to retrieve
- `spaceId` (optional): The ID of the space containing the page

**Returns:**

```json
{
    "id": "string",
    "title": "string",
    "content": "string",
    "path": "string"
}
```

#### File Management

##### Get Space Files (`get_space_files`) 📖 🔄 🌐

Lists all files in a space.

**Parameters:**

- `spaceId` (optional): The ID of the space (uses default if configured)

**Returns:**

```json
{
    "files": [
        {
            "id": "string",
            "name": "string",
            "downloadURL": "string",
            "size": "number"
        }
    ]
}
```

##### Get File Details (`get_file`) 📖 🔄 🌐

Retrieves details of a specific file.

**Parameters:**

- `fileId` (required): The ID of the file to retrieve
- `spaceId` (optional): The ID of the space containing the file

**Returns:**

```json
{
    "id": "string",
    "name": "string",
    "downloadURL": "string",
    "size": "number",
    "uploadedAt": "string"
}
```

#### Collection Management

##### List Collections (`list_collections`) 📖 🔄 🌐

Lists all accessible collections.

**Parameters:**

- `organizationId` (optional): Organization ID to filter collections

**Returns:**

```json
{
    "collections": [
        {
            "id": "string",
            "title": "string",
            "description": "string"
        }
    ]
}
```

##### Get Collection Details (`get_collection`) 📖 🔄 🌐

Retrieves details of a specific collection.

**Parameters:**

- `collectionId` (required): The ID of the collection to retrieve

**Returns:**

```json
{
    "id": "string",
    "title": "string",
    "description": "string",
    "spaces": "number"
}
```

##### Get Collection Spaces (`get_collection_spaces`) 📖 🔄 🌐

Lists all spaces within a collection.

**Parameters:**

- `collectionId` (required): The ID of the collection

**Returns:**

```json
{
    "spaces": [
        {
            "id": "string",
            "title": "string",
            "visibility": "string"
        }
    ]
}
```

### Prompts

The GitBook MCP server provides 6 AI-powered prompts for documentation workflows:

#### Fetch Documentation (`fetch_documentation`)

Fetches and analyzes GitBook documentation content for specific topics.

**Parameters:**

- `topic` (required): The topic or subject to search for and analyze
- `spaceId` (optional): The ID of the space to search (uses default if configured)
- `includeStructure` (optional): Set to "true" to include space structure

**Returns:**
A comprehensive analysis of documentation related to the specified topic, including:

- Relevant pages and sections
- Content summaries
- Gaps or areas needing improvement

#### Analyze Content Gaps (`analyze_content_gaps`)

Identifies gaps and missing content in documentation.

**Parameters:**

- `spaceId` (optional): The ID of the space to analyze (uses default if configured)
- `comparisonSource` (optional): Source to compare against (default: "internal analysis")

**Returns:**
A detailed gap analysis including:

- Missing topics and incomplete sections
- Coverage gaps prioritized by importance
- Suggestions for new content areas

#### Content Audit (`content_audit`)

Performs quality audits of documentation content.

**Parameters:**

- `spaceId` (optional): The ID of the space to audit (uses default if configured)
- `auditCriteria` (optional): Specific criteria to audit (default: "general quality and consistency")

**Returns:**
A comprehensive quality assessment including:

- Content quality and consistency review
- Outdated information identification
- Writing style and formatting recommendations

#### Documentation Summary (`documentation_summary`)

Generates comprehensive summaries of GitBook spaces.

**Parameters:**

- `spaceId` (optional): The ID of the space to summarize (uses default if configured)
- `summaryType` (optional): Type of summary - "overview", "technical", "user-guide", or "custom" (default: "overview")

**Returns:**
A structured summary including:

- Space structure and content organization
- Main topics and themes
- Target audience and use cases

#### Content Optimization (`content_optimization`)

Optimizes content for SEO, readability, structure, or performance.

**Parameters:**

- `spaceId` (optional): The ID of the space to optimize (uses default if configured)
- `optimizationType` (required): Type of optimization - "SEO", "readability", "structure", or "performance"
- `targetMetrics` (optional): Specific metrics or goals to optimize for

**Returns:**
Optimization recommendations including:

- Specific improvement strategies
- Priority-ranked optimization opportunities
- Implementation guidance

## Configuration Reference

The GitBook MCP server supports multiple configuration methods with the following precedence (highest to lowest):

1. **CLI Arguments** - Passed when starting the MCP server
2. **Configuration Files** - Embedded in project configuration files
3. **Environment Variables** - Set in `.env.local` or system environment

### Environment Variables

| Variable                  | Required | Type   | Description                                                               |
| ------------------------- | -------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `GITBOOK_API_TOKEN`       | Yes      | string | GitBook API token (obtain from https://app.gitbook.com/account/developer) |
| `GITBOOK_ORGANIZATION_ID` | No       | string | Default organization ID for operations                                    |
| `GITBOOK_SPACE_ID`        | No       | string | Default space ID for single-space projects                                |

> **Note:** Environment variables can be set in `.env.local`, `.env`, or your system environment.

### CLI Arguments

| Argument            | Alias     | Type   | Description                  |
| ------------------- | --------- | ------ | ---------------------------- |
| `--organization-id` | `--org`   | string | Organization ID to work with |
| `--space-id`        | `--space` | string | Default space for operations |

**Example:**

```bash
node dist/index.js --organization-id your-org-id --space-id your-space-id
```

### Additional Configuration Files

Typically these files are provided as context to the AI assistant, which means you can store project-based configuration.

1. `.github/copilot-instructions.md`
2. `.cursorrules`
3. `.cursor/rules/rules.md`
4. `.cursor/rules/instructions.md`

e.g.

**Format:**

```markdown
## GitBook Configuration

For GitBook MCP operations, use the following configuration:

- organization-id: your-org-id-here
- space-id: your-space-id-here
```

### Default Parameter Behavior

When `GITBOOK_ORGANIZATION_ID` or `GITBOOK_SPACE_ID` are configured:

- Tools marked as "optional" can omit the corresponding ID parameters
- The configured default values will be used automatically
- Explicit parameters in tool calls override defaults

## Development

### Prerequisites

- Node.js 20+
- npm
- GitBook API token (obtain from https://app.gitbook.com/account/developer)

### Installation & Setup

```bash
git clone https://github.com/rickysullivan/gitbook-mcp.git
cd gitbook-mcp
npm install
npm run setup
# Add your GITBOOK_API_TOKEN to .env.local (for local development only)
```

### Development

```bash
npm run dev
```

### Debugging

```bash
DEBUG=1 npm run dev
```

### Add the MCP to VS Code for development

You will need to use `node` as the command when running locally.
The first arg should be the path to the compiled JavaScript output (e.g., `dist/index.js`).

```json
{
    "servers": {
        "gitbook-mcp-dev": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "node",
            "args": [
                "/my/path/to/gitbook-mcp/dist/index.js",
                "--organization-id=Luj2l6y6cIUPXJwbC574"
            ],
            "env": {
                "GITBOOK_API_TOKEN": "gb_api_UHEGTNsMg0ONPTnm0LpsJNBCCikQyOMkBTtZNDAB"
            }
        }
    }
}
```

### Testing

There are currently no unit or integration tests; running `npm run test` only checks that the TypeScript code compiles successfully (type-check/build verification), and does not execute any actual tests.

```bash
npm run test
```

### Error Handling

#### Common Error Codes

| Error Code | Description                          | Resolution                                       |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ |
| `401`      | Unauthorized - Invalid API token     | Verify `GITBOOK_API_TOKEN` is correct            |
| `403`      | Forbidden - Insufficient permissions | Check space/organization access permissions      |
| `404`      | Not Found - Resource doesn't exist   | Verify space/page/collection IDs are correct     |
| `429`      | Rate Limited - Too many requests     | Implement request throttling                     |
| `500`      | Internal Server Error                | Check server logs for detailed error information |

### Troubleshooting

**Token Issues:**

- Ensure token starts with `gb_live_`
- Verify token has not expired
- Check token permissions in GitBook settings

**ID Resolution:**

- Use `list_organizations` to find valid organization IDs
- Use `list_spaces` to find valid space IDs
- Use `get_space_content` to find valid page IDs

**Configuration Issues:**

- Verify environment variables are properly set
- Check file permissions on configuration files
- Ensure CLI arguments are properly formatted

## Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Submit a pull request

## License

MIT License - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.

## Related Documentation

- [GitBook API Documentation](https://api.gitbook.com/openapi.json)
- [Model Context Protocol Specification](https://modelcontextprotocol.io)
- [Detailed Prompt Documentation](./PROMPTS.md)

## Disclaimer

This project is independently developed and is not officially affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by [GitBook](https://www.gitbook.com).