anythingllm-mcp

A zero-dependency Node MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for AnythingLLM, exposing async chat and workspace management over the AnythingLLM REST API. Node stdlib only - no @modelcontextprotocol/sdk, nothing to break on reinstall, no SDK drift.

Why we made this

This came out of building a strict, no-fabrication RAG setup in AnythingLLM over a large local library (tabletop RPG rulebooks) served by self-hosted Ollama.

To stop the model inventing rules, we moved the fact-retrieval workspace onto a bigger local model (Qwen 32B) for stronger grounding. Bigger local models are slow on modest VRAM (~4-5 tok/s once the model spills to CPU), so a normal answer takes well over a minute.

That collided with a hard limit: the MCP tool-call timeout in Claude Desktop / Claude Code is ~60 seconds and is not configurable. The timeout field in claude_desktop_config.json and MCP_TIMEOUT are not honored for per-call execution (open issues: anthropics/claude-code #43791, #22542). Every long answer from the stock synchronous chat_with_workspace died at 60s.

The fix isn't a longer timeout (you can't set one) - it's to never block a call. ask_workspace starts the query and returns a job_id instantly; get_answer fetches the result when it's ready. No single call is long, so the timeout never fires, no matter how slow the model. We also recreated the workspace-management tools over REST so this one server fully replaces the stock anythingllm MCP server.

Related MCP server: anythingllm-mcp

Tools

Installation - two ways (pick one)

There are two supported ways to add this server to Claude Desktop. Use one at a time - both expose the same 9 tools, so running both together just gives you duplicate tools.

Option A - One-click Desktop Extension (.mcpb) (recommended for most people)

Download anythingllm-mcp-<version>.mcpb from the Releases page (or build it yourself: npx @anthropic-ai/mcpb pack . anythingllm-mcp.mcpb), then double-click it - or in Claude Desktop go to Settings -> Extensions -> Advanced -> Install extension. It prompts you for your AnythingLLM Base URL and API key and stores them for you.

Why choose this: easiest, no hand-editing JSON, no git needed; Claude Desktop manages starting/stopping the server and keeps the key in the extension's own settings. Best if you just want it working.

Option B - Manual config (claude_desktop_config.json) (power users / servers / pinning)

Clone the repo and add this block under mcpServers (see config.example.json), then restart Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anythingllm": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:\\path\\to\\anythingllm-mcp\\server.js"],
      "env": {
        "ANYTHINGLLM_BASE_URL": "http://your-anythingllm-host:3001",
        "ANYTHINGLLM_API_KEY": "<YOUR_ANYTHINGLLM_API_KEY>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Why choose this: full control and transparency - you can read/edit the env and args directly, pin to a specific checkout, git pull to update, and script the same config across machines. Best for homelab/server setups and anyone who prefers config-as-code over a packaged bundle.

Option C - Signed Windows installer (.exe) (easiest for non-technical users)

Download AnythingLLM-MCP-Setup-<version>.exe from the Releases page and run it. It is Authenticode-signed (SSL.com OV certificate, "John B Owens II"), so it runs without the "unknown publisher" SmartScreen warning. It prompts for your Base URL + API key, installs server.js to %LOCALAPPDATA%\anythingllm-mcp, and writes the config entry for you. Requires Node.js 18+ on PATH. (Uses the config-file method under the hood - don't also run the .mcpb extension, or you'll get duplicate tools.)

The install warning, and signing

Both methods show a one-time "this extension/server isn't verified - allow?" style prompt. That's expected and normal for a community MCP server you built or downloaded yourself: Claude Desktop is telling you it can't vouch for the publisher, so you are the one vouching for the code. That's reasonable here

• the whole server is ~200 lines of dependency-free JavaScript you can read in server.js before you trust it.

Removing the prompt requires a signature Claude Desktop trusts, and that's harder than it sounds:

• mcpb sign (the bundle's own signing command) needs a **local PEM certificate

  • private key** on disk.

• A self-signed cert signs the bundle but still shows as an untrusted publisher - often looking worse than unsigned, so we ship the release unsigned by design.

• Cloud / HSM code-signing (e.g. SSL.com eSigner, DigiCert KeyLocker, Azure Trusted Signing) keeps the private key non-exportable, so it can't produce the key.pem mcpb sign needs. And classic Authenticode / signtool signs Windows PE files (.exe/.msi), not a .mcpb (a ZIP with its own signature scheme) - so a normal code-signing cert doesn't apply here either.

Bottom line: for a personal/community extension, verify the source and accept the one-time prompt. Signing only meaningfully helps if you have a CA-chained, exportable code-signing cert to feed mcpb sign.

Usage

• Query: ask_workspace with a workspace slug + question -> note the job_id. Then get_answer(job_id); if pending, wait ~15-30s and call again.

• Manage: list_workspaces, get_workspace, update_workspace, etc. return immediately.

Requirements

• Node.js >= 18 (uses the built-in global fetch).

• An AnythingLLM instance with a Developer API key (Settings -> Tools -> Developer API).

Development

node --check server.js     # syntax
node test.js               # end-to-end smoke test (drives the MCP protocol over stdio)

test.js reads the env from your Claude Desktop config for convenience.

Security

• The API key is read from the ANYTHINGLLM_API_KEY environment variable - never hard-coded.

• .gitignore excludes .env, claude_desktop_config*.json, and backups so secrets never get committed.

License

MIT - see LICENSE.