Hermes Search MCP Server
The Hermes Search MCP Server enables interaction with Azure Cognitive Search via the Model Context Protocol, offering three main capabilities:
Search Documents: Execute full-text and semantic searches over indexes with customizable parameters (query, filter, field selection, and result count).
Index Content: Add new documents or update existing ones in your search index.
Delete Index: Remove the entire Azure Cognitive Search index when needed.
Click on "Deploy Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@Hermes Search MCP Server search for recent customer feedback about our new product features"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
Hermes Search MCP Server 🔍
🔌 Compatible with Cline, Cursor, Claude Desktop, and any other MCP Clients!
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that enables AI systems to interact seamlessly with various data sources and tools, facilitating secure, two-way connections.
The Hermes Search MCP server provides:
Full-text and semantic search capabilities over structured/unstructured data
Document indexing and management in Azure Cognitive Search
Efficient search operations with customizable parameters
Type-safe operations with TypeScript
Prerequisites 🔧
Before you begin, ensure you have:
Azure Cognitive Search service and credentials
Claude Desktop or Cursor
Node.js (v20 or higher)
Git installed (only needed if using Git installation method)
Related MCP server: Azure AI Search MCP Server
Hermes Search MCP server installation ⚡
Running with NPX
npx -y hermes-search-mcp@latestInstalling via Smithery
To install Hermes Search MCP Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:
npx -y @smithery/cli install @hermes-search/mcp --client claudeConfiguring MCP Clients ⚙️
Configuring Cline 🤖
The easiest way to set up the Hermes Search MCP server in Cline is through the marketplace with a single click:
Open Cline in VS Code
Click on the Cline icon in the sidebar
Navigate to the "MCP Servers" tab (4 squares)
Search "Hermes Search" and click "install"
When prompted, enter your Azure Cognitive Search credentials
Alternatively, you can manually set up the Hermes Search MCP server in Cline:
Open the Cline MCP settings file:
# For macOS:
code ~/Library/Application\ Support/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json
# For Windows:
code %APPDATA%\Code\User\globalStorage\saoudrizwan.claude-dev\settings\cline_mcp_settings.jsonAdd the Hermes Search server configuration to the file:
{
"mcpServers": {
"hermes-search-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "hermes-search-mcp@latest"],
"env": {
"AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT": "your-search-endpoint",
"AZURE_SEARCH_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
"AZURE_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME": "your-index-name"
},
"disabled": false,
"autoApprove": []
}
}
}Save the file and restart Cline if it's already running.
Configuring Cursor 🖥️
Note: Requires Cursor version 0.45.6 or higher
To set up the Hermes Search MCP server in Cursor:
Open Cursor Settings
Navigate to Features > MCP Servers
Click on the "+ Add New MCP Server" button
Fill out the following information:
Name: Enter a nickname for the server (e.g., "hermes-search-mcp")
Type: Select "command" as the type
Command: Enter the command to run the server:
env AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT=your-search-endpoint AZURE_SEARCH_API_KEY=your-api-key AZURE_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME=your-index-name npx -y hermes-search-mcp@latestImportant: Replace the environment variables with your Azure Cognitive Search credentials
Configuring the Claude Desktop app 🖥️
For macOS:
# Create the config file if it doesn't exist
touch "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json"
# Opens the config file in TextEdit
open -e "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json"For Windows:
code %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.jsonAdd the Hermes Search server configuration:
{
"mcpServers": {
"hermes-search-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "hermes-search-mcp@latest"],
"env": {
"AZURE_SEARCH_ENDPOINT": "your-search-endpoint",
"AZURE_SEARCH_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
"AZURE_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME": "your-index-name"
}
}
}
}Usage in Claude Desktop App 🎯
Once the installation is complete, and the Claude desktop app is configured, you must completely close and re-open the Claude desktop app to see the hermes-search-mcp server. You should see a search icon in the bottom left of the app, indicating available MCP tools.
Hermes Search Examples
Search Documents:
Search for documents containing "machine learning" in the Azure Cognitive Search index, returning the top 10 results.Index Content:
Index the following documents into Azure Cognitive Search: [{"id": "1", "title": "AI Overview", "content": "Artificial Intelligence is..."}]Delete Index:
Delete the current Azure Cognitive Search index.Troubleshooting 🛠️
Common Issues
Server Not Found
Verify the npm installation by running
npm --versionCheck Claude Desktop configuration syntax
Ensure Node.js is properly installed by running
node --version
Azure Search Credentials Issues
Confirm your Azure Cognitive Search credentials are valid
Check the credentials are correctly set in the config
Verify no spaces or quotes around the credentials
Index Access Issues
Verify the index exists in your Azure Cognitive Search service
Check the index permissions
Ensure the API key has appropriate access rights
Acknowledgments ✨
Model Context Protocol for the MCP specification
Anthropic for Claude Desktop
Microsoft Azure for Cognitive Search
Available Tools
3 toolsdelete-indexA
Delete the Azure Cognitive Search index
Inputs: no named parameters.
index-contentB
Index or update documents in Azure Cognitive Search
Inputs: documents (required).
search-documentsB
Search documents in Azure Cognitive Search index
Inputs: query (required), top, filter, select.
Tool Schema Changelog
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
Loading tool schema changelog…
TDQS
Scored across 3 tools
Each tool targets a distinct operation: deleting an index, indexing content, and searching documents. No overlap in purpose.
All tools follow a consistent verb-noun pattern with hyphens (delete-index, index-content, search-documents), making them predictable.
Three tools is on the low side but covers the core search lifecycle (index, search, delete). Slightly under but reasonable for a focused MCP server.
Missing critical operations like creating an index or listing indexes. The server assumes an existing index, limiting its standalone usability.
Maintenance
Related MCP Connectors
The Needle MCP server enables semantic search on documents stored in files like PDFs, DOCX, and XLSX by connecting AI applications to external data sources. It provides capabilities to create and manage document collections, perform natural language searches on stored content, and retrieve relevant information without requiring exact keyword matches.
Ingest, manage, and retrieve documents for RAG-powered AI applications
Search your knowledge bases from any AI assistant using hybrid RAG.
Agent-native search engine with live web research optimized for AI agents.
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