MCP Integration

Connect SnipperApp 3 to AI assistants via the Model Context Protocol.

SnipperApp 3 includes a built-in Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, allowing AI assistants to directly read, search, create, and manage your code snippets. This makes your snippet library an active part of your AI-assisted development workflow.

What Is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol is an open standard that enables AI applications to interact with external tools and data sources. When you connect SnipperApp 3 as an MCP server, your AI assistant can:

Search your snippet library by keyword, language, folder, or tag.
Read the full content of any snippet.
Create new snippets from AI-generated code.
Update existing snippets.
Manage folders, tags, and attachments.

This means you can ask your AI assistant things like "find my Python database connection snippet" or "save this code as a new snippet in my Utilities folder" —and it interacts directly with SnipperApp.

Setup

Claude Code

Setup is a single command. Run this in your terminal:

claude mcp add snipper /Applications/SnipperApp\ 3.app/Contents/MacOS/snipper-mcp

That's it. Claude Code will now have access to your SnipperApp snippets.

Claude Desktop

Add the following to your Claude Desktop MCP configuration file (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "snipper": {
      "command": "/Applications/SnipperApp 3.app/Contents/MacOS/snipper-mcp",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop after saving the configuration. The SnipperApp tools will appear in Claude's tool list.

Cursor

Add the MCP server configuration in Cursor's settings:

Open Cursor Settings.
Navigate to the MCP or Tools section.
Add a new MCP server with the following configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "snipper": {
      "command": "/Applications/SnipperApp 3.app/Contents/MacOS/snipper-mcp",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

Save and restart Cursor.

Other MCP-Compatible Clients

Any application that supports the Model Context Protocol can connect to SnipperApp 3 using the same binary path:

/Applications/SnipperApp 3.app/Contents/MacOS/snipper-mcp

No arguments are required. The MCP server communicates via standard input/output (stdio transport).

Available MCP Tools

Once connected, the following tools are available to AI assistants:

Snippet Management

Tool	Description
`search_snippets`	Search snippets by keyword, language, folder, tag, or any combination. Returns matching snippets with titles and metadata.
`get_snippet`	Retrieve the full content and metadata of a specific snippet by its identifier.
`create_snippet`	Create a new snippet with a title, content, language, and optional folder/tag assignments.
`update_snippet`	Update an existing snippet's title, content, language, folder, or tags.
`delete_snippet`	Delete a snippet by its identifier. Moves it to the Trash.

Organization

Tool	Description
`list_folders`	List all folders in the current workspace, including their hierarchy.
`list_tags`	List all tags in the current workspace with their colors and snippet counts.
`list_workspaces`	List all available workspaces.
`list_languages`	List all programming languages available for snippets.

Attachments

Tool	Description
`list_attachments`	List all attachments for a given snippet.
`get_attachment`	Retrieve a specific attachment's metadata and content.
`add_attachment`	Add an attachment to a snippet.
`delete_attachment`	Remove an attachment from a snippet.

Hub (Community Snippets)

These tools let AI assistants search and import public snippets from SnipperApp Hub. No authentication is required — Hub snippets are publicly accessible.

Tool	Description
`search_hub`	Search public Hub snippets by keyword. Supports optional language filter, sort order (`popular`, `recent`, `relevance`), and result limit.
`get_hub_snippet`	Retrieve full details of a public Hub snippet by its UUID, including code, author, tags, and statistics.
`import_from_hub`	Import a Hub snippet into your local SnipperApp library. Creates a local copy and tracks the import on the Hub.

Usage Examples

Here are examples of how you might interact with your snippets through an AI assistant:

Searching for Snippets

"Find all my Python snippets related to database connections."

The AI assistant uses search_snippets with keyword "database connection" and language filter "Python" to find matching snippets.

Saving AI-Generated Code

"Save this function as a new snippet called 'Retry with Backoff' in my Utilities folder, tagged with 'python' and 'error-handling'."

The AI assistant uses create_snippet to save the code with the specified title, folder, and tags.

Retrieving a Snippet

"Get me my Docker Compose template for a PostgreSQL setup."

The AI assistant uses search_snippets to find the snippet, then get_snippet to retrieve its full content.

Updating a Snippet

"Update my API auth middleware snippet to use the new token format."

The AI assistant uses search_snippets to find the snippet, get_snippet to read the current content, modifies it, and then uses update_snippet to save the changes.

Searching the Hub

"Search the Hub for Swift networking snippets."

The AI assistant uses search_hub with query "networking" and language "swift" to find community snippets.

Importing from the Hub

"Import the most popular TypeScript React hook snippet from the Hub."

The AI assistant uses search_hub to find matching snippets sorted by popularity, then import_from_hub to add the best match to the local library.

Requirements

SnipperApp 3 must be installed at the standard path (/Applications/SnipperApp 3.app).
The MCP binary is bundled with the app —no additional installation is needed.
The MCP server reads from and writes to the same database as the main app. Changes made through MCP appear immediately in the app and vice versa.

Security

The MCP server runs locally on your Mac. No data is sent to external servers by the MCP server itself.
The server operates with the same permissions as the calling application.
All snippet data stays within your local machine and iCloud account.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
AI assistant cannot find SnipperApp tools	Verify the MCP configuration points to the correct binary path. Restart the AI application after configuration changes.
"Command not found" error	Ensure SnipperApp 3 is installed in `/Applications/`. The MCP binary is embedded inside the app bundle.
Snippets not updating in the app	The MCP server writes directly to the local database. Changes should appear immediately. Try restarting SnipperApp if they do not.

SnipperApp Hub — Learn about the public snippet sharing platform and Hub tools.
Keyboard Shortcuts — Quick reference for all shortcuts.
Workspaces — MCP operates within the active workspace context.