MCP Docs Server

A lightweight Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides direct access to local documentation files - a simple alternative to complex RAG pipelines for project-specific context.

This MCP server reads a single markdown file (context.md) and exposes its contents through two simple tools:

- get_context_overview(): Lists all section titles
- search_context(query): Searches content across all sections

Perfect for giving LLMs access to project documentation without the overhead of vector databases or embedding models.

- Zero dependenciesbeyond the MCP Python SDK
- Lightning fast- direct file access, no vector search
- Simple setup- works with both GUI and CLI MCP clients
- Cross-platform- includes shell wrapper for macOS/Linux compatibility
- Robust error handling- comprehensive logging and debugging support

- Python 3.11+
- MCP client (Claude Desktop, cline, etc.)

git clone https://github.com/unlock-mcp/mcp-docs-server.git cd mcp-docs-server

# Create a context.md file in the project root with your documentation echo "# My Project Docs\n\nThis is my documentation." > context.md

Use the shell wrapper for reliable execution:

mcp install ./run_context_server.sh --name "docs-server"

{ "mcpServers": { "docs-server": { "timeout": 60, "type": "stdio", "command": "/opt/homebrew/bin/python3.11", "args": [ "/path/to/mcp-docs-server/mcp_context_server.py" ], "env": {} } } }

Note: Update the Python path to match your system (which python3.11)

Use the MCP development tools for easy testing:

This launches a web-based inspector for testing your server.

The server logs to stderr for debugging. Check your MCP client's logs if you encounter issues.

- ENOENT errors: Use the shell wrapper or specify full Python path
- Import errors: Ensuremcp[cli]>=1.2.0is installed
- File not found: Verifycontext.mdexists in the project root

mcp-docs-server/ ├── mcp_context_server.py # Main server implementation ├── run_context_server.sh # Shell wrapper for GUI clients ├── requirements.txt # Python dependencies ├── context.md # Your documentation (create this) └── README.md # This file

Once configured, you can use these tools in your MCP client:

- Get overview: "What sections are available in the docs?"
- Search content: "Search for authentication in the docs"
- Specific queries: "How do I configure the database?"

For a complete walkthrough of building this server from scratch, including common pitfalls and solutions, see the full tutorial:Ditching RAG: Building a Local MCP Server for Your Docs

MCP server that ingests project docs once and lets Claude search by meaning instead of reading everything — saving tokens on large codebases