Document & File Management · HackMD + Claude
HackMD MCP with Claude: Keep Team Notes and Living Docs Current
The short answer
Claude works with HackMD through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard that lets Claude securely read and act inside a tool with permissions you control. Once connected with an API key, Claude can create notes, update Markdown documents, organise team workspaces and share collaborative notes through natural language requests.
What is HackMD?
HackMD is a collaborative Markdown workspace used for personal and team notes. People write, organise and share living documents without leaving Markdown, which keeps content simple, portable and easy to edit. It suits product teams, engineering groups, research teams, educators and operations staff who keep meeting notes, runbooks, specifications and knowledge bases in one shared place. Because the documents are plain Markdown, they stay readable and easy to reuse across other systems.
How Claude connects to HackMD through MCP
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that works like a universal adapter between Claude and other software. It lets Claude use a tool securely, reading information and taking actions, with access rules the organisation sets. Instead of copying and pasting content between windows, Claude connects directly to the tool it needs.
Once HackMD is connected through an API key, Claude can typically create new notes, update existing Markdown documents, organise notes within team workspaces and share collaborative notes with the right people. A team lead might ask Claude to turn a meeting transcript into a structured note and place it in the project workspace, all in one request.
Permissions and approvals keep people in charge. The API key is scoped to the access the organisation chooses, so Claude only reaches the workspaces it is meant to use. Sensitive actions, such as sharing a document outside the team, can be set to require a person's approval before they happen, and every action can be logged for review.
What you can automate
Meeting notes to structured docs
After a meeting, Claude can turn a rough transcript or set of bullet points into a clean Markdown note with headings, decisions and action items. The note is saved into the correct team workspace, ready for colleagues to review and edit. Teams save time on write-ups and keep a consistent format across every meeting.
Keeping runbooks and procedures current
Operations and IT teams often find that their runbooks drift out of date. Claude can update the relevant Markdown section when a process changes, such as a new approval step or a revised contact list. A reviewer still signs off before the change is shared widely, so the team trusts the content.
Organising team workspaces
Shared workspaces can become cluttered over time. Claude can help group related notes, suggest consistent titles and move documents into the right folders or spaces at the request of an administrator. This keeps knowledge easier to find for new starters and cross-functional colleagues.
Drafting project and specification docs
Product managers and engineers can ask Claude to create a first draft of a project brief or technical specification from a short outline. The draft is written in Markdown inside HackMD, where the team can comment and refine it together. This speeds up the early stages of planning without skipping human review.
Sharing updates with stakeholders
Weekly or monthly progress notes can be produced from existing documents and shared with the right collaborators. Claude can prepare the summary and share it through HackMD's collaboration features once an approver confirms the audience. Stakeholders get consistent, up-to-date information without anyone rewriting the same update each week.
An end-to-end workflow: Weekly project update from meeting notes to stakeholder share
TriggerEvery Friday afternoon, or when a project lead posts their raw notes from the week's meetings
Claude reads the week's raw meeting notes from the project's HackMD workspace.
Claude drafts a structured progress update with sections for completed work, risks and next steps.
Claude pulls open task status from the team's ticketing system to confirm the next steps are accurate.
The draft is saved as a new HackMD note in the stakeholder workspace and flagged for review.
The project lead approves the wording, and Claude shares the note with the agreed stakeholder group.
OutcomeStakeholders receive a consistent weekly update in minutes rather than hours. Project leads spend their time reviewing rather than writing, and the shared workspace holds a clear history of progress.
How we set it up
Free automation audit
We review how your teams use HackMD today and identify the notes, runbooks and updates worth automating. You receive a short written plan with priorities at no charge.
Secure API key connection
We set up the connection to HackMD using an API key, scoped to the workspaces Claude needs. Access is limited to the minimum required, and the key is stored securely.
Workflow design with approvals
We design the end-to-end workflow across HackMD and your other systems, such as Microsoft 365, your CRM or ticketing tool. Consequential actions, like external sharing, are set to require human approval.
Testing on real past cases
We test the workflow against real past notes and meetings to check accuracy, formatting and access rules. We adjust prompts and permissions until the output meets your standards.
Launch, monitoring and team training
We launch with audit logs and monitoring in place, then train your team on how to make requests and review outputs. Support continues during the first weeks of live use.
Who benefits
- Team leads and project managers
- Get consistent progress updates and meeting write-ups without spending hours on documentation.
- Engineering and product teams
- Draft specifications and keep technical notes current inside a shared Markdown workspace.
- Operations and IT administrators
- Keep runbooks accurate and workspaces organised with clear, logged changes.
- Knowledge managers and educators
- Build and maintain a searchable knowledge base that stays up to date with less manual effort.
Security and control
- Least-privilege API key access, limited to the workspaces Claude needs.
- Human approval required before consequential actions such as external sharing or deleting notes.
- Audit logs of every action Claude takes in HackMD, available for review.
- Testing against real examples before launch, with ongoing monitoring afterwards.
- Clear rules on which information may be sent to Claude and how it is handled.
For teams in the US, UK, India and the Middle East
Organisations in the United States and the United Kingdom can host Claude in their chosen region to support their data protection obligations. Indian organisations operate under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and we design access controls and data handling to match it. Organisations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia must meet local data protection laws, so we select a hosting region and configure safeguards accordingly. Hosting region is always chosen to meet your specific requirements.
Learn more about Claude and MCP
Anthropic's AI model and assistant.
Secure links between Claude and business tools.
How engineers build and change software with Claude.
Hosted agents that run multi-step work.
The open standard Claude uses to connect to tools.
Frequently asked questions
What does the HackMD MCP server do?
The HackMD MCP server acts as a secure bridge between Claude and your HackMD workspace. It lets Claude read and create notes, update Markdown documents, organise workspaces and share collaborative notes through natural language requests. The access it grants is controlled by the permissions you set when connecting.
Is connecting HackMD to Claude secure?
Security depends on how the connection is configured. We use an API key scoped to the minimum access needed, store it securely, log every action and require approval for sensitive steps such as external sharing. Regular reviews of permissions help keep the setup secure over time.
What can Claude do with HackMD once connected?
Typically Claude can create new notes, edit existing Markdown documents, organise notes within team workspaces and share collaborative notes with specified people. Exactly what Claude can do depends on the permissions granted and the workflow designed for your team.
How long does setup take?
Many straightforward setups take a few weeks from the free audit to launch, including testing and team training. More complex workflows that involve several systems can take longer. We confirm a realistic timeline during the audit.
Which plan or permissions are needed for the connection?
The connection uses an API key, so the key must be generated from an HackMD account with access to the workspaces you want Claude to use. Your HackMD administrator usually decides which permissions are appropriate, and we help confirm the right scope during setup.