everything-mcp-server

Everything MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides instant file search capabilities using Everything's native SDK. This server integrates Everything's powerful search engine with AI tooling, enabling lightning-fast file system searches through the MCP interface.

Features

• 🔍 Instant File Search: Leverage Everything's instant indexing for near-instantaneous file searches
• 🎯 Advanced Filtering: Search by path, extension, size, date modified, and more
• 🔄 Duplicate Detection: Find duplicate files across your system
• 📄 Content Search: Search within file contents (requires Everything content indexing)
• ⚡ High Performance: Direct API access through native SDK integration
• 🛡️ Read-Only: Safe, non-destructive file system access

Tools Provided

1. search_files

Basic file search with regex and case sensitivity options.

Parameters:

• query (string): Search query for file names
• maxResults (number, optional): Maximum results to return (default: 100)
• matchCase (boolean, optional): Enable case-sensitive search
• matchWholeWord (boolean, optional): Match whole words only
• regex (boolean, optional): Enable regular expression search

2. search_files_advanced

Advanced search with comprehensive filtering options.

Parameters:

• query (string): Search query for file names
• path (string, optional): Limit search to specific path
• extension (string, optional): Filter by file extension (e.g., 'txt', 'pdf')
• size (string, optional): Filter by file size (e.g., '>1mb', '<100kb', '1gb..2gb')
• dateModified (string, optional): Filter by date modified (e.g., 'today', 'yesterday', 'thisweek', '2024')
• maxResults (number, optional): Maximum results to return (default: 100)
• matchCase (boolean, optional): Enable case-sensitive search
• matchWholeWord (boolean, optional): Match whole words only
• regex (boolean, optional): Enable regular expression search
• sortBy (enum, optional): Sort results by field (name_asc, name_desc, path_asc, path_desc, size_asc, size_desc, date_asc, date_desc)

3. find_duplicates

Find duplicate files by filename.

Parameters:

• filename (string): Filename to search for duplicates
• path (string, optional): Limit search to specific path
• maxResults (number, optional): Maximum results to return (default: 50)

4. search_content

Search for text content within files.

Parameters:

• content (string): Text content to search for within files
• fileTypes (string, optional): Limit to specific file types (e.g., 'txt;doc;pdf')
• path (string, optional): Limit search to specific path
• maxResults (number, optional): Maximum results to return (default: 50)

Prerequisites

1. Everything Application: Must be installed and running

   • Download from: https://www.voidtools.com/
   • Ensure it's running in the background for API access

2. Node.js: Version 18+ with ES module support

3. Windows OS: Required for Everything SDK compatibility

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/peterparker57/everything-mcp-server.git
cd everything-mcp-server

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Build the project:

npm run build

Configuration

Add the server to your MCP settings file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "everything": {
      "command": "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe",
      "args": ["path/to/everything-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "disabled": false,
      "env": {},
      "alwaysAllow": [
        "search_files",
        "search_files_advanced",
        "find_duplicates",
        "search_content"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Usage Examples

Basic File Search

Search for: "msbuild.exe"
Options: Case sensitive, max 50 results

Advanced Search with Filters

Query: "*.pdf"
Path: "C:\\Documents"
Size: ">1mb"
Date Modified: "thisweek"
Sort: "size_desc"

Find Duplicates

Filename: "config.json"
Path: "C:\\Projects" (optional)

Content Search

Content: "function main"
File Types: "js;ts;py"
Path: "C:\\Code" (optional)

Architecture

Technology Stack

• Language: TypeScript
• Framework: MCP SDK (@modelcontextprotocol/sdk)
• FFI Library: koffi (for native DLL integration)
• Module System: ES modules
• Target: Everything SDK (Windows file search utility)

Key Components

1. Main Server (src/index.ts): Core MCP server implementation
2. Everything SDK: Native Windows DLLs for file search
3. Build System: TypeScript compilation to ES modules
4. Configuration: Package.json with ES module support

Development

Building

npm run build

Testing

Start the server directly to test:

node build/index.js

Project Structure

everything-mcp-server/
├── src/
│   └── index.ts          # Main server implementation
├── EverythingSDK/        # Everything native SDK files
│   └── dll/
│       ├── Everything32.dll
│       └── Everything64.dll
├── build/                # Compiled JavaScript output
├── package.json          # Project configuration
├── tsconfig.json         # TypeScript configuration
└── README.md            # This file

Troubleshooting

"Everything search client is not running"

• Start Everything application
• Ensure it's not running in portable mode without service

"Connection closed" MCP error

• Check that build directory exists and contains index.js
• Verify Node.js path in MCP configuration
• Ensure Everything application is running

ES Module errors

• Verify package.json has "type": "module"
• Check import statements use .js extensions
• Ensure koffi is imported as default export

Performance Notes

• Everything indexes files instantly, searches are near-instantaneous
• Content search requires Everything to have content indexing enabled
• Large result sets are automatically limited (configurable per tool)
• Direct API access provides better performance than command-line interface

Security Considerations

• Server provides read-only file system access through Everything
• No file modification capabilities
• Respects Everything's own security and indexing settings
• Content search limited to files Everything has indexed

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Everything by voidtools for the amazing file search utility
• Model Context Protocol for the MCP framework
• koffi for the excellent FFI library

Related Projects

• MCP SDK - TypeScript SDK for Model Context Protocol
• Everything - The file search utility this server integrates with

Note: This is a Windows-specific MCP server that requires the Everything application to be installed and running. For cross-platform file search solutions, consider other MCP servers or file search tools.