Everything

You can run an MCP server that wraps the Everything search tool to provide fast, scriptable file queries. This server lets you query Everything from Claude or another MCP client, using familiar MCP endpoints and JSON commands to search, filter, and retrieve file information across your indexed drives.

How to use

You will connect to the Everything MCP Server to perform file searches, get file details, and apply advanced filtering. Start the server locally, then point your MCP client to its standard I/O interface. Use the available tools to craft searches with Everything's potent syntax, including wildcards, size filters, dates, attributes, and path constraints. You can refine results by including or excluding files and folders, sorting by various criteria, and optionally returning file sizes and dates.

How to install

Prerequisites: you need Node.js and npm for running MCP servers.

# Option 1: Install via NPX (recommended for quick start)
npx @danielsimonjr/everything-mcp

# Option 2: Global installation (requires npm)
npm install -g @danielsimonjr/everything-mcp

# Option 3: Install from source
git clone https://github.com/danielsimonjr/everything-mcp.git
cd everything-mcp
npm install
chmod +x index.js

Additional content

Configuration and runtime behavior are driven by MCP client configuration. You can run the server via NPX or a global install, and you can pass environment variables to customize the command used to start the server. The key env var shown is ES_PATH, which points to the es.exe executable if it’s not found in your PATH.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "everything": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@danielsimonjr/everything-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

If you prefer a global install, you can configure the server to run directly by name without NPX.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "everything": {
      "command": "everything-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Custom es.exe path can be provided via the ES_PATH environment variable if es.exe isn’t on your PATH.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "everything": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@danielsimonjr/everything-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ES_PATH": "C:\\Program Files\\Everything\\es.exe"
      }
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

If the Everything service isn’t available or es.exe can’t be found, ensure Everything is installed and that es.exe is accessible at the expected path. Check that the Everything service is running and that the index is up to date. If you run into permission issues, start Everything with administrative privileges or adjust folder permissions accordingly.

Common issues and fixes include verifying the es.exe location, ensuring the MCP server has the correct command, and using the appropriate environment variable for the es.exe path.

Development

To test locally, clone the project, install dependencies, and run the server command you configured.

Contributing and licensing

Contributions are welcome. Follow standard open-source collaboration practices: fork, create a feature branch, implement changes, test, and submit a pull request. The server is distributed under the MIT License.

Available tools

search

Query Everything-based index with advanced syntax, including wildcards, booleans, size and date filters, and sorting options.

get_file_info

Fetch detailed metadata for a specific file, including size, creation/modification/access dates, and attributes.