AI Bridge

Put the shelf within Claude’s reach

A Model Context Protocol server · macOS · free with Nearhand

Install this and any Claude session can see what is on your shelf and read it. Ask Claude to look at the screenshot you just put down, instead of finding it and attaching it again.

It runs entirely on your Mac. The bridge reads Nearhand’s own store on your disk and talks to no network service of ours. Claude only sees a shelf item when you ask it to.

Claude Desktop

Download the extension, then open it. Claude Desktop takes over and asks to install it — there is no config file to edit.

Download for Claude Desktop

nearhand-bridge.mcpb · 299 KB

  • Double-click the downloaded file. If Claude Desktop does not open it, drag it onto Claude Desktop → Settings → Extensions.
  • Confirm the install prompt, then start a new conversation — existing ones do not pick up a newly added server.
  • Ask Claude “what is on my shelf?” to check it took.

Claude Code

Save the server somewhere permanent, then register it. Anywhere stable is fine; the command below assumes your home folder.

Download the server

nearhand-bridge.js · 753 KB · needs Node 18 or later

mkdir -p ~/.nearhand
mv ~/Downloads/nearhand-bridge.js ~/.nearhand/
claude mcp add nearhand -- node ~/.nearhand/nearhand-bridge.js

Run claude mcp list to confirm it registered.

Claude Desktop, by hand

If you would rather edit the config yourself, add this to claude_desktop_config.json using the same downloaded server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nearhand": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/YOU/.nearhand/nearhand-bridge.js"]
    }
  }
}

Use a full path — ~ is not expanded there.

What Claude can do with it

  • List what is on the shelf, with filenames, formats and sizes
  • Read an item, including seeing images directly
  • Add a file to the shelf, and remove one
  • Convert an item to another format

It finds the shelf on its own, whether you installed Nearhand from this site or from the Mac App Store. Nearhand does not need to be running.

If it does not show up

  • Claude cannot see the tools. Start a new conversation. Servers are attached when a conversation begins.
  • “node: command not found”. Install Node 18 or later, or point the command at a full path such as /opt/homebrew/bin/node.
  • The shelf reads as empty. Put something on it first. If it is still empty, tell us at support@nearhand.app and say which way you installed Nearhand.