elasticsearch-mcp-server

elasticsearch-mcp-server avatar

by cr7258

Community Servers

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server implementation that provides Elasticsearch and OpenSearch interaction.

What is elasticsearch-mcp-server

Elasticsearch MCP Server

Connect to your Elasticsearch data directly from any MCP Client (like Claude Desktop) using the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

This server connects agents to your Elasticsearch data using the Model Context Protocol. It allows you to interact with your Elasticsearch indices through natural language conversations.

Available Tools

  • list_indices: List all available Elasticsearch indices
  • get_mappings: Get field mappings for a specific Elasticsearch index
  • search: Perform an Elasticsearch search with the provided query DSL
  • get_shards: Get shard information for all or specific indices

Prerequisites

  • An Elasticsearch instance
  • Elasticsearch authentication credentials (API key or username/password)
  • MCP Client (e.g. Claude Desktop)

Demo

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5dd292e1-a728-4ca7-8f01-1380d1bebe0c

Installation & Setup

Using the Published NPM Package

[!TIP] The easiest way to use Elasticsearch MCP Server is through the published npm package.

  1. Configure MCP Client

    • Open your MCP Client. See the list of MCP Clients, here we are configuring Claude Desktop.
    • Go to Settings > Developer > MCP Servers
    • Click Edit Config and add a new MCP Server with the following configuration:
    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "elasticsearch-mcp-server": {
          "command": "npx",
          "args": [
            "-y",
            "@elastic/mcp-server-elasticsearch"
          ],
          "env": {
            "ES_URL": "your-elasticsearch-url",
            "ES_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
          }
        }
      }
    }
    
  2. Start a Conversation

    • Open a new conversation in your MCP Client
    • The MCP server should connect automatically
    • You can now ask questions about your Elasticsearch data

Configuration Options

The Elasticsearch MCP Server supports configuration options to connect to your Elasticsearch:

[!NOTE] You must provide either an API key or both username and password for authentication.

Environment Variable Description Required
ES_URL Your Elasticsearch instance URL Yes
ES_API_KEY Elasticsearch API key for authentication No
ES_USERNAME Elasticsearch username for basic authentication No
ES_PASSWORD Elasticsearch password for basic authentication No
ES_CA_CERT Path to custom CA certificate for Elasticsearch SSL/TLS No

Developing Locally

[!NOTE] If you want to modify or extend the MCP Server, follow these local development steps.

  1. Use the correct Node.js version

    nvm use
    
  2. Install Dependencies

    npm install
    
  3. Build the Project

    npm run build
    
  4. Run locally in Claude Desktop App

    • Open Claude Desktop App
    • Go to Settings > Developer > MCP Servers
    • Click Edit Config and add a new MCP Server with the following configuration:
    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "elasticsearch-mcp-server-local": {
          "command": "node",
          "args": [
            "/path/to/your/project/dist/index.js"
          ],
          "env": {
            "ES_URL": "your-elasticsearch-url",
            "ES_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
          }
        }
      }
    }
    
  5. Debugging with MCP Inspector

    ES_URL=your-elasticsearch-url ES_API_KEY=your-api-key npm run inspector
    

    This will start the MCP Inspector, allowing you to debug and analyze requests. You should see:

    Starting MCP inspector...
    Proxy server listening on port 3000
    
    ๐Ÿ” MCP Inspector is up and running at http://localhost:5173 ๐Ÿš€
    

Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community! For details on how to contribute, please see Contributing Guidelines.

Example Questions

[!TIP] Here are some natural language queries you can try with your MCP Client.

  • "What indices do I have in my Elasticsearch cluster?"
  • "Show me the field mappings for the 'products' index."
  • "Find all orders over $500 from last month."
  • "Which products received the most 5-star reviews?"

How It Works

  1. The MCP Client analyzes your request and determines which Elasticsearch operations are needed.
  2. The MCP server carries out these operations (listing indices, fetching mappings, performing searches).
  3. The MCP Client processes the results and presents them in a user-friendly format.

Security Best Practices

[!WARNING] Avoid using cluster-admin privileges. Create dedicated API keys with limited scope and apply fine-grained access control at the index level to prevent unauthorized data access.

You can create a dedicated Elasticsearch API key with minimal permissions to control access to your data:

POST /_security/api_key
{
  "name": "es-mcp-server-access",
  "role_descriptors": {
    "mcp_server_role": {
      "cluster": [
        "monitor"
      ],
      "indices": [
        {
          "names": [
            "index-1",
            "index-2",
            "index-pattern-*"
          ],
          "privileges": [
            "read",
            "view_index_metadata"
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

Troubleshooting

  • Ensure your MCP configuration is correct.
  • Verify that your Elasticsearch URL is accessible from your machine.
  • Check that your authentication credentials (API key or username/password) have the necessary permissions.
  • If using SSL/TLS with a custom CA, verify that the certificate path is correct and the file is readable.
  • Look at the terminal output for error messages.

If you encounter issues, feel free to open an issue on the GitHub repository.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to LLMs. Think of MCP like a USB-C port for AI applications, providing a standardized way to connect AI models to different data sources and tools.

What are MCP Servers?

MCP Servers are lightweight programs that expose specific capabilities through the standardized Model Context Protocol. They act as bridges between LLMs like Claude and various data sources or services, allowing secure access to files, databases, APIs, and other resources.

How do MCP Servers work?

MCP Servers follow a client-server architecture where a host application (like Claude Desktop) connects to multiple servers. Each server provides specific functionality through standardized endpoints and protocols, enabling Claude to access data and perform actions through the standardized protocol.

Are MCP Servers secure?

Yes, MCP Servers are designed with security in mind. They run locally with explicit configuration and permissions, require user approval for actions, and include built-in security features to prevent unauthorized access and ensure data privacy.