How do I install the cowork semantic search mcp server?

This profile does not contain a verified copy-paste launch configuration. Follow the current project documentation to confirm the runtime, entry point, transport and authentication before registering it in your client.

What credentials does it need?

It reads `PYTHONPATH` from the environment. Store these in your client's env block or a secrets manager — never commit them to a repository — and grant the narrowest scope that still covers your use case.

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Cowork Semantic Search MCP Server

AI coding tools are powerful, but they have blind spots when it comes to your local files:

Local serverstdioPython

What is the Cowork Semantic Search MCP Server?

AI coding tools are powerful, but they have blind spots when it comes to your local files:

What you get

Frozen knowledge — -- training data has a cutoff. Your latest reports, notes, and contracts don't exist in the model's world
Context window limits — -- you can't paste 500 documents into a prompt
No cross-file search — -- your AI tool can read one file at a time, but can't search across your entire document library for the relevant pieces

More MCP options

Compare MCP servers by category, or browse hosted MCP servers if you prefer an endpoint over a local process.

Maintainer setup documentation.

Recorded tools

Check the linked publisher documentation and your connected client's tool list. Names and availability can vary with the server version and account permissions.

Tool	What it does
index_folder	Index or re-index all documents in a folder. Incremental -- skips unchanged files.
semantic_search	Search indexed documents using natural language. Supports vector and hybrid modes.
get_index_status	Show total chunks, file count, and list of indexed files.
reindex_file	Force re-index a single file, bypassing the hash cache.

How to install the Cowork Semantic Search MCP Server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "semantic-search": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/.venv/bin/python",
      "args": [
        "-m",
        "server.main"
      ],
      "cwd": "/absolute/path/to/cowork-semantic-search",
      "env": {
        "PYTHONPATH": "/absolute/path/to/cowork-semantic-search"
      }
    }
  }
}

From the project documentation. Replace placeholders and example paths before connecting.

Configuration

Variable	Description	Required
PYTHONPATH	Declared in the maintainer’s client configuration.	Check documentation

Example prompts to try

“Use Cowork Semantic Search to index folder.”
“Use Cowork Semantic Search to semantic search.”
“Use Cowork Semantic Search to get index status.”

Frequently asked questions

AI coding tools are powerful, but they have blind spots when it comes to your local files: Confirm the tools offered by your installed version in the connected client. Tool availability and permissions depend on the server and account configuration.