markpin

What you mark and note as you read slowly becomes your own thinking.

Highlight a line, mark it ? ! × ★, and write down why. It's saved as Markdown you own, and your AI can read it.

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What you do while you read

  1. 1

    Mark as you read

    Select a sentence to highlight it in one of four colors. Add a mark: ? for a question, ! for something new, × for a disagreement, ★ for a key point. Then the note box asks first: "Why did you mark this?" Write the thought right where you had it. Drag a rectangle over a passage or an image to keep it as a clip.

    Save a page with the floating button or a shortcut · A different question for each mark · Still there when you reopen the page

  2. 2

    Pick up again, look back

    Leave a bookmark and continue from where you stopped. A rail along the left edge shows your marks and where you left off as dots; click one to jump back. When you finish, mark the page as read and sum it up in one line, from memory. Didn't finish it? Mark it as skimmed and keep the record honest.

    Full-text search · Rename and merge tags · Filter by color and mark · On-device summaries · Old bookmarks are asked about once, never deleted

  3. 3

    Markdown files you own

    Each page you save becomes one Markdown file, kept in a folder you choose or in your Google Drive. Open it in Obsidian and you'll see readable properties, ==highlights== and callouts. Marks sit in front of your notes, and your one line is saved as the note property.

    Obsidian template preset · Deleted files go to .trash · Rewrite existing files · Sync across devices with Drive

  4. 4

    Your AI reads your pages and can write back

    Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and other MCP clients can search and read your pages through an MCP server that runs on your computer. With your permission, they can also add notes and bookmarks for you.

    Read-only by default · Writes need your confirmation · No API key

Watch a one-minute demo

One-minute Markpin demo: highlighting a line on a web page and writing a note

Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play.

Where your data goes

  1. Everything is saved in your browser first. There's nothing to set up, and it works offline.
  2. Connect a folder on your computer or your Google Drive, and your pages sync there as Markdown files. Nothing is uploaded anywhere else.
  3. The MCP server runs on your computer and reads that folder. Your AI tools reach your pages through it, with no server of ours in between.

Summaries and tag suggestions come from Chrome's built-in on-device model. They're on whenever Chrome has the model, and you can turn them off in the options.

Read and write your pages from Claude, Cursor or any MCP client

Point the MCP server at your Markpin folder. It runs on your computer and needs no API key. It's read-only by default. Add --allow-write to turn on tools that add clips, marks, notes and bookmarks and mark a page as read; each one asks you to confirm before it writes.

npx -y @markpin/mcp --dir <path to your Markpin folder>
npx -y @markpin/mcp --dir <path to your Markpin folder> --allow-write

@markpin/mcp on npm

Before you install

Is it really free?
Yes. Everything on this page is free, with no account and no card details, and it won't turn into a paid plan later. A separate add-on called Markpin Plus is in the works for bringing your old highlights and notes back to you. It will be a one-time purchase, and the free version stays as it is whether or not you buy it.
Does what I read get sent anywhere?
No. Markpin has no server to send it to. Your saved pages, highlights and notes go into your browser first, and if you connect a folder or Google Drive they are written there as files and nowhere else. There is no usage analytics watching what you read. One thing to know: if you connect an AI tool yourself, that tool will read the pages you saved. If you don't connect one, this doesn't apply.
What happens if I uninstall it, or Markpin goes away?
If you've connected a folder or Google Drive, nothing is lost. Each page is already there as one Markdown file, and you can open it in any text editor without Markpin. If you haven't connected anything, your data lives only inside the browser and is removed along with the extension. If you plan to keep what you read, connect a folder in the options first.
Do I need Obsidian?
No. The list of saved pages, search, tags and highlights that are still in place when you reopen a page all work inside the extension. Obsidian and the AI connection are optional. And because the files are plain Markdown, you can take them anywhere later if you change your mind.

Start with the next thing you read.

Add to ChromeFree · Chrome 122 or later · No account needed