Build Agents with Needle MCP Server

MCP (Model Context Protocol) server to manage documents and perform searches using Needle through Claude’s Desktop Application.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Usage
  • Commands in Claude Desktop
  • Result in Needle
• Installation
• Video Explanation

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Overview

Needle MCP Server allows you to:

• Organize and store documents for quick retrieval.
• Perform powerful searches via Claude’s large language model.
• Integrate seamlessly with the Needle ecosystem for advanced document management.

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Features

• Document Management: Easily add and organize documents on the server.
• Search & Retrieval: Claude-based natural language search for quick answers.
• Easy Integration: Works with Claude Desktop and Needle collections.

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Usage

Commands in Claude Desktop

Below is an example of how the commands can be used in Claude Desktop to interact with the server:

1. Open Claude Desktop and connect to the Needle MCP Server.
2. Use simple text commands to search, retrieve, or modify documents.
3. Review search results returned by Claude in a user-friendly interface.

Result in Needle

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0235e893-af96-4920-8364-1e86f73b3e6c

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Youtube Video Explanation

For a full walkthrough on using the Needle MCP Server with Claude and Claude Desktop, watch this YouTube explanation video.

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Installation

Installing via Smithery

To install Needle MCP for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install needle-mcp --client claude

Manual Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/needle-mcp.git

2. Install UV globally using Homebrew in Terminal:

brew install uv

3. Create claude_desktop_config.json:

   • For MacOS: Open directory ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/ and create the file inside it
   • For Windows: Open directory %APPDATA%/Claude/ and create the file inside it

4. Add this configuration to claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "needle_mcp": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/path/to/needle-mcp",
        "run",
        "needle-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "NEEDLE_API_KEY": "your_needle_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

5. Get your Needle API key from needle.xyz

6. Update the config file:

   • Replace /path/to/needle-mcp with your actual repository path
   • Add your Needle API key

7. Quit Claude completely and reopen it

Usage Examples

• "Create a new collection called 'Technical Docs'"
• "Add this document to the collection, which is https://needle-ai.com"
• "Search the collection for information about AI"
• "List all my collections"

Troubleshooting

If not working:

• Make sure UV is installed globally (if not, uninstall with pip uninstall uv and reinstall with brew install uv)
• Or find UV path with which uv and replace "command": "uv" with the full path
• Verify your Needle API key is correct
• Check if the needle-mcp path in config matches your actual repository location

Reset Claude Desktop Configuration

If you're seeing old configurations or the integration isn't working:

1. Find all Claude Desktop config files:

find / -name "claude_desktop_config.json" 2>/dev/null

2. Remove all Claude Desktop data:

• On MacOS: rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/*
• On Windows: Delete contents of %APPDATA%/Claude/

3. Create a fresh config with only Needle:

mkdir -p ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude
cat > ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
<< 'EOL'
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "needle_mcp": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/path/to/needle-mcp",
        "run",
        "needle-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "NEEDLE_API_KEY": "your_needle_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}
EOL

4. Completely quit Claude Desktop (Command+Q on Mac) and relaunch it

5. If you still see old configurations:

• Check for additional config files in other locations
• Try clearing browser cache if using web version
• Verify the config file is being read from the correct location