Discourse

What is discourse-mcp-server?

discourse-mcp-server is a Node.js server that implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to enable searching posts on a Discourse forum. It acts as a bridge, allowing other applications (like Claude Desktop) to easily query and retrieve information from Discourse forums.

How to use discourse-mcp-server?

To use discourse-mcp-server, you need to configure it within your application that supports MCP servers, such as Claude Desktop. You can run it either via Docker or NPX. Both methods require setting environment variables for DISCOURSE_API_URL, DISCOURSE_API_KEY, and DISCOURSE_API_USERNAME to connect to your Discourse instance.

Docker Usage Example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "discourse": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e", "DISCOURSE_API_URL=https://try.discourse.org",
        "-e", "DISCOURSE_API_KEY=1234",
        "-e", "DISCOURSE_API_USERNAME=ash",
        "ashdev/discourse-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

NPX Usage Example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "discourse": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@ashdev/discourse-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DISCOURSE_API_URL": "https://try.discourse.org",
        "DISCOURSE_API_KEY": "1234",
        "DISCOURSE_API_USERNAME": "ash" 
      }
    }
  }
}

Key Features of discourse-mcp-server

• Discourse Post Search: The primary feature is the ability to search posts on a Discourse forum using the MCP protocol.
• MCP Implementation: It provides a standardized way for applications to interact with Discourse for search operations.
• API Tool: search_posts: This tool allows you to search for posts by providing a query string and returns an array of post objects.

Use Cases of discourse-mcp-server

• Integrating Discourse Search into Applications: Developers can integrate Discourse forum search functionality into their own applications that support MCP, such as desktop assistants or custom tools.
• Building Custom Search Interfaces: It can be used as a backend for building custom search interfaces specifically for Discourse forums.
• Automating Information Retrieval: Automate the retrieval of specific posts or discussions from a Discourse forum based on keywords.

FAQ about discourse-mcp-server

Q: What is MCP? A: MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, a protocol that allows different applications to communicate and share contextual information, in this case, for search operations.

Q: What environment variables do I need to set? A: You need to set DISCOURSE_API_URL, DISCOURSE_API_KEY, and DISCOURSE_API_USERNAME to connect to your Discourse forum.

Q: Can I build my own Docker image? A: Yes, you can build the Docker image using docker build -t ashdev/discourse-mcp-server .

Discourse MCP Server

Node.js server implementing Model Context Protocol (MCP) for Discourse search operation.

Features

• Search Posts on a Discourse forum using MCP protocol.

API

Tools

• search_posts
  • Search posts on a Discourse forum
  • Input: query (string)
  • Returns an array of post objects

Usage with Claude Desktop

Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json:

Docker

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "discourse": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e", "DISCOURSE_API_URL=https://try.discourse.org",
        "-e", "DISCOURSE_API_KEY=1234",
        "-e", "DISCOURSE_API_USERNAME=ash",
        "ashdev/discourse-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

NPX

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "discourse": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@ashdev/discourse-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DISCOURSE_API_URL": "https://try.discourse.org",
        "DISCOURSE_API_KEY": "1234",
        "DISCOURSE_API_USERNAME": "ash" 
      }
    }
  }
}

Build

Docker build:

docker build -t ashdev/discourse-mcp-server .