denis911/RAG-MCP-server-for-local-Claude-desktop-app

FAQ-RAG MCP Server for Claude Desktop

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides FAQ search functionality using RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) to Claude Desktop. This project enables Claude to search through your FAQ documents and provide relevant answers based on semantic similarity.

Inspiration is coming from here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnljvmHorQw

FAQ data and the code is taken from here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2EDdZplLcU

🚀 Features

• FAQ Search: Search through hundreds of FAQ entries with semantic relevance ranking
• Real-time Integration: Works directly with Claude Desktop through MCP protocol
• Easy Setup: Simple configuration with minimal dependencies
• Windows Compatible: Tested and optimized for Windows 10/11

📋 Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• Windows 10/11 (Mac/Linux should work but not tested)
• Claude Desktop application

🛠️ Installation & Setup

Step 1: Download Claude Desktop

1. Go to Claude.ai and download Claude Desktop
2. Install Claude Desktop on your Windows machine
3. Create an account and sign in

Step 2: Clone/Download This Repository

Option A: Manual Download (Recommended)

1. Download all files from this repository
2. Create a folder: C:\mcp_projects\claude_desktop_FAQ_RAG_MCP\
3. Place all files in this folder

Option B: Git Clone

git clone https://github.com/denis911/RAG-MCP-server-for-local-Claude-desktop-app
cd claude_desktop_FAQ_RAG_MCP

Step 3: Install Python Dependencies

pip install fastmcp minsearch toyaikit

Or install globally:

pip install --user fastmcp minsearch toyaikit

Note: The requests library is imported in main.py but not actually used since we load documents locally.

Step 4: Test Your MCP Server

First, test that your server runs correctly:

cd C:\mcp_projects\claude_desktop_FAQ_RAG_MCP
python main.py

You should see output like:

Starting MCP server 'Search FAQ'...
INFO: Started server process [XXXX]

If successful, press Ctrl+C to stop the server.

Step 5: Configure Claude Desktop

1. Find your Claude Desktop config directory:

   • Press Win + R
   • Type %APPDATA%\Claude and press Enter

2. Create configuration file:

   • Find a file named claude_desktop_config.json in the Claude folder
   • Add the following content:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "FAQ-RAG-MCP-server": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["C:\\mcp_projects\\claude_desktop_FAQ_RAG_MCP\\main.py"],
      "cwd": "C:\\mcp_projects\\claude_desktop_FAQ_RAG_MCP",
      "env": {
        "PYTHONPATH": "C:\\mcp_projects\\claude_desktop_FAQ_RAG_MCP"
      }
    }
  }
}

⚠️ Important: Replace the paths with your actual installation directory if different.

Step 6: Restart Claude Desktop

1. Completely close Claude Desktop (don't just close the window)

   • Use Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc)
   • Look for "Claude" processes and end them
   • Or right-click the Claude icon in system tray and "Exit"

2. Start Claude Desktop fresh

3. Wait 15-30 seconds for the MCP server to initialize

Step 7: Test the Connection

1. Look for a hammer/tools icon or "Search and tools" button in Claude Desktop
2. Click on it to see available tools
3. You should see "FAQ-RAG-MCP-server" listed
4. Test by asking Claude to search your FAQ database

🔧 Troubleshooting

Problem: "No tools available" or tools button doesn't appear

Solutions:

1. Check configuration file location: Ensure claude_desktop_config.json is in %APPDATA%\Claude\
2. Verify JSON syntax: Use a JSON validator to check for syntax errors
3. Try full Python path:

   where python
   

   Use the full path in your config:

   "command": "C:\\Users\\YourName\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python312\\python.exe"
   

4. Check file paths: Ensure all paths in config are correct and use double backslashes (\\)

Problem: MCP server starts but disconnects immediately

Solutions:

1. Test server manually first:

   python main.py
   

2. Check for missing dependencies:

   pip show fastmcp minsearch toyaikit
   

3. Verify documents.json exists in the same directory as main.py

Problem: "Request timed out" errors

Solutions:

1. Reduce document loading time - The FAQ database might be too large
2. Use the simple test server first:

   python test_simple.py
   

3. Check antivirus software - It might be blocking the connection

Problem: Permission denied or file not found errors

Solutions:

1. Run Command Prompt as Administrator
2. Check file permissions on your project directory
3. Use absolute paths instead of relative paths in configuration

📁 File Structure

claude_desktop_FAQ_RAG_MCP/
├── main.py                    # Main MCP server with SearchTools integration
├── search_tools.py           # FAQ search functionality and index management
├── test_simple.py            # Simple test server for troubleshooting
├── documents.json            # FAQ database (1000+ questions)
├── claude_desktop_config.json # Example configuration file
└── README.md                 # This file

🎯 Usage Examples

Once connected, you can interact with your FAQ database through Claude:

Example 1: Technical Questions

You ask: "How to install Kafka on Windows?"

Claude searches your FAQ and responds with: 5 relevant answers from your database, ranked by relevance, covering Docker setup, Python integration, and troubleshooting.

Example 2: Learning Resources

You ask: "What's the easiest way to learn DBT?"

Claude provides: Information combining internet search results, FAQ database answers, and its own knowledge for a comprehensive learning path.

Example 3: Troubleshooting

You ask: "I'm getting a Docker permission error"

Claude searches: Your FAQ database for similar issues and provides specific solutions from other users' experiences.

🎉 Benefits

• Instant Access: Search hundreds of FAQ entries instantly
• Contextual Answers: Get relevant answers ranked by similarity
• Local Processing: Your data stays on your machine
• Extensible: Easy to add more documents or modify search logic
• Integration: Works within Claude Desktop interface

📝 Technical Details

• Framework: FastMCP for MCP protocol implementation
• Search Engine: MinSearch with AppendableIndex for document indexing and retrieval
• Integration: toyaikit.tools for wrapping SearchTools methods as MCP tools
• Transport: Default MCP transport (stdio) for reliable Claude Desktop communication
• Data Storage: JSON-based FAQ storage with course categorization and metadata
• Search Features:
  • Semantic search across question, text, and section fields
  • Course filtering (currently set to 'data-engineering-zoomcamp')
  • Boost weighting (questions: 3.0x, sections: 0.5x)
  • Returns top 5 most relevant results - hard-coded for now, could be any number required

🆘 Getting Help

If you're still having issues:

1. Check Claude Desktop logs for error messages
2. Test with the simple server first (test_simple.py)
3. Verify all file paths are correct in your configuration
4. Ensure Python dependencies are properly installed
5. Try different Python versions if compatibility issues arise

🏷️ Version Info

• Tested with: Claude Desktop v0.13.19
• Python: 3.8+
• Platform: Windows 10/11 (should work on Mac/Linux)

Happy searching! 🔍 Your FAQ database is now at your fingertips through Claude Desktop.