mcp-astgl-knowledge
This server provides AI assistants with access to the As The Geek Learns (ASTGL) knowledge base (astgl.ai), covering MCP servers, local AI, and AI automation.
Search articles: Query the knowledge base by search term, filter by content type (article, tutorial, FAQ, comparison, guide, newsletter, project), and limit results. Returns relevance scores and source URLs.
Get direct answers: Ask a specific question and receive a concise answer with its source URL and related articles.
List all topics: Browse the entire knowledge base — titles, descriptions, URLs, and section headings.
Get tutorials: Retrieve step-by-step guides for specific learning goals.
Compare topics: Get side-by-side comparisons of two topics.
Get latest content: Retrieve the most recently added entries.
Register: Register an email to increase the daily query limit from 50 to 500.
mcp-astgl-knowledge
An MCP server that lets AI assistants search and cite content from As The Geek Learns — covering MCP servers, local AI, AI automation, and ASTGL project documentation.
When an AI assistant connects to this server, it gains access to 49 indexed entries (articles, tutorials, comparisons, guides, and project docs). Every response includes source URLs back to astgl.ai.
Quick Start
Claude Desktop
Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"astgl-knowledge": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-astgl-knowledge"]
}
}
}Claude Code
Add to your project's .mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"astgl-knowledge": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-astgl-knowledge"]
}
}
}Cursor / Generic MCP Client
{
"mcpServers": {
"astgl-knowledge": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-astgl-knowledge"]
}
}
}With Registration (500 queries/day)
Register via the register tool to get an API key, then add it to your config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"astgl-knowledge": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-astgl-knowledge"],
"env": {
"ASTGL_API_KEY": "astgl_your_api_key_here"
}
}
}
}Related MCP server: moss-brain
Tools
search_articles
Search the knowledge base by query. Returns ranked results with relevance scores and source URLs.
Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| string | Yes | Search query (e.g., "how to build an MCP server") |
| number | No | Max results, 1-20 (default: 5) |
| string | No | Filter by type: article, tutorial, faq, comparison, guide, newsletter, project |
get_answer
Get a direct answer to a specific question. Prefers FAQ entries for concise responses.
Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| string | Yes | A specific question (e.g., "What is an MCP server?") |
| string | No | Filter by content type |
get_tutorial
Get step-by-step instructions from tutorial and guide content.
Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| string | Yes | What you want to learn (e.g., "setup Ollama on Mac") |
compare_topics
Side-by-side comparison of two topics.
Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| string | Yes | First topic |
| string | Yes | Second topic |
get_latest
Get the most recently added content.
Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| number | No | Max results, 1-20 (default: 5) |
list_topics
Browse all topics in the knowledge base with content types and section headings.
register
Register your email to unlock 500 queries/day (up from 50).
Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| string | Yes | Your email address |
Content Types
Type | Count | Description |
article | 29 | Informational content about MCP, local AI, automation |
project | 9 | ASTGL project documentation (KlockThingy, Revri, Cortex, etc.) |
tutorial | 8 | Step-by-step how-to guides |
comparison | 2 | Side-by-side topic analysis |
guide | 1 | Comprehensive reference material |
newsletter | — | Personal updates and announcements |
faq | — | Primarily Q&A content |
Rate Limits
Tier | Limit | How to Get |
Public | 50 queries/day | Default (anonymous) |
Registered | 500 queries/day | Use the |
Limits reset at midnight UTC. Rate limit info is included in every response.
How It Works
The knowledge base is pre-built from ASTGL articles using semantic embeddings (nomic-embed-text, 768 dimensions). Content is chunked by section and FAQ entry, embedded, and stored in a SQLite database with sqlite-vec for vector similarity search.
End users don't need Ollama — all embeddings are pre-computed and shipped in the npm package. The only runtime requirement is Node.js.
Performance
Typical response time: 100-500ms (embedding lookup + vector search)
Embedding results are cached in memory (LRU, 200 entries) — repeated queries are near-instant
Ollama calls include 10s timeout + automatic retry
Query logging is async/batched to avoid blocking responses
Rate limit checks are cached for 5 seconds
For Maintainers
Setup
git clone https://github.com/Jmeg8r/mcp-astgl-knowledge.git
cd mcp-astgl-knowledge
npm installScripts
Script | Description |
| Compile TypeScript |
| Run the test suite (node:test via tsx) |
| Run MCP server in dev mode (tsx) |
| Run compiled MCP server |
| Rebuild knowledge.db from local markdown (requires Ollama) |
| Index project docs from astgl-site projects.json |
| Poll RSS/sitemap for new content |
| Process discovered content (classify, embed, index) |
| Discover + structure in one step |
| Generate AEO analytics report |
| Run content gap alert checks |
| Check for stale content and ecosystem version changes |
| Compare local publishable content against what npm actually serves |
| Manual AI citation testing |
| Generate internal article links via vector similarity |
Environment Variables
Variable | Default | Description |
|
| Ollama endpoint (dev/rebuild only) |
|
| Embedding model |
| — | Discord webhook for reports/alerts |
| — | Registered tier API key |
|
| Local markdown source |
|
| Projects data source |
Automated Jobs
Job | Schedule | Purpose |
Content pipeline | Every 6h | Discover + structure new content |
Daily report | 8 AM | Query analytics + health metrics → Discord |
Content alerts | 9 AM | Gap detection, zero-citation, competitor scan → Discord |
Freshness check | 10 AM | Stale content + ecosystem version tracking → Discord |
License
MIT
Available Tools
3 toolsget_answerC
Get a direct answer to a question about MCP servers, local AI, or AI automation from ASTGL's knowledge base. Returns the best matching answer with source URL and related articles.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| question | Yes | A specific question (e.g., 'What is an MCP server?') |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
With no annotations provided, the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It states the tool returns 'the best matching answer with source URL and related articles', which gives some output context, but lacks details on error handling, rate limits, authentication needs, or how 'best matching' is determined. For a tool with zero annotation coverage, this leaves significant gaps in understanding its behavior.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
The description is a single, well-structured sentence that efficiently conveys the core functionality and output. It's front-loaded with the main purpose and avoids unnecessary details. However, it could be slightly more concise by integrating the output details more seamlessly.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Given the tool's moderate complexity (single parameter, no output schema, no annotations), the description is minimally adequate. It covers the purpose and output format but lacks usage guidelines, behavioral details, and differentiation from siblings. With no output schema, it should ideally explain return values more thoroughly, though it does mention 'source URL and related articles'.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
The input schema has 100% description coverage, with the 'question' parameter fully documented in the schema. The description adds no additional parameter semantics beyond what's in the schema (e.g., no examples of effective questions or formatting tips). Baseline score of 3 is appropriate since the schema does the heavy lifting.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description clearly states the tool's purpose: 'Get a direct answer to a question about MCP servers, local AI, or AI automation from ASTGL's knowledge base.' It specifies the verb ('Get'), resource ('direct answer'), and scope ('about MCP servers, local AI, or AI automation'), but doesn't explicitly differentiate from sibling tools like 'list_topics' or 'search_articles' beyond mentioning it returns 'the best matching answer'.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives like 'list_topics' or 'search_articles'. It mentions the tool returns 'the best matching answer with source URL and related articles', but doesn't specify scenarios where this is preferable over other search or listing tools. No exclusions or prerequisites are stated.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
list_topicsB
List all topics covered in the ASTGL knowledge base. Shows article titles, descriptions, URLs, and section headings.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
No parameters | |||
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
With no annotations provided, the description carries full burden for behavioral disclosure. It mentions what data is returned but doesn't cover critical aspects like whether this is a read-only operation, potential rate limits, authentication requirements, pagination behavior, or error conditions. For a tool with zero annotation coverage, this leaves significant gaps in understanding how it behaves.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
The description is appropriately concise with two sentences that directly convey the tool's purpose and output format. It's front-loaded with the main action and avoids unnecessary elaboration. However, it could be slightly more structured by explicitly separating purpose from output details.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Given the tool has no annotations, no output schema, and 0 parameters, the description should provide more complete context about behavioral aspects. While it adequately describes what the tool does, it lacks information about return format details, error handling, performance characteristics, or limitations. For a tool with minimal structured data, the description doesn't compensate sufficiently.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
The tool has 0 parameters with 100% schema description coverage, so the schema already fully documents the empty parameter set. The description appropriately doesn't add parameter information beyond what's in the schema, which is correct for a parameterless tool. Baseline for 0 parameters is 4.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description clearly states the action ('List all topics') and resource ('ASTGL knowledge base'), with specific details about what information is shown (article titles, descriptions, URLs, section headings). It distinguishes from sibling tools like 'get_answer' and 'search_articles' by focusing on comprehensive topic listing rather than specific answers or filtered searches. However, it doesn't explicitly contrast with siblings in the text itself.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives like 'search_articles' or 'get_answer'. It doesn't mention use cases, prerequisites, or exclusions. The agent must infer usage from the purpose alone, which is insufficient for optimal tool selection.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
search_articlesC
Search ASTGL articles about MCP servers, local AI, and AI automation. Returns relevant article sections with source URLs for citation.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| query | Yes | Search query (e.g., 'how to build an MCP server') | |
| limit | No | Maximum number of results to return (default: 5) |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
With no annotations provided, the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It mentions that the tool returns 'relevant article sections with source URLs for citation', which gives some context about output format. However, it doesn't address important behavioral aspects like whether this is a read-only operation, potential rate limits, authentication requirements, or how relevance is determined.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
The description is appropriately concise with two sentences that efficiently convey the tool's purpose and output. It's front-loaded with the main functionality. However, the first sentence could be slightly more streamlined by integrating the topic scope more smoothly.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
For a search tool with 2 parameters, 100% schema coverage, and no output schema, the description provides adequate but incomplete context. It explains what the tool searches and what it returns, but doesn't address behavioral aspects like whether this is a read-only operation or how results are ranked. Without annotations or output schema, more behavioral context would be helpful.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
The schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema already documents both parameters thoroughly. The description doesn't add any meaningful parameter semantics beyond what's in the schema. It mentions the search scope but doesn't provide additional context about how the 'query' parameter should be formulated or how 'limit' affects results beyond what the schema already states.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description clearly states the tool's purpose: searching ASTGL articles about specific topics (MCP servers, local AI, AI automation) and returning relevant sections with source URLs. It specifies the verb 'Search' and resource 'ASTGL articles', but doesn't explicitly differentiate from sibling tools like 'get_answer' or 'list_topics'.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
No guidance is provided about when to use this tool versus the sibling tools 'get_answer' or 'list_topics'. The description mentions the search scope (MCP servers, local AI, AI automation) but doesn't indicate when this tool is preferred over alternatives or any prerequisites for its use.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
Tool Schema Changelog
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
3 tool updates
v1.0.0- First observed
get_answer - First observed
list_topics - First observed
search_articles
TDQS
Scored across 3 tools
Each tool has a clearly distinct purpose: get_answer retrieves direct answers to specific questions, list_topics enumerates all available topics, and search_articles performs keyword-based searches. There is no overlap in functionality, making tool selection unambiguous for an agent.
All tool names follow a consistent verb_noun pattern (get_answer, list_topics, search_articles) with clear, descriptive verbs. The naming is uniform and predictable across the entire set.
Three tools is reasonable for a knowledge base server, covering core operations like querying, listing, and searching. It might feel slightly thin if advanced filtering or topic management were expected, but it's well-scoped for basic access.
The tools provide good coverage for accessing a knowledge base: retrieving answers, listing content, and searching. A minor gap is the lack of tools for updating or managing the knowledge base, but this is acceptable if the server is read-only.
Maintenance
Related MCP Connectors
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Driflyte MCP server which lets AI assistants query topic-specific knowledge from web and GitHub.
MCP server for AI dialogue using various LLM models via AceDataCloud
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