Get started with Algolia Public MCP

Connect AI assistants to curated Algolia indices and Recommend models using Algolia Public MCP.

This is a beta feature according to Algolia’s Terms of Service (“Beta Services”).

Before you begin

To connect Algolia Public MCP, make sure you have:

• An Algolia application with at least one index and some records. Create one in the dashboard if needed.
• An MCP client such as OpenAI Playground, ChatGPT, or Claude.

Create or locate an MCP server

1. Go to the MCP servers page in the Algolia dashboard and select the appropriate application.
2. If an existing MCP server is available, click the link icon to copy the URL.
3. To create a new MCP server:
   1. Select up to five indices and any Recommend models you want to expose.
   2. Add descriptions to help the LLM choose the right index or tool.
   3. Save and copy the URL of the new MCP instance.

You can create up to 5 MCP server instances per application. Authentication uses your Search API key.

Connect to an MCP client

Cursor

1. Open Cursor settings, then click Tools and MCPs.
2. Click Add MCP Server and fill in the following:
   • MCP Server URL: https://mcp.{REGIONS}.algolia.com/1/{UNIQ_ID}/mcp
   • Name: Algolia
   • Description: add a description that helps the LLM understand the tool’s purpose.
   • Authentication: none.
3. Click Save.
4. Enable the Algolia MCP connection from the prompt bar.

Alternatively, you directly add the following to your ~/.cursor/mcp.json or %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Algolia": { 
      "url": "https://mcp.{REGIONS}.algolia.com/1/{UNIQ_ID}/mcp"
    } 
  }
}

VS Code

Add the following to your ~/.vscode/mcp.json or %USERPROFILE%\.vscode\mcp.json file:

{
  "servers": {
    "Algolia": { 
      "type": "http", 
      "url": "https://mcp.{REGIONS}.algolia.com/1/{UNIQ_ID}/mcp"
    } 
  }
}

ChatGPT

1. Open Connectors settings, then click Create.
2. Fill in the following:
   • Server URL: https://mcp.{REGIONS}.algolia.com/1/{UNIQ_ID}/mcp
   • Label: Algolia
   • Description: add a description that helps the LLM understand the tool’s purpose.
   • Authentication: none.
3. Check I trust this application.
4. Click Create.
5. Enable the Algolia MCP connection from the prompt bar.

OpenAI Playground

1. Open OpenAI Platform → Playground.
2. Go to Tools → + Add.
3. Choose MCP server.
4. Click + Server and enter:
   • Server URL: https://mcp.{REGIONS}.algolia.com/1/{UNIQ_ID}/mcp
   • Label: Algolia
   • Description: add a description that helps the LLM understand the tool’s purpose.
   • Authentication: none.
5. Click Connect.
6. Use a system prompt that preserves result fidelity, such as:

You are an AI assistant that helps users with searching for results in an Algolia index.
Display the Algolia results exactly as returned. Do not filter, reorder, or summarize the hits.

Claude

1. Open Connectors settings, then click Add Custom Connector.
2. Fill in the following:
   • Remote MCP server URL: https://mcp.{REGIONS}.algolia.com/1/{UNIQ_ID}/mcp
   • Name: Algolia
   • Leave Advanced Settings empty
3. Click Add.
4. Enable the Algolia MCP connection from the prompt bar.

Tools exposed by Algolia Public MCP

Algolia Public MCP exposes a tool per index and a small set of shared tools:

Tool	API
Search
algolia_search_{index_name}	Search an index
algolia_search_for_facet_values	Search for facet values
Recommend
algolia_recommendations	Retrieve recommendations

ChatGPT requires two extra tools (see OpenAI MCP docs):

Tool	API
search	Search an index
fetch	Get an object

Guidelines

• Usage and billing. API requests made through Algolia Public MCP count toward your Algolia usage. Each tool call typically maps to one API request.
• Data access and permissions. The MCP grants the connected LLM access to your Algolia records according to the permissions defined in your Search API key.
• Prompt design. Use a clear system prompt that tells the assistant to return Algolia results exactly as provided.