Node.js server implementing Model Context Protocol (MCP) for Discourse search operation.
Node.js server implementing Model Context Protocol (MCP) for Discourse search operation. The discourse mcp server wraps that behind the Model Context Protocol, so an assistant can use it through 3 defined tools rather than through you.
Everything the assistant can do here goes through one of these:
search_posts — Search posts on a Discourse forumInput — query (string)Tools — The Tools tool exposed by this serverYou will need 3 environment variables: DISCOURSE_API_URL, DISCOURSE_API_KEY, DISCOURSE_API_USERNAME. The server will not start without them, which is usually why the tools fail to appear on a first run. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.
Setup follows the usual MCP pattern — install or clone the server, register it in your client's configuration file, restart the client. The configuration blocks on this page cover the common clients.
Among the developer tooling options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. Discourse's toolset — search_posts, Input, Tools — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by AshDevFr; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.
This entry was verified against Discourse's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| search_posts | Search posts on a Discourse forum |
| Input | query (string) |
| Tools | The Tools tool exposed by this server. |
{
"mcpServers": {
"discourse": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"-e", "DISCOURSE_API_URL=https://try.discourse.org",
"-e", "DISCOURSE_API_KEY=1234",
"-e", "DISCOURSE_API_USERNAME=ash",
"ashdev/discourse-mcp-server"
]
}
}
}Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.
| Variable | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| DISCOURSE_API_URL | Endpoint or connection string the server talks to. | Yes |
| DISCOURSE_API_KEY | Credential the server authenticates with. | Yes |
| DISCOURSE_API_USERNAME | Configuration value read at startup. | Optional |
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