Overview
Set up remote access to your OpenKnowledge server.
By default, OpenKnowledge is only available on the machine where it runs. Remote access lets your other devices, teammates, and agents connect to one shared project without installing OpenKnowledge on every machine.
The setup has four parts: run the server, make it reachable, add access control, then connect through the browser or MCP.
Run the server
There are three ways to run an OpenKnowledge server:
Make the server reachable
Choose the instructions that match where your server runs:
| Your setup | What to follow |
|---|---|
| Desktop or CLI on your computer | Connect the computer through a private network or tunnel. If Desktop already runs the project, skip the CLI installation step. The networking settings are the same. |
| CLI on an always-on machine | Set up a server you manage. |
| Docker | Deploy the container. |
Each method provides an HTTPS URL and the required configuration. See the configuration reference for all available settings.
Add access control
Never expose OpenKnowledge directly to the public internet. Use a private network, or put authentication in front of the server before opening or sharing a public URL.
OpenKnowledge does not have built-in user accounts yet. Everyone who can reach the server has full read and write access as the same owner.
A private network such as Tailscale can be the access-control layer. A public URL needs an authentication edge or proxy in front of it. Follow Authentication before continuing.
Try it out
Once the server is reachable and protected, the same URL provides both connection points.
Open the editor in a browser:
https://<your-external-url>/Connect agents to the MCP endpoint:
https://<your-external-url>/mcpOpen the browser URL first to confirm the editor loads. Then follow Connect remote agents for Claude, Cursor, Codex, and other MCP clients. Give teammates the browser URL plus any network access or credential required by your access-control setup.
Turn off remote access
Remove allowExternal: true from .ok/local/config.yml, or remove OK_ALLOW_EXTERNAL=1, then restart OpenKnowledge. The Docker setup on this site uses OK_BIND=0.0.0.0, so the container will refuse to start without external-access consent. Stop the tunnel or disable the public domain to close network access. If a public URL was exposed, regenerate it or rotate the domain at your tunnel or hosting provider.