How to integrate Algolia MCP with Claude Code

Framework Integration Gradient
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Introduction

Manage your Algolia directly from Claude Code with zero worries about OAuth hassles, API-breaking issues, or reliability and security concerns.

You can do this in two different ways:

  1. Via Rube - Direct and easiest approach
  2. Via Composio SDK - Programmatic approach with more control

Why Rube?

Rube is a universal MCP server with access to 850+ SaaS apps. It ensures just-in-time tool loading so Claude can access the tools it needs, a remote workbench for programmatic tool calling and handling large tool responses out of the LLM context window, ensuring the LLM context window remains clean.

Connect Algolia to Claude Code with Rube

1. Get the MCP URL

Copy and paste the below command in Claude Code to add Rube MCP.

Terminal

2. Authenticate Rube

Run /mcp to view Rube

bash
/mcp
Run /mcp to view Rube in Claude Code
Click on Rube to authenticate
Authentication flow complete

3. Ensure it's connected

Run /mcp again to verify the connection. Now, do whatever you want with Claude Code and Algolia.

Rube connected successfully

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools
Add AB TestTool to create an ab test comparing search performance between two variants.
Browse Algolia IndexTool to retrieve all records from an index.
Clear ObjectsTool to clear records of an index without affecting settings.
Clear RulesTool to delete all rules in an index.
Clicked Object IDsTool to send a click event to algolia to capture clicked items.
Clicked Object IDs After SearchTool to send a click event after a search response.
Converted Object IDsTool to send a conversion event for items outside of search context.
Copy IndexTool to copy the specified index to a new index.
Copy RulesTool to copy rules from one index to another.
Copy Index SettingsTool to copy the settings from one index to another.
Delete IndexTool to delete the specified index and all its records.
Delete Multiple RecordsTool to delete multiple records from an algolia index.
Delete RuleTool to delete the specified rule from an index.
Delete SynonymTool to delete a synonym from a specified index.
Export RulesTool to export all rules defined on an index.
Find ObjectTool to find the first object matching a query or filter in an index.
Get Object PositionTool to retrieve an object’s position in a result set.
Get multiple objectsTool to retrieve multiple records from an index.
Get Index SettingsTool to retrieve the settings of a specified index.
Index ExistsTool to check if an algolia index exists.
Init Insights API ClientTool to initialize the algolia insights api client.
List IndicesTool to list all indices and their metadata.
Partial Update ObjectsTool to partially update multiple records in the specified index.
Replace All RulesTool to push a new set of rules, erasing previous ones.
Save SynonymTool to add or update a synonym in the specified index.
Search Algolia IndexTool to perform a search on a specified algolia index.
Search Multiple IndicesTool to perform searches across multiple indices in a single call.
Search RulesTool to search for rules in the specified index.
Search SynonymsTool to search for synonyms in the specified index.
Set Index SettingsTool to update an algolia index's settings.

What is the Algolia MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Algolia MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Algolia account. It provides structured and secure access to your search indices, so your agent can perform actions like browsing records, managing index settings, running A/B tests, copying configurations, and tracking search events on your behalf.

  • Comprehensive index browsing and export: Easily direct your agent to retrieve and iterate through all records in any Algolia index for analysis, backup, or migration tasks.
  • Automated A/B test management: Set up, launch, and monitor A/B tests to compare search performance between different index variants or configurations—all without manual coding.
  • Index and rule duplication: Quickly copy entire indices, settings, or query rules from one index to another, streamlining your search deployment and versioning workflows.
  • Bulk index cleanup and resets: Instruct your agent to clear all objects or rules in an index while keeping configurations intact, letting you efficiently manage large data updates or reindexing processes.
  • Real-time event tracking: Capture user interactions like clicks and conversions, enabling your agent to report search analytics and optimize relevance based on actual user behavior.

Connecting Algolia via Tool Router

Tool Router is the underlying tech that powers Rube. It's a universal gateway that does everything Rube does but with much more programmatic control. You can programmatically generate an MCP URL with the app you need (here Algolia) for even more tool search precision. It's secure and reliable.

How the Tool Router works

The Tool Router follows a three-phase workflow:

  1. Discovery: Searches for tools matching your task and returns relevant toolkits with their details.
  2. Authentication: Checks for active connections. If missing, creates an auth config and returns a connection URL via Auth Link.
  3. Execution: Executes the action using the authenticated connection.

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
  • Claude Pro, Max, or API billing enabled Anthropic account
  • Composio API Key
  • A Algolia account
  • Basic knowledge of Python or TypeScript

Install Claude Code

bash
# macOS, Linux, WSL
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

# Windows PowerShell
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

# Windows CMD
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd

To install Claude Code, use one of the following methods based on your operating system:

Set up Claude Code

bash
cd your-project-folder
claude

Open a terminal, go to your project folder, and start Claude Code:

  • Claude Code will open in your terminal
  • Follow the prompts to sign in with your Anthropic account
  • Complete the authentication flow
  • Once authenticated, you can start using Claude Code
Claude Code initial setup showing sign-in prompt
Claude Code terminal after successful login

Set up environment variables

bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here

Create a .env file in your project root with the following variables:

  • COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates with Composio (get it from Composio dashboard)
  • USER_ID identifies the user for session management (use any unique identifier)

Install Composio library

pip install composio-core python-dotenv

Install the Composio Python library to create MCP sessions.

  • composio-core provides the core Composio functionality
  • python-dotenv loads environment variables from your .env file

Generate Composio MCP URL

import os
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

COMPOSIO_API_KEY = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
USER_ID = os.getenv("USER_ID")

composio_client = Composio(api_key=COMPOSIO_API_KEY)

composio_session = composio_client.create(
    user_id=USER_ID,
    toolkits=["algolia"],
)

COMPOSIO_MCP_URL = composio_session.mcp.url

print(f"MCP URL: {COMPOSIO_MCP_URL}")
print(f"\nUse this command to add to Claude Code:")
print(f'claude mcp add --transport http algolia-composio "{COMPOSIO_MCP_URL}" --headers "X-API-Key:{COMPOSIO_API_KEY}"')

Create a script to generate a Composio MCP URL for Algolia. This URL will be used to connect Claude Code to Algolia.

What's happening:

  • We import the Composio client and load environment variables
  • Create a Composio instance with your API key
  • Call create() to create a Tool Router session for Algolia
  • The returned mcp.url is the MCP server URL that Claude Code will use
  • The script prints this URL so you can copy it

Run the script and copy the MCP URL

python generate_mcp_url.py

Run your Python script to generate the MCP URL.

  • The script connects to Composio and creates a Tool Router session
  • It prints the MCP URL and the exact command you need to run
  • Copy the entire claude mcp add command from the output

Add Algolia MCP to Claude Code

bash
claude mcp add --transport http algolia-composio "YOUR_MCP_URL_HERE" --headers "X-API-Key:YOUR_COMPOSIO_API_KEY"

# Then restart Claude Code
exit
claude

In your terminal, add the MCP server using the command from the previous step. The command format is:

  • claude mcp add registers a new MCP server with Claude Code
  • --transport http specifies that this is an HTTP-based MCP server
  • The server name (algolia-composio) is how you'll reference it
  • The URL points to your Composio Tool Router session
  • --headers includes your Composio API key for authentication

After running the command, close the current Claude Code session and start a new one for the changes to take effect.

Verify the installation

bash
claude mcp list

Check that your Algolia MCP server is properly configured.

  • This command lists all MCP servers registered with Claude Code
  • You should see your algolia-composio entry in the list
  • This confirms that Claude Code can now access Algolia tools

If everything is wired up, you should see your algolia-composio entry listed:

Claude Code MCP list showing the toolkit MCP server

Authenticate Algolia

The first time you try to use Algolia tools, you'll be prompted to authenticate.

  • Claude Code will detect that you need to authenticate with Algolia
  • It will show you an authentication link
  • Open the link in your browser (or copy/paste it)
  • Complete the Algolia authorization flow
  • Return to the terminal and start using Algolia through Claude Code

Once authenticated, you can ask Claude Code to perform Algolia operations in natural language. For example:

  • "Export all records from products index"
  • "Clear all objects from blog_posts index"
  • "Copy index settings from staging to production"

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Algolia and Claude Code:

import os
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

COMPOSIO_API_KEY = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
USER_ID = os.getenv("USER_ID")

composio_client = Composio(api_key=COMPOSIO_API_KEY)

composio_session = composio_client.create(
    user_id=USER_ID,
    toolkits=["algolia"],
)

COMPOSIO_MCP_URL = composio_session.mcp.url

print(f"MCP URL: {COMPOSIO_MCP_URL}")
print(f"\nUse this command to add to Claude Code:")
print(f'claude mcp add --transport http algolia-composio "{COMPOSIO_MCP_URL}" --headers "X-API-Key:{COMPOSIO_API_KEY}"')

Conclusion

You've successfully integrated Algolia with Claude Code using Composio's MCP server. Now you can interact with Algolia directly from your terminal using natural language commands.

Key features of this setup:

  • Terminal-native experience without switching contexts
  • Natural language commands for Algolia operations
  • Secure authentication through Composio's managed MCP
  • Tool Router for dynamic tool discovery and execution

Next steps:

  • Try asking Claude Code to perform various Algolia operations
  • Add more toolkits to your Tool Router session for multi-app workflows
  • Integrate this setup into your development workflow for increased productivity

You can extend this by adding more toolkits, implementing custom workflows, or building automation scripts that leverage Claude Code's capabilities.

How to build Algolia MCP Agent with another framework

FAQ

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Algolia MCP?

With a standalone Algolia MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Algolia tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Algolia and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

Can I use Tool Router MCP with Claude Code?

Yes, you can. Claude Code fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Algolia tools.

Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Algolia while using Tool Router?

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Algolia scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Algolia data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

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