Custom Elasticsearch MCP Server

A simple MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for Elasticsearch designed for cloud environments where your public key is already authorized on the server.

Why This Custom Version?

No API Key Required - Unlike the official Elasticsearch MCP server that requires both ES_URL and ES_API_KEY, this version only needs the URL since your public key is already trusted on the cloud server.

Enhanced Tools - Better usability with optional parameters and improved defaults compared to the official version.

What This Does

This MCP server connects Cursor to your Elasticsearch cluster with 4 powerful tools:

• list_indices - List all indices (optional pattern filter)
• search - Full Elasticsearch Query DSL support
• get_mappings - Get field mappings for any index
• get_shards - View cluster shard information

Quick Start

Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/M0-AR/Custom-Elasticsearch-MCP-Server.git
cd Custom-Elasticsearch-MCP-Server
docker build -t elasticsearch-mcp:latest .

2. Add to Cursor MCP Configuration

Add this to your .cursor/mcp.json file:

Configuration:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "elasticsearch-custom": {
            "command": "docker",
            "args": [
                "run",
                "-i",
                "--rm",
                "--add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway",
                "-e",
                "ES_URL=http://host.docker.internal:9400",
                "elasticsearch-mcp:latest"
            ]
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Cursor

Close and reopen Cursor. You should see the elasticsearch-custom server with 4 tools enabled.

Configuration

Environment Variables:

• ES_URL - Your Elasticsearch URL (default: http://localhost:9400)

For different Elasticsearch ports:

"ES_URL=http://host.docker.internal:9200"

Example Usage

Once connected in Cursor, you can:

• List all indices: "Show me all elasticsearch indices"
• Search data: "Search for sales data in hq.sales index"
• Get mappings: "What fields are in the hq.menuitems index?"
• Check cluster: "Show me the elasticsearch cluster status"

Comparison with Official Server

Feature	Official Server	This Custom Server
Authentication	Requires ES_URL + ES_API_KEY	Only needs ES_URL (public key authorized)
list_indices	Requires indexPattern parameter	Optional parameter with "*" default
Tools Available	4 tools (same functions)	4 tools (enhanced usability)
Security	API key based	Public key authorization

Files

• simple_elasticsearch_mcp.py - Main MCP server
• Dockerfile - Container build instructions
• requirements.txt - Python dependencies

Manual Testing

Test the server directly:

python3 simple_elasticsearch_mcp.py

Test with JSON-RPC commands:

1. List all tools:

echo '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "tools/list", "params": {}}' | python3 simple_elasticsearch_mcp.py

2. List all indices:

echo '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 2, "method": "tools/call", "params": {"name": "list_indices", "arguments": {}}}' | python3 simple_elasticsearch_mcp.py

3. Search for data:

echo '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 3, "method": "tools/call", "params": {"name": "search", "arguments": {"index": "hq.sales", "queryBody": {"query": {"match_all": {}}, "size": 3}}}}' | python3 simple_elasticsearch_mcp.py

4. Get index mappings:

echo '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 4, "method": "tools/call", "params": {"name": "get_mappings", "arguments": {"index": "hq.menuitems"}}}' | python3 simple_elasticsearch_mcp.py

5. Check cluster shards:

echo '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 5, "method": "tools/call", "params": {"name": "get_shards", "arguments": {}}}' | python3 simple_elasticsearch_mcp.py

Set custom Elasticsearch URL:

ES_URL="http://your-es-host:9200" python3 simple_elasticsearch_mcp.py

Troubleshooting

❌ "Connection refused" or "timed out" errors

Root Cause: The most common issue is Docker container networking when Elasticsearch is accessible via SSH tunnel.

Solution: Ensure these requirements are met:

1. SSH Tunnel Must Be Active

If your Elasticsearch is behind SSH tunnel (common for cloud deployments):

# Start SSH tunnel to forward port 9400
ssh -L 9400:localhost:9400 -N -f -l username your-server-ip

# Verify tunnel is working
curl -X GET "localhost:9400/_cluster/health?pretty"

2. Correct Docker Configuration

Your mcp.json should use exactly this configuration:

"elasticsearch-custom": {
    "command": "docker",
    "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "--add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway",
        "-e",
        "ES_URL=http://host.docker.internal:9400",
        "elasticsearch-mcp:latest"
    ]
}

Key Points:

• ✅ Use --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway (not IP addresses)
• ✅ Use ES_URL=http://host.docker.internal:9400 (not localhost)
• ✅ SSH tunnel must be running before starting Cursor

3. Test Docker Connectivity

# Test if Docker can reach your Elasticsearch
docker run --rm --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway alpine/curl \
  curl -s http://host.docker.internal:9400/_cluster/health

4. Complete MCP Docker Test

Test the full MCP workflow with this comprehensive command:

# Full MCP server test with proper initialization
{
    echo '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "initialize", "params": {"protocolVersion": "2024-11-05", "capabilities": {}, "clientInfo": {"name": "test-client", "version": "1.0.0"}}}';
    echo '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "notifications/initialized", "params": {}}';
    echo '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 3, "method": "tools/call", "params": {"name": "list_indices", "arguments": {}}}';
} | docker run -i --rm --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway -e ES_URL="http://host.docker.internal:9400" elasticsearch-mcp:latest

Expected Output:

• Initialization response with server info
• List of all Elasticsearch indices in JSON format
• No error messages

5. Alternative: Network Host Mode

If host-gateway doesn't work, try network host mode:

"args": [
    "run", "-i", "--rm", "--network=host",
    "-e", "ES_URL=http://localhost:9400",
    "elasticsearch-mcp:latest"
]

❌ "Received request before initialization was complete"

Root Cause: MCP protocol requires proper initialization sequence.

Solution: Always initialize before calling tools:

# Correct sequence:
echo '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "initialize", "params": {"protocolVersion": "2024-11-05", "capabilities": {}, "clientInfo": {"name": "test", "version": "1.0"}}}'
echo '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "notifications/initialized", "params": {}}'
echo '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 2, "method": "tools/call", "params": {"name": "list_indices", "arguments": {}}}'

That's It!

Build → Add to config → Restart Cursor → Done! 🚀