# First steps with MCP server

**URL:** <https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/first-steps-with-mcp-server/86978>\
**Category:** Artificial Intelligence\
**Tags:** devonthink4\
**Created:** [May 23, 2026, 9:07am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/first-steps-with-mcp-server/86978 "2026-05-23T09:07:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vinschger](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/e47c2d/32.png) [@vinschger](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/vinschger)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2026, 9:07am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/first-steps-with-mcp-server/86978/1 "2026-05-23T09:07:03Z")

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Dear DTP users

I have installed the MCP server with DTP4 — wow! As a beginner, however, I have a few questions:

1. Which permissions should I set in the Codex Settings \> General section? Currently, I have selected “Daily Work,” “Standard Permissions,” and “Automated Checks,” but I have not enabled full access. However, when I ask Codex to merge similar tags in my DTP database, I have to click the Allow button for each of my hundreds of tags. I assume this is related to the permission settings. Which permissions would you recommend to stay on the safe side? I do not want to grant Codex full access to my entire MacBook. Or do I need to change some other settings in Codex and/or DEVONthink to avoid that codex asks me for any change?
2. Do you have any good prompts or beginner use cases for working with the MCP server together with DEVONthink in daily life?
3. I am also a bit concerned that Codex could somehow open the door to hackers or create privacy issues. I recently read some alarming stories about OpenClaw. Could you help me better assess the actual risk of Codex deleting or changing files on my hard drive without my intention — or even corrupting my DTP database? What can I do to minimize these risks? I am already doing regular backups, of course.

Thank you so much.

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**Author:** ![anton](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@anton](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/anton)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2026, 9:23am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/first-steps-with-mcp-server/86978/2 "2026-05-23T09:23:16Z")

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not familiar with Codex app, but here is how permissions for DEVONthink connection are managed in Claude:

 ![image](https://devontech-discourse.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/original/3X/8/d/8d0d224f28b7c7a87faf11bca1ef175e4c507569.png)

I’d expect the same granularity in Codex app as well.

for (2) As mentioned in another thread, I have successfully cleaned up a large collection of tags (e.g., “merge similar tags”, “fix misspellings in the tags” etc). In this regard, MCP has been terrific. It does take time though and it burns through the quota rather fast, but other than that — I’m super happy with it and very thankful to the DT for rolling out such a cool feature!

for (3): Codex or Claude connect to DEVONthink via MCP server which runs on localhost — I’m not sure there should be a concern about the “hackers” accessing your DT all of a sudden (unless, your mac is accessible from the outside, which is by default is not the case)

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**Author:** ![chrillek](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/chrillek/32/29340_2.png) [@chrillek](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/chrillek)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2026, 9:44am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/first-steps-with-mcp-server/86978/3 "2026-05-23T09:44:50Z")

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> [@anton](#):
>
> It does take time though and it burns through the quota rather fast, but other than that

I tend to occasionally clean up my tags by looking at the alfabetically sorted `Tags` group. There, I can easily spot unused and misspelled ones. Superfast, and doesn’t burn any money 😜

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**Author:** ![anton](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@anton](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/anton)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2026, 9:49am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/first-steps-with-mcp-server/86978/4 "2026-05-23T09:49:22Z")

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That works of course! But let’s say you have 20 items tagged with the duplicate tag.

It’s one thing to simply remove an unnecessary tag. But then you’d also need to re tag those 20 items with the “correct” tag. Can be done with the script ofc. As well as with the MCP

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**Author:** ![chrillek](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/chrillek/32/29340_2.png) [@chrillek](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/chrillek)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2026, 10:00am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/first-steps-with-mcp-server/86978/5 "2026-05-23T10:00:22Z")

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> [@anton](#):
>
> But let’s say you have 20 items tagged with the duplicate tag.

Then I use the batch process “Change tags”. There are, of course, many ways to skin this cat. But I don’t see the point of investing time and money to solve a problem with AI for which a solution already exists _in_ DT. Payed for with my license fee.

Or I’m just not curious enough to figure out how long it would take me to prod the AI into the right direction and how much it would finally cost me. BTW, I burnt through all my free session quota on Ollama remote by asking the MCP server how many documents I added in the last week (not that I cared 😉 ). Without getting a valid result, BTW. A simple `kind:doc added:This Week` would’ve done it a lot faster and cheaper, too.

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**Author:** ![troejgaard](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/58956e/32.png) [@troejgaard](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/troejgaard)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2026, 12:17pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/first-steps-with-mcp-server/86978/6 "2026-05-23T12:17:00Z")

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> [@anton](#):
>
> It’s one thing to simply remove an unnecessary tag. But then you’d also need to re tag those 20 items with the “correct” tag.

You can just… merge the tags? 😃

 ![Manual: Merging tags](https://devontech-discourse.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/original/3X/3/d/3dc2cacb2bdb3567553f90a2e11920167660d493.png)

(From _Getting Started \> Tagging \> Ordinary Tags_)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![anton](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@anton](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/anton)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2026, 12:18pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/first-steps-with-mcp-server/86978/7 "2026-05-23T12:18:43Z")

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ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

…but it’s more fun to do it with MCP and heat the ocean! 🥲

P.s. I really need to block time on my calendar to read the whole manual

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chrillek](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/chrillek/32/29340_2.png) [@chrillek](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/chrillek)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2026, 12:29pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/first-steps-with-mcp-server/86978/8 "2026-05-23T12:29:37Z")

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Alternatively, follow the forum closely.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vinschger](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/e47c2d/32.png) [@vinschger](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/vinschger)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2026, 12:29pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/first-steps-with-mcp-server/86978/9 "2026-05-23T12:29:45Z")

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> [@anton](#):
>
> not familiar with Codex app, but here is how permissions for DEVONthink connection are managed in Claude:

There are no such granular permissions in codex as far as I am aware of.  
Anyone else here using DTP MCP Server with codex? Do you have to confirm any single step of codex talking to DTP (e.g. in my case I have to confirm any change of a specific tag, one after the other, I have to press allow so many times after one prompt.