# Needle

```json
{
  "name": "Needle",
  "slug": "needle",
  "url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle",
  "markdown_url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle.md",
  "logo_url": "https://logos.composio.dev/api/needle",
  "categories": [
    "ai & machine learning"
  ],
  "is_composio_managed": false,
  "updated_at": "2026-05-12T10:19:54.008Z"
}
```

![Needle logo](https://logos.composio.dev/api/needle)

## Description

Securely connect your AI agents and chatbots (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, etc) with Needle MCP or direct API to run semantic searches, fetch relevant documents, summarize knowledge bases, and automate context-aware workflows through natural language.

## Summary

Needle is a RAG (retrieval-augmented generation) toolkit that brings semantic search capabilities to your own data. It lets you build smarter AI agents by giving them context-aware, accurate information retrieval.

## Categories

- ai & machine learning

## Toolkit Details

- Tools: 16

## Images

- Logo: https://logos.composio.dev/api/needle

## Authentication

- **Api Key**
  - Type: `api_key`
  - Description: Api Key authentication for Needle.
  - Setup:
    - Configure Api Key credentials for Needle.
    - Use the credentials when creating an auth config in Composio.

## Suggested Prompts

- List all document collections I have
- Show stats for my 'research' collection
- Find files in collection uploaded this week
- Delete specific files from 'archive' collection

## Supported Tools

| Tool slug | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `NEEDLE_ADD_FILES_TO_COLLECTION` | Add files to a collection | Tool to add files to a collection by providing file URLs. Use when you need to add one or more files to an existing collection. URLs can be public or private (generated via the Files API). |
| `NEEDLE_ADD_FILES_TO_LOCAL_CONNECTOR` | Add Files to Local Connector | Tool to add files to a local connector by providing file metadata. Use when you need to add external files to a connector using their URLs. |
| `NEEDLE_CREATE_COLLECTION` | Create Collection | Tool to create a new collection. Use after confirming the collection name. |
| `NEEDLE_CREATE_LOCAL_CONNECTOR` | Create Local Connector | Tool to create a local connector that monitors specified folders on a device. Use when setting up file indexing from a local machine into Needle collections. |
| `NEEDLE_DELETE_FILES_FROM_COLLECTION` | Delete files from a collection | Tool to delete files from a specific collection by providing file IDs. Use after confirming valid file IDs to remove from the collection. |
| `NEEDLE_DELETE_FILES_FROM_LOCAL_CONNECTOR` | Delete files from local connector | Tool to delete files from a local connector by filename or file IDs. Use when you need to remove files from a connector's local storage. |
| `NEEDLE_GET_COLLECTION` | Get Collection | Tool to retrieve details for a specific collection by its ID. Use when you need to get collection metadata including name, creation date, and search query count. |
| `NEEDLE_GET_COLLECTION_STATS` | Get collection stats | Tool to retrieve statistics for a specific collection by its ID. Use when you need document count, index size, and timestamps after confirming the collection exists. Zero document count is a valid response for empty collections, not an error. |
| `NEEDLE_GET_FILE_DOWNLOAD_URL` | Get File Download URL | Tool to get a short-lived signed private download URL for a Needle file. Use when you need to retrieve file content but the public storage URL requires authentication. The returned URL should be used immediately as it expires quickly. |
| `NEEDLE_GET_FILE_UPLOAD_URL` | Get File Upload URL | Tool to get signed URLs for uploading local files to Needle. Use when you need to upload files to a collection. The upload URLs are valid for a short time, so upload files immediately after receiving the URLs. Multiple content types can be specified to generate multiple upload URLs in a single request. |
| `NEEDLE_GET_LOCAL_CONNECTOR` | Get local connector | Tool to retrieve details of a local connector by its ID. Use when you need information about a specific local connector's configuration, device details, and associated folders. |
| `NEEDLE_LIST_COLLECTION_FILES` | List Collection Files | Tool to list all files within a specific collection by its ID. Returns file metadata (including file URLs) only — not document text content; fetch file URLs separately to access content. Use when you have a collection ID and need to retrieve its files. Supports pagination. |
| `NEEDLE_LIST_COLLECTIONS` | List Collections | Tool to list collections. Use after authenticating with your API key to page through collections. Similar collection names can exist; always verify the correct `collection_id` from results before performing subsequent operations. |
| `NEEDLE_LIST_CONNECTORS` | List Connectors | Tool to list connectors. Use to retrieve all configured connectors in your account. |
| `NEEDLE_LIST_LOCAL_CONNECTORS` | List Local Connectors | Tool to list local connectors. Use to retrieve all local connectors configured in your Needle account. |
| `NEEDLE_SEARCH_COLLECTION` | Search Collection | Tool to perform semantic search within a specific Needle collection and return ranked results with source references. Use when you need to retrieve relevant content from a known collection using natural language queries. |

## Supported Triggers

None listed.

## Installation and MCP Setup

### Path 1: SDK Installation

#### Path 1, Step 1: Install Composio

Install the Composio SDK
```python
pip install composio_openai
```

```typescript
npm install @composio/openai
```

#### Path 1, Step 2: Initialize Composio and Create Tool Router Session

Import and initialize Composio client, then create a Tool Router session
```python
from openai import OpenAI
from composio import Composio
from composio_openai import OpenAIResponsesProvider

composio = Composio(provider=OpenAIResponsesProvider())
openai = OpenAI()
session = composio.create(user_id='your-user-id')
```

```typescript
import OpenAI from 'openai';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';
import { OpenAIResponsesProvider } from '@composio/openai';

const composio = new Composio({
  provider: new OpenAIResponsesProvider(),
});
const openai = new OpenAI({});
const session = await composio.create('your-user-id');
```

#### Path 1, Step 3: Execute Needle Tools via Tool Router with Your Agent

Get tools from Tool Router session and execute Needle actions with your Agent
```python
tools = session.tools
response = openai.responses.create(
  model='gpt-4.1',
  tools=tools,
  input=[{
    'role': 'user',
    'content': 'Search all collections for documents about quarterly revenue'
  }]
)
result = composio.provider.handle_tool_calls(
  response=response,
  user_id='your-user-id'
)
print(result)
```

```typescript
const tools = session.tools;
const response = await openai.responses.create({
  model: 'gpt-4.1',
  tools: tools,
  input: [{
    role: 'user',
    content: 'Search all collections for documents about quarterly revenue'
  }],
});
const result = await composio.provider.handleToolCalls(
  'your-user-id',
  response.output
);
console.log(result);
```

### Path 2: MCP Server Setup

#### Path 2, Step 1: Install Composio

Install the Composio SDK and Claude Agent SDK
```python
pip install composio claude-agent-sdk
```

```typescript
npm install @composio/core ai @ai-sdk/openai @ai-sdk/mcp
```

#### Path 2, Step 2: Create Tool Router Session

Initialize the Composio client and create a Tool Router session
```python
from composio import Composio
from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeSDKClient, ClaudeAgentOptions

composio = Composio(api_key='your-composio-api-key')
session = composio.create(user_id='your-user-id')
url = session.mcp.url
```

```typescript
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';

const composio = new Composio({ apiKey: 'your-api-key' });

console.log("Creating Tool Router session...");
const { mcp } = await composio.create('your-user-id');
console.log(`Tool Router session created: ${mcp.url}`);
```

#### Path 2, Step 3: Connect to AI Agent

Use the MCP server with your AI agent
```python
import asyncio

options = ClaudeAgentOptions(
    permission_mode='bypassPermissions',
    mcp_servers={
        'tool_router': {
            'type': 'http',
            'url': url,
            'headers': {
                'x-api-key': 'your-composio-api-key'
            }
        }
    },
    system_prompt='You are a helpful assistant with access to Needle tools.',
    max_turns=10
)

async def main():
    async with ClaudeSDKClient(options=options) as client:
        await client.query('List all collections in my Needle workspace')
        async for message in client.receive_response():
            if hasattr(message, 'content'):
                for block in message.content:
                    if hasattr(block, 'text'):
                        print(block.text)

asyncio.run(main())
```

```typescript
import { openai } from '@ai-sdk/openai';
import { experimental_createMCPClient as createMCPClient } from '@ai-sdk/mcp';
import { generateText, stepCountIs } from 'ai';

const client = await createMCPClient({
  transport: {
    type: 'http',
    url: mcp.url,
    headers: { 'x-api-key': 'your-composio-api-key' }
  }
});

const tools = await client.tools();

const { text } = await generateText({
  model: openai('gpt-4o'),
  tools,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'List all collections in my Needle workspace' }],
  stopWhen: stepCountIs( 5 )
});

console.log(`Agent: ${text}`);
```

## Why Use Composio?

### 1. AI Native Needle Integration

- Supports both Needle MCP and direct API based integrations
- Structured, LLM-friendly schemas for reliable tool execution
- Rich coverage for reading, writing, and querying your Needle data

### 2. Managed Auth

- Built-in API key management with easy rotation
- Central place to manage, scope, and revoke Needle access
- Per user and per environment credentials instead of hard-coded keys

### 3. Agent Optimized Design

- Tools are tuned using real error and success rates to improve reliability over time
- Comprehensive execution logs so you always know what ran, when, and on whose behalf

### 4. Enterprise Grade Security

- Fine-grained RBAC so you control which agents and users can access Needle
- Scoped, least privilege access to Needle resources
- Full audit trail of agent actions to support review and compliance

## Use Needle with any AI Agent Framework

Choose a framework you want to connect Needle with:

- [OpenAI Agents SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/open-ai-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Agent SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/claude-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/claude-code)
- [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/claude-cowork)
- [Codex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/codex)
- [OpenClaw](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/openclaw)
- [Hermes](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/hermes-agent)
- [Google ADK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/google-adk)
- [LangChain](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/langchain)
- [Vercel AI SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/ai-sdk)
- [Mastra AI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/mastra-ai)
- [LlamaIndex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/llama-index)
- [CrewAI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/crew-ai)
- [Pydantic AI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/pydantic-ai)
- [AutoGen](https://composio.dev/toolkits/needle/framework/autogen)

## Related Toolkits

- [Composio](https://composio.dev/toolkits/composio) - Composio is an integration platform that connects AI agents with hundreds of business tools. It streamlines authentication and lets you trigger actions across services—no custom code needed.
- [Composio search](https://composio.dev/toolkits/composio_search) - Composio search is a unified web search toolkit spanning travel, e-commerce, news, financial markets, images, and more. It lets you and your apps tap into up-to-date web data from a single, easy-to-integrate service.
- [Perplexityai](https://composio.dev/toolkits/perplexityai) - Perplexityai delivers natural, conversational AI models for generating human-like text. Instantly get context-aware, high-quality responses for chat, search, or complex workflows.
- [Browser tool](https://composio.dev/toolkits/browser_tool) - Browser tool is a virtual browser integration that lets AI agents interact with the web programmatically. It enables automated browsing, scraping, and action-taking from any AI workflow.
- [Ai ml api](https://composio.dev/toolkits/ai_ml_api) - Ai ml api is a suite of AI/ML models for natural language and image tasks. It provides fast, scalable access to advanced AI capabilities for your apps and workflows.
- [Aivoov](https://composio.dev/toolkits/aivoov) - Aivoov is an AI-powered text-to-speech platform offering 1,000+ voices in over 150 languages. Instantly turn written content into natural, human-like audio for any application.
- [All images ai](https://composio.dev/toolkits/all_images_ai) - All-Images.ai is an AI-powered image generation and management platform. It helps you create, search, and organize images effortlessly with advanced AI capabilities.
- [Anthropic administrator](https://composio.dev/toolkits/anthropic_administrator) - Anthropic administrator is an API for managing Anthropic organizational resources like members, workspaces, and API keys. It helps you automate admin tasks and streamline resource management across your Anthropic organization.
- [Api labz](https://composio.dev/toolkits/api_labz) - Api labz is a platform offering a suite of AI-driven APIs and workflow tools. It helps developers automate tasks and build smarter, more efficient applications.
- [Apipie ai](https://composio.dev/toolkits/apipie_ai) - Apipie ai is an AI model aggregator offering a single API for accessing top AI models from multiple providers. It helps developers build cost-efficient, latency-optimized AI solutions without juggling multiple integrations.
- [Astica ai](https://composio.dev/toolkits/astica_ai) - Astica ai provides APIs for computer vision, NLP, and voice synthesis. Integrate advanced AI features into your app with a single API key.
- [Bigml](https://composio.dev/toolkits/bigml) - BigML is a machine learning platform that lets you build, train, and deploy predictive models from your data. Its intuitive interface and robust API make machine learning accessible and efficient.
- [Botbaba](https://composio.dev/toolkits/botbaba) - Botbaba is a platform for building, managing, and deploying conversational AI chatbots across messaging channels. It streamlines chatbot automation, making it easier to integrate AI into customer interactions.
- [Botpress](https://composio.dev/toolkits/botpress) - Botpress is an open-source platform for building, deploying, and managing chatbots. It helps teams automate conversations and deliver rich, interactive messaging experiences.
- [Chatbotkit](https://composio.dev/toolkits/chatbotkit) - Chatbotkit is a platform for building and managing AI-powered chatbots using robust APIs and SDKs. It lets you easily add conversational AI to your apps for better user engagement.
- [Cody](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cody) - Cody is an AI assistant built for businesses, trained on your company's knowledge and data. It delivers instant answers and insights, tailored for your team.
- [Context7 MCP](https://composio.dev/toolkits/context7_mcp) - Context7 MCP delivers live, version-specific code docs and examples right from the source. It helps developers and AI agents instantly retrieve authoritative programming info—no more out-of-date docs.
- [Customgpt](https://composio.dev/toolkits/customgpt) - CustomGPT.ai lets you build and deploy chatbots tailored to your own data and business needs. Get precise and context-aware AI conversations without writing code.
- [Datarobot](https://composio.dev/toolkits/datarobot) - Datarobot is a machine learning platform that automates model development, deployment, and monitoring. It empowers organizations to quickly gain predictive insights from large datasets.
- [Deepgram](https://composio.dev/toolkits/deepgram) - Deepgram is an AI-powered speech recognition platform for accurate audio transcription and understanding. It enables fast, scalable speech-to-text with advanced audio intelligence features.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Do I need my own developer credentials to use Needle with Composio?

Yes, Needle requires you to configure your own API key credentials. Once set up, Composio handles secure credential storage and API request handling for you.

### Can I use multiple toolkits together?

Yes! Composio's Tool Router enables agents to use multiple toolkits. [Learn more](https://docs.composio.dev/tool-router/overview).

### Is Composio secure?

Composio is SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliant with all data encrypted in transit and at rest. [Learn more](https://trust.composio.dev).

### What if the API changes?

Composio maintains and updates all toolkit integrations automatically, so your agents always work with the latest API versions.

---
[See all toolkits](https://composio.dev/toolkits) · [Composio docs](https://docs.composio.dev/llms.txt)