Production-grade Postgres MCP with index advice, EXPLAIN, and health checks.
database, sql, postgres, performance
Elasticsearch
Search indices, inspect mappings, and run queries against Elasticsearch from an AI agent.
Quick answer
What it does
Connects to an Elasticsearch cluster and exposes index enumeration, mapping introspection, and Query DSL search execution to AI models. Read-only.
Best for
- Query DSL drafting
- Mapping inspection
- Log search and debugging
- Index template audits
Not for
- Index writes from an LLM
- Cluster administration (use the Elastic CLI)
Setup recipe
Pick your client, then follow the three steps.
- 1
Install
claude_desktop_config.jsonjson{ "mcpServers": { "elasticsearch": { "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "--rm", "-i", "-e", "ES_URL", "-e", "ES_API_KEY", "docker.elastic.co/mcp/server-elasticsearch:latest" ], "env": { "ES_URL": "${ES_URL}", "ES_API_KEY": "${ES_API_KEY}" } } } }Paste under mcpServers. Fully quit and reopen Claude after editing.
CLI or .mcp.jsonshell# export ES_URL=https://my-cluster.es.eastus2.azure.elastic-cloud.com:9243 # export ES_API_KEY=changeme claude mcp add elasticsearch -- docker run --rm -i -e ES_URL -e ES_API_KEY docker.elastic.co/mcp/server-elasticsearch:latestRun from your repo. Commit .mcp.json to share with your team.
.cursor/mcp.jsonjson{ "mcpServers": { "elasticsearch": { "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "--rm", "-i", "-e", "ES_URL", "-e", "ES_API_KEY", "docker.elastic.co/mcp/server-elasticsearch:latest" ], "env": { "ES_URL": "${ES_URL}", "ES_API_KEY": "${ES_API_KEY}" } } } }Global path: ~/.cursor/mcp.json. Reload window after editing.
.vscode/mcp.jsonjsonc{ "servers": { "elasticsearch": { "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "--rm", "-i", "-e", "ES_URL", "-e", "ES_API_KEY", "docker.elastic.co/mcp/server-elasticsearch:latest" ], "env": { "ES_URL": "${ES_URL}", "ES_API_KEY": "${ES_API_KEY}" } } } }VS Code uses the "servers" key (not "mcpServers").
~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.jsonjson{ "mcpServers": { "elasticsearch": { "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "--rm", "-i", "-e", "ES_URL", "-e", "ES_API_KEY", "docker.elastic.co/mcp/server-elasticsearch:latest" ], "env": { "ES_URL": "${ES_URL}", "ES_API_KEY": "${ES_API_KEY}" } } } }Open via Cascade → hammer icon → Configure.
cline_mcp_settings.jsonjson{ "mcpServers": { "elasticsearch": { "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "--rm", "-i", "-e", "ES_URL", "-e", "ES_API_KEY", "docker.elastic.co/mcp/server-elasticsearch:latest" ], "env": { "ES_URL": "${ES_URL}", "ES_API_KEY": "${ES_API_KEY}" } } } }Open via the Cline sidebar → MCP Servers → Edit.
~/.continue/config.jsonjson{ "experimental": { "modelContextProtocolServers": [ { "transport": { "type": "stdio", "command": "docker", "args": [ "run", "--rm", "-i", "-e", "ES_URL", "-e", "ES_API_KEY", "docker.elastic.co/mcp/server-elasticsearch:latest" ], "env": { "ES_URL": "${ES_URL}", "ES_API_KEY": "${ES_API_KEY}" } } } ] } }Continue uses modelContextProtocolServers with a transport block.
~/.codex/config.tomlshell# ~/.codex/config.toml [mcp_servers.elasticsearch] command = "docker" args = [ "run", "--rm", "-i", "-e", "ES_URL", "-e", "ES_API_KEY", "docker.elastic.co/mcp/server-elasticsearch:latest", ] env = { ES_URL = "${ES_URL}", ES_API_KEY = "${ES_API_KEY}" }Codex uses TOML. Each server is a [mcp_servers.<name>] subtable.
~/.config/zed/settings.jsonjsonc{ "context_servers": { "elasticsearch": { "command": { "path": "docker", "args": [ "run", "--rm", "-i", "-e", "ES_URL", "-e", "ES_API_KEY", "docker.elastic.co/mcp/server-elasticsearch:latest" ] }, "env": { "ES_URL": "${ES_URL}", "ES_API_KEY": "${ES_API_KEY}" } } } }Zed calls them "context_servers". Settings live-reload on save.
ChatGPT → Apps directorynoneElasticsearch doesn't ship a hosted HTTPS endpoint today. ChatGPT supports remote MCP servers only — to use this server in ChatGPT you'll need to deploy it to a public HTTPS URL first (e.g. via Cloudflare Workers or Vercel) or wait for an official remote build.
- 2
Set required secrets
Set
ES_URL,ES_API_KEYin your shell environment before launching your MCP client. - 3
Try a minimum working prompt
Minimum working prompt pending verification. Try any prompt from the MCP’s README once installed.
Tools & permissions
| Tool | Description | Args | Side effects |
|---|---|---|---|
list_indices | List indices and aliases visible to the API key. | — | Read |
get_mapping | Return field mappings for an index or alias. | index: string | Read |
search | Execute a Query DSL search. | index: string, query: object | Read |
esql | Execute an ES|QL query (Elasticsearch 8.11+). | query: string | Read |
Security & scope
- Access scope
- Read-only
- Sandbox
- Authenticates with an Elastic API key. Read-only at the tool layer; pair with an API key scoped to a single index pattern for defence in depth.
- Gotchas
- API keys carry whatever privileges they were created with — always create a read-only key scoped to one index pattern.
- Search payloads can be unbounded; cap `size` in the agent prompt for high-cardinality indices.
- Elastic Cloud rate-limits aggressive queries — wide aggregations on cold tiers can take minutes.
Agent prompt pack
— copy into Claude, Cursor, or ChatGPT.Paste into Claude, Cursor, or ChatGPT. Edit the [brackets] before sending.
Recommend the best MCP servers for [task: e.g. databases work] in [client: Claude]. Constraints: - Prefer tools that are [official | open-source | read-only] — pick what matters for my use case. - Exclude MCPs that require [e.g. a paid plan, OAuth-only flows, remote-only transport]. - Return at most 3 picks, ranked. For each pick include: 1. One-sentence rationale. 2. The ready-to-paste install snippet for my client. 3. Any required secrets I need to create before installing. Cross-check the top-mcps.com listing: https://top-mcps.com/top-mcps-for-databases
Compare Elasticsearch against a real alternative. Swap the second MCP in [brackets] if you want a different match.
Compare Elasticsearch MCP vs [Postgres MCP Pro MCP] for the following job: [describe the job, e.g. "let an agent create GitHub issues on bug triage"]. Judge them on: - Setup time and complexity (what a new user hits first). - Auth model (none / API key / OAuth 2.1) and credential risk. - Transport (stdio / Streamable HTTP / SSE) and where the server runs. - Required secrets and the blast radius if they leak. - Operational risk in an unattended agent loop. - Which one is "good enough" for a weekend prototype vs. production. End with one sentence: which should I pick for my scenario, which is: [my scenario]. References: - https://top-mcps.com/mcp/elasticsearch - top-mcps.com listing for Postgres MCP Pro
Asks the agent to install and verify. Works inside Claude Code, Cursor Agent, Codex CLI.
Install the Elasticsearch MCP server for my [client: Claude] at the default config path for that client. Use the exact install snippet published at https://top-mcps.com/mcp/elasticsearch (fetch https://top-mcps.com/mcp/elasticsearch.json for the canonical server.json if you can read URLs). Before finishing: 1. Create the required secrets (ES_URL, ES_API_KEY) and put them in the appropriate env block — do not hard-code them. 2. Restart or reload the client so it picks up the new server. 3. Verify the server is connected (green / running state) and at least one tool is listed. 4. If anything fails, read the client's MCP logs and report the exact error — do not silently retry. Confirm when done and list the tools the server now exposes.
Frequently asked questions
What changed
— 2 updates tracked.Refreshed install snippets and fact sheet; verified for 2026.
Initial directory listing.
More Databases MCPs
Other tools in the same category worth evaluating.
Compared with Elasticsearch
Side-by-side breakdowns for the choices people most often weigh against this MCP.
Exploring Top MCPs for Databases? See all Databases MCPs →