Content
# Everything Search MCP Server
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/everything-search-mcp-server)
[](https://opensource.org/licenses/ISC)
[](https://nodejs.org/)
[](https://www.microsoft.com/windows)
A powerful Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates with Everything Search Engine, providing lightning-fast file search capabilities across your entire system. This server enables natural language file searches and advanced filtering options through MCP-compatible applications like Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP clients.
## Table of Contents
- [Features](#features)
- [Quick Start](#quick-start)
- [Prerequisites](#prerequisites)
- [Step 1: Install Everything Search Engine](#step-1-install-everything-search-engine)
- [Step 2: Install the MCP Server](#step-2-install-the-mcp-server)
- [Step 3: Configure Your MCP Client](#step-3-configure-your-mcp-client)
- [Step 4: Restart Your MCP Client](#step-4-restart-your-mcp-client)
- [Usage](#usage)
- [Examples](#examples)
- [Parameters Reference](#parameters-reference)
- [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)
- [What's New](#whats-new)
- [Development](#development)
- [Contributing](#contributing)
- [License](#license)
- [Support](#support)
## Features
- 🚀 **Lightning Fast Search**: Leverages Everything Search Engine's instant file indexing
- 🔍 **Natural Language Queries**: Search using natural language descriptions like "large video files" or "recent documents"
- 🎯 **Advanced Search Options**: Case sensitivity, whole word matching, regex support
- 📁 **Path-Based Search**: Search within specific directories or across entire drives
- 📊 **Smart Sorting**: Sort by name, path, size, or modification date
- 🎨 **Rich Formatting**: Human-readable file sizes and formatted dates
- 🌐 **Global Installation**: Install once, use everywhere across all MCP clients
- ⚡ **Real-time Results**: Instant search results as you type
- 🔧 **Highly Configurable**: Customizable ports, scopes, and search parameters
## Quick Start
### Prerequisites
1. **Windows OS** (Everything Search Engine is Windows-only)
2. **Node.js 16+** - [Download here](https://nodejs.org/)
3. **Everything Search Engine** - [Download here](https://www.voidtools.com/)
### Step 1: Install Everything Search Engine
1. Download and install [Everything Search Engine](https://www.voidtools.com/)
2. Open Everything Search
3. Go to **Tools > Options > HTTP Server**
4. ✅ Enable **HTTP Server**
5. Set port to **8011** (default)
6. Click **OK** and restart Everything
### Step 2: Install the MCP Server
#### Option A: Global Installation (Recommended)
```bash
npm install -g everything-search-mcp-server
```
> **Note**: If you haven't published to npm yet, users should use Option B (From Source) until the package is available on npm.
#### Option B: From Source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/ananyaakamat/everything-search-mcp-server.git
cd everything-search-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build
npm install -g .
```
### Step 3: Configure Your MCP Client
#### For Claude Desktop
Add to your `claude_desktop_config.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"everything-search": {
"command": "everything-search-mcp-server",
"args": []
}
}
}
```
**Config File Locations:**
- **Windows**: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
- **macOS**: `~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
- **Linux**: `~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
#### For VS Code
For quick installation, use one of the one-click install buttons below...
[](https://insiders.vscode.dev/redirect/mcp/install?name=everything-search&config=%7B%22command%22%3A%22everything-search-mcp-server%22%2C%22args%22%3A%5B%5D%7D) [](https://insiders.vscode.dev/redirect/mcp/install?name=everything-search&config=%7B%22command%22%3A%22everything-search-mcp-server%22%2C%22args%22%3A%5B%5D%7D&quality=insiders)
For manual installation, add the following JSON block to your User Settings (JSON) file in VS Code. You can do this by pressing `Ctrl + Shift + P` and typing `Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)`.
Optionally, you can add it to a file called `.vscode/mcp.json` in your workspace. This will allow you to share the configuration with others.
> Note that the `mcp` key is needed when using the `mcp.json` file.
Add to your VS Code `settings.json`:
```json
{
"mcp": {
"servers": {
"everything-search": {
"command": "everything-search-mcp-server",
"args": []
}
}
}
}
```
**Settings File Locations:**
- **Windows**: `%APPDATA%\Code\User\settings.json`
- **macOS**: `~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/settings.json`
- **Linux**: `~/.config/Code/User/settings.json`
> **Note**: Ensure you have the MCP extension installed in VS Code for MCP server support.
### Step 4: Restart Your MCP Client
Restart Claude Desktop or VS Code to load the new server.
### Step 5: Verify Installation
Test that the server is working:
```bash
# Check if the command is available
everything-search-mcp-server --help
# Or test with a simple search (if Everything is running)
# The server should start and respond to MCP requests
```
In your MCP client, try a simple search like:
- "Search for README files"
- "Find all .txt files"
- "Show me large video files"
- "Find recent Word documents"
## Usage
The server provides two powerful tools:
### 1. `search` - Advanced File Search
```json
{
"query": "search terms",
"scope": "C:",
"caseSensitive": false,
"wholeWord": false,
"regex": false,
"path": false,
"maxResults": 100,
"sortBy": "name",
"ascending": true
}
```
### 2. `natural_search` - Natural Language Search
```json
{
"naturalQuery": "find all video files larger than 1GB",
"maxResults": 50
}
```
## Examples
### Basic Searches
```json
// Find all PDF files
{
"query": "*.pdf",
"maxResults": 10
}
// Search for "readme" files
{
"query": "readme",
"maxResults": 5
}
```
### Advanced Searches
```json
// Case-sensitive search in specific directory
{
"query": "Config",
"scope": "C:\\Users\\YourName\\AppData",
"caseSensitive": true,
"maxResults": 20
}
// Regex search for JavaScript files
{
"query": ".*\\.(js|ts)$",
"regex": true,
"sortBy": "date_modified",
"ascending": false
}
```
### Natural Language Searches
```json
// Find large video files
{
"naturalQuery": "large video files on desktop",
"maxResults": 10
}
// Find recent documents
{
"naturalQuery": "documents modified this week",
"maxResults": 15
}
// Find development projects
{
"naturalQuery": "programming projects with package.json",
"maxResults": 5
}
```
## Parameters Reference
### `search` Tool Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
| --------------- | ------- | ------------ | ------------------------------------------------ |
| `query` | string | **required** | Search query string |
| `scope` | string | `"C:"` | Search scope/directory |
| `caseSensitive` | boolean | `false` | Enable case-sensitive matching |
| `wholeWord` | boolean | `false` | Match whole words only |
| `regex` | boolean | `false` | Enable regular expressions |
| `path` | boolean | `false` | Search in file paths |
| `maxResults` | number | `100` | Maximum results (1-1000) |
| `sortBy` | string | `"name"` | Sort by: `name`, `path`, `size`, `date_modified` |
| `ascending` | boolean | `true` | Sort direction |
### `natural_search` Tool Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
| -------------- | ------ | ------------ | ----------------------------------- |
| `naturalQuery` | string | **required** | Natural language search description |
| `maxResults` | number | `100` | Maximum results (1-1000) |
## Troubleshooting
### Common Issues
1. **"Connection refused" error**
- Ensure Everything Search is running
- Verify HTTP Server is enabled (Tools > Options > HTTP Server)
- Check port 8011 is not blocked by firewall
2. **"Command not found" error**
- Ensure the server is installed globally: `npm install -g everything-search-mcp-server`
- Verify Node.js is in your PATH
3. **No results returned**
- Allow Everything to complete initial indexing (can take a few minutes for large drives)
- Check if Everything can find files through its GUI first
- Verify your search scope exists and is accessible
- Ensure you have read permissions for the search directory
4. **Performance issues**
- Reduce `maxResults` for faster responses
- Use more specific search scopes to limit search area
- Consider using exact file extensions instead of wildcards
### Configuration
#### Custom Port Configuration
If you need to use a different port:
1. Change Everything's HTTP port (Tools > Options > HTTP Server)
2. Set environment variable: `EVERYTHING_PORT=8012`
3. Or modify the server source code
#### Debug Mode
Enable debug logging:
```bash
DEBUG=everything-search:* everything-search-mcp-server
```
## What's New
### Version 1.0.0 🎉
- **Initial Release**: Complete MCP server implementation
- **Natural Language Search**: AI-powered search queries
- **Global Installation**: Easy npm-based installation
- **Multi-Client Support**: Works with Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP clients
- **Advanced Search Options**: Regex, case sensitivity, path search
- **Rich Documentation**: Comprehensive setup and usage guide
## Development
### Building from Source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/ananyaakamat/everything-search-mcp-server.git
cd everything-search-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build
```
### Running Tests
```bash
npm test
```
### Contributing
1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch: `git checkout -b feature-name`
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Commit: `git commit -am 'Add feature'`
6. Push: `git push origin feature-name`
7. Create a Pull Request
## License
ISC License - see [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
## Support
- 🐛 **Bug Reports**: [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/ananyaakamat/everything-search-mcp-server/issues)
- 💬 **Discussions**: [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/ananyaakamat/everything-search-mcp-server/discussions)
- 📧 **Email**: anant.kamat.in@gmail.com
## Related Projects
- [Everything Search Engine](https://www.voidtools.com/) - The powerful file search engine this server integrates with
- [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) - The protocol this server implements
- [Claude Desktop](https://claude.ai/desktop) - AI assistant with MCP support
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**Made with ❤️ for the MCP community**
