# Control Crabwise from Shortcuts, the command line, and AI tools

- Product: Crabwise
- Category: Integrations
- Type: How-to
- Updated: 2026-10-30
- URL: https://soji.dev/en/crabwise/support/integrations/automation/

Search your library and add items from Shortcuts actions, Terminal commands, or AI tools that support MCP. This helps when you add things the same way every time.

Each method works during the trial or after you buy Crabwise, while Crabwise is running. After the trial ends, read-only actions such as search and open fail, just like adding does.

## Use Shortcuts

Create a shortcut in the Shortcuts app and look for Crabwise in the action list. These actions are available:

| Action | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| :ui[Open Crabwise], :ui[Open Item], :ui[Open Collection], :ui[Open Tag] | Shows an item, collection, or tag in Crabwise. |
| :ui[Search Crabwise] | Searches the library. |
| :ui[Add Files to Library], :ui[Add Web Link], :ui[Create Note] | Adds items. |
| :ui[Add Tag to Items] | Adds a tag to items. |
| :ui[Add Items to Collection] | Puts items in a collection. |
| :ui[Set Item Rating] | Sets the star rating of items. |
| :ui[Move Items to Trash] | Moves items to the Trash. You can restore them from Trash in Crabwise. |

## Use the command line

1. Choose :ui[Crabwise] > :ui[Settings…] and open :ui[AI Integration].
2. Under :ui[Command Line Tool], click :ui[Copy CLI Path].
3. In Terminal, enter the copied path followed by a command. For example, `library list` shows your libraries.

If you installed Crabwise from the Mac App Store, the command line tool is here.

```bash
/Applications/Crabwise.app/Contents/Helpers/crabwise library list
```

The commands fall into four groups, `library`, `item`, `collection`, and `tag`, plus `doctor`, which checks that everything works. Add `--json` to get results as JSON. Keep Crabwise running while you use the command line tool.

## Use AI tools

An AI tool that supports MCP can search your library and add items using Crabwise's command line tool. In the AI tool, you register a setting that starts Crabwise's command line tool as an MCP server.

1. Choose :ui[Crabwise] > :ui[Settings…] and open :ui[AI Integration].
2. Turn on :ui[Enable MCP]. It is off by default.
3. When :ui[Status] shows :ui[Listening], AI tools can connect.
4. Click :ui[Copy Stdio Configuration].

If you installed Crabwise in the default Mac App Store location, the copied configuration looks like this.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "crabwise": {
      "command": "/Applications/Crabwise.app/Contents/Helpers/crabwise",
      "args": ["mcp", "serve"]
    }
  }
}
```

Here is how to register it in each tool. The paths assume the default Mac App Store location. If you installed Crabwise somewhere else, replace the path with the one that :ui[Copy CLI Path] copies.

::::tabs
:::tab{label="Claude Code"}
Run this command in Terminal.

```bash
claude mcp add --transport stdio crabwise -- /Applications/Crabwise.app/Contents/Helpers/crabwise mcp serve
```

A server added this way is available only in the current project. To use it in every project, add `--scope user`. To check the connection, run `claude mcp list`, or enter `/mcp` inside Claude Code.
:::

:::tab{label="Claude Desktop"}
Write the copied configuration in `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`. You can also open this file from :ui[Developer] in Claude's settings by clicking :ui[Edit Config].

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "crabwise": {
      "command": "/Applications/Crabwise.app/Contents/Helpers/crabwise",
      "args": ["mcp", "serve"]
    }
  }
}
```

If the file already has other servers, add `crabwise` inside `mcpServers`. After you save, quit Claude completely and open it again.
:::

:::tab{label="Cursor"}
Create a configuration file and write the copied configuration in it. Use `~/.cursor/mcp.json` to use the server in every project, or `.cursor/mcp.json` in a project to use it only there.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "crabwise": {
      "command": "/Applications/Crabwise.app/Contents/Helpers/crabwise",
      "args": ["mcp", "serve"]
    }
  }
}
```

In Cursor's :ui[Customize], you can turn the server on or off.
:::

:::tab{label="VS Code"}
Open the Command Palette (⇧⌘P), run :ui[MCP: Add Server], and choose :ui[Command (stdio)]. Enter the following as the command, enter `crabwise` as the server ID, and choose where to save it.

```text
/Applications/Crabwise.app/Contents/Helpers/crabwise mcp serve
```

To write the file yourself, use `.vscode/mcp.json` in the workspace (the user configuration file that :ui[MCP: Open User Configuration] opens uses the same format). VS Code's format uses `servers`, not `mcpServers`, and requires `type`.

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "crabwise": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/Applications/Crabwise.app/Contents/Helpers/crabwise",
      "args": ["mcp", "serve"]
    }
  }
}
```
:::

:::tab{label="Codex"}
Run this command in Terminal.

```bash
codex mcp add crabwise -- /Applications/Crabwise.app/Contents/Helpers/crabwise mcp serve
```

You can also register it by writing this in `~/.codex/config.toml`.

```toml
[mcp_servers.crabwise]
command = "/Applications/Crabwise.app/Contents/Helpers/crabwise"
args = ["mcp", "serve"]
```

To check the connection, run `codex mcp list`, or enter `/mcp` inside Codex.
:::

:::tab{label="Gemini CLI"}
Run this command in Terminal.

```bash
gemini mcp add crabwise /Applications/Crabwise.app/Contents/Helpers/crabwise mcp serve
```

A server added this way is available only in the current project. To use it in every project, add `--scope user`. To write the file yourself, put the same format as the copied configuration in `~/.gemini/settings.json` (or `.gemini/settings.json` for one project). To check the connection, run `gemini mcp list`, or enter `/mcp` inside Gemini CLI.
:::
::::

If it doesn't connect, check that Crabwise is running, that :ui[Enable MCP] is on, and that :ui[Status] shows :ui[Listening].