Cowpin in five minutes

This is the fastest way to try Cowpin from a browser, terminal, script, or AI agent. You can start with the web app and add an integration only when you need one.

1. Create an account

Create a free account at cowpin.com/auth/signup. Cowpin saves bookmarks privately by default.

2. Create an API token

Open Settings → API, create a token, and copy it when it is shown. Treat it like a password: do not put it in source control, browser-side JavaScript, or a public prompt. Create a separate token for each script or integration so you can revoke one connection without disconnecting everything.

3. Save a bookmark with one request

The quickest automation path is the JSON quick-add endpoint:

export COWPIN_TOKEN="your-token"

curl -X POST https://www.cowpin.com/api/bookmark/quick-add \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $COWPIN_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://www.cowpin.com/blog/bookmark-driven-ai-starts-with-your-knowledge",
    "title": "Bookmark-driven AI",
    "tags": ["ai", "research"],
    "isPrivate": true
  }'

The response tells you whether the bookmark was created or already existed. Repeating the request is safe for the same URL.

4. Check whether a URL is already saved

curl "https://www.cowpin.com/api/bookmark/lookup?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cowpin.com%2Fblog%2Fbookmark-driven-ai-starts-with-your-knowledge" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $COWPIN_TOKEN"

For existing Pinboard scripts, use the Pinboard-compatible API instead. Change the API host to www.cowpin.com and use a Cowpin token in username:TOKEN format.

5. Connect an AI agent

For Cursor, Claude Desktop, and other MCP clients, follow the MCP connection guide. The official bridge lets an agent search your saved library and save new sources without copying your bookmarks into every conversation.

The agent path is intentionally separate from a normal user token. Use the agent setup when a tool needs long-term memory; use the REST API when a script or automation needs deterministic requests.

Choose the path that fits

Keep your data portable

Cowpin is designed to be useful without becoming a data silo. You can export your library as JSON, Netscape HTML, or Delicious XML, and highlights as Markdown. Start with one saved link, then build the workflow that earns a permanent place in your day.