ravi-labs/mindmap-mcp-server

Ever lose the thread of a discussion across Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and your
other AI tools? Mind Map is a small, **local-first** MCP
server that acts as a **shared memory layer** across all your local MCP clients.
You **capture** context at the end of a session, and **resume** it in any other
tool — no more re-explaining your project from scratch. Memory you stop using
**cools and decays gracefully** into one-line traces (it's never silently
deleted), so your shelf stays small and trustworthy instead of becoming another
haystack.
> **Local-first by design.** It runs on your machine; your memories are plain
> files in ~/.mindmap that never leave your control. No account, no cloud, no
> server to trust. Install once with npx @ravi-labs/mindmap-mcp-server install.
> _ChatGPT and other cloud/web clients are out of scope for now — they can't
> reach a local server without a public endpoint, which conflicts with
> local-first. See Future._
The idea in one loop
1. **Capture** (effortless) — at the end of a discussion, save a portable summary.
2. **Resume** (promote-on-reuse) — pull it forward in a new session. The act of
reusing it is what promotes it to *trusted* memory. Throwaway sessions never
get promoted, so they never clutter your shelf.
3. **Consolidate** (automatic) — a background pass cools unused memory through
tiers (🔥 hot → 🌤️ warm → ❄️ cold) and collapses cold items to a searchable
one-line trace. The moat isn't storing things — it's **forgetting well**.
4. **Tidy** (opt-in, gamified) — a *cleanliness score* rewards pruning, not
hoarding.
Install (one command)
Once published to npm, the whole install is:
This **auto-detects** your local MCP clients (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf)
and writes the config for you, and configures **Claude Code** via its CLI if
present. Restart your client and Mind Map's tools are there. Preview first with
npx @ravi-labs/mindmap-mcp-server install --dry-run; undo with
npx @ravi-labs/mindmap-mcp-server uninstall.
Data lives in ~/.mindmap/ by default — override with the MINDMAP_DIR env var.
Manual setup (if you prefer)
Every client uses the same command — npx -y @ravi-labs/mindmap-mcp-server over stdio.
**Claude Code:**
**Claude Desktop** — edit claude_desktop_config.json
(macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):
**Cursor / Windsurf / other clients** — same command + args shape in that
client's MCP config. Add an env block to relocate data:
From source (development)
Using it day to day
Just talk naturally inside your AI tool — the model calls the right tool:
- **"Save this to mind map"** → captures the current context
- **"Resume my work on \ "** → pulls it back into a fresh session
- **"What's in my mind map?"** / **"Show my mind map health"** → browse / score
- **"What do you know about how I work?"** → reads your **persona** (see below)
- **"Brainstorm \ with me"** → loads your prior thinking so ideas continue across tools
- **"Add this to my Goals"** / **"park this for later"** → files it into a **collection**
- **"What apps did I start and never finish?"** → auto-organizes your memory into collections
- **"Continue one of my unfinished projects"** → pick one, and you're back in the right folder at the exact next step
Run npx @ravi-labs/mindmap-mcp-server quickstart for the full getting-started guide.
Brainstorm across tools
Start an idea in Claude, keep going in Cursor — without re-explaining it. Mind Map is
the **shared memory**; each tool brings its own brainstorming muscle. mindmap_brainstorm
loads your persona and prior idea-threads on the topic, you brainstorm, and saving with
kind: "brainstorm" lets it resume anywhere. A bundled **brainstorm Skill** (installed
into ~/.claude/skills by install) wires the load → brainstorm → save flow for Claude.
Organize it your way — Collections
Mind Map always organizes automatically (recency tiers, source, topic, workspace).
**Collections** are your own layer on top: named groups like 🎯 Goals, 🅿️ Parking
Lot, ✅ Decisions — or anything you invent. Say *"add this to my Goals"* or *"park
this"* in any tool, or use the dashboard's **Organize** tab.
Two things make collections more than folders: