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Working with Images in Nextcloud Notes

This document explains how to properly work with images and attachments in Nextcloud Notes through the MCP server.

Adding Image Attachments

Images and other files can be attached to notes using the WebDAV protocol. The Nextcloud MCP server handles this through the add_note_attachment method:

# Example: Adding an image attachment to a note
client.add_note_attachment(
    note_id=123,  # The ID of the note
    filename="image.png",  # The filename for the attachment
    content=image_bytes,  # The binary content of the image
    mime_type="image/png"  # The MIME type
)

Embedding Images in Notes

For images to display inline within notes, you must reference them correctly in the note content. There are two methods:

1. Markdown Syntax (Recommended)

![Image Alt Text](.attachments.{note_id}/{filename})

For example:

![My Screenshot](.attachments.123/screenshot.png)

2. HTML Image Tags

<img src=".attachments.{note_id}/{filename}" alt="Image description" width="300" />

For example:

<img src=".attachments.123/screenshot.png" alt="My Screenshot" width="300" />

Storage Location

Image attachments are stored in a hidden directory structure:

/Notes/.attachments.{note_id}/{filename}

This path is accessible via WebDAV, allowing direct file operations.

Orphaned Attachments Behavior

Important: When notes are deleted, their attachments remain in the system. This is the expected behavior of the official Nextcloud Notes app, not a bug in the MCP server implementation.

Consequences:

  • Orphaned attachments accumulate over time
  • No automatic cleanup of attachment directories
  • References to attachments in deleted notes become broken links

Examples

Complete Example: Creating a Note with Embedded Image

from nextcloud_mcp_server.client import NextcloudClient
import os

# Create client
client = NextcloudClient.from_env()

# 1. Create the note
note = client.notes_create_note(
    title="Note with Embedded Image",
    content="# Image Example\n\nThis note will have an embedded image.",
    category="Documentation"
)
note_id = note["id"]
note_etag = note["etag"]

# 2. Read image content
with open("example.png", "rb") as f:
    image_content = f.read()

# 3. Upload image as attachment
client.add_note_attachment(
    note_id=note_id,
    filename="example.png",
    content=image_content,
    mime_type="image/png"
)

# 4. Update note content to include image reference
updated_content = f"""# Image Example

This note has an embedded image below:

![Example Image](.attachments.{note_id}/example.png)
"""

# 5. Update the note with image reference
client.notes_update_note(
    note_id=note_id,
    etag=note_etag,
    content=updated_content
)

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with attachments:

  1. 401 Unauthorized errors: Verify WebDAV permissions in Nextcloud
  2. Images not displaying: Check the exact path format (.attachments.{note_id}/{filename})
  3. Attachment access after note deletion: This is expected - attachments persist after note deletion