chroma_mcp_server

Chroma MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server integration for Chroma, the open-source embedding database.

Overview

Chroma MCP Server creates a persistent, searchable "working memory" for AI-assisted development:

• Automated Context Recall: AI assistants can query relevant information from past sessions
• Developer-Managed Persistence: Store key decisions and insights in ChromaDB via MCP
• Second Brain Integration: Integrates with IDE workflows to create a unified knowledge hub

Key features:

• Automated Codebase Indexing: Track and index code changes
• Automated Chat Logging: Log AI interactions with enhanced context capture (code diffs, tool sequences)
• Bidirectional Linking: Connect discussions to code changes for tracing feature evolution
• Semantic Code Chunking: Preserve logical code structures for more meaningful context retrieval
• Working Memory Tools: MCP commands for capturing and retrieving development context
• Validation System: Evidence-based validation for code changes and learning promotions
• Automated Test-Driven Learning: Fully automated workflow from test failure to verified fix and learning promotion. See the to integrate this into your projects.

See the for more details.

Quick Start

Installation

# Basic installation
pip install chroma-mcp-server

# Full installation with all embedding models
pip install "chroma-mcp-server[full]"

Running

# With in-memory storage (data lost on restart)
chroma-mcp-server --client-type ephemeral

# With persistent storage
chroma-mcp-server --client-type persistent --data-dir ./my_data

Cursor Integration

Add or modify .cursor/mcp.json in your project root:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chroma": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "chroma-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CHROMA_CLIENT_TYPE": "persistent",
        "CHROMA_DATA_DIR": "/path/to/your/data",
        "CHROMA_LOG_DIR": "/path/to/your/logs",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "INFO",
        "MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "INFO",
        "MCP_SERVER_LOG_LEVEL": "INFO"
      }
    }
  }
}

Recent Improvements

• Enhanced Context Capture: Automatically extracts code diffs, tool sequences, and assigns confidence scores
• Bidirectional Linking: Creates navigable connections between chat discussions and code changes
• Semantic Code Chunking: Uses logical boundaries (functions, classes) instead of fixed-size chunks
• Server-Side Timestamp Enforcement: Ensures consistent timestamps across all collections
• Automatic Collection Creation: Essential collections (e.g., chat_history_v1, codebase_v1) are automatically created on server startup if they don't exist.
• Enhanced Logging System: Per-execution log files prevent contamination of JSON communication in stdio mode
• Embedding Function Management: Tools to update collection metadata when changing embedding functions
• Collection Setup Command: Simplifies creation of multiple collections with consistent configuration
• Auto-Promote Workflow: Streamlined derived learning promotion with automatic handling of high-confidence entries
• Smart Defaults: Interactive promotion with intelligent defaults for all fields based on context
• Low Confidence Warnings: Visual indicators for entries that may need more careful review
• Automated Test Workflow: Fully automated capture of test failures, monitoring for fixes, and validated learning promotion

Documentation

Comprehensive documentation is available in the :

• - Complete guide to installation, configuration, and usage
• - Detailed setup instructions
• - For contributors and developers
• - Guides for integrating with IDEs and other tools.
• - Enriched chat history with bidirectional linking
• - Detailed guides on how to use specific features and workflows.
• - Details on code diff extraction and tool sequencing
• - Logic-preserving code chunking for meaningful retrieval
• - Test-driven learning with automatic validation
• - Documentation for structured thinking and memory tools.
• - Guides for CLI tools and developer scripts.
• - Overview of logging features and configuration.
• - Details on the improved logging system
• - Guides on automating development tasks.
• - Development rules, guidelines, and best practices.
• - Documentation on various refactoring efforts and architectural plans.
• - Available MCP tools and parameters

License

Chroma MCP Server is licensed under the MIT License with Commons Clause. This means you can:

✅ Allowed:

• Use Chroma MCP Server for any purpose (personal, commercial, academic)
• Modify the code
• Distribute copies
• Create and sell products built using Chroma MCP Server

❌ Not Allowed:

• Sell Chroma MCP Server itself
• Offer Chroma MCP Server as a hosted service
• Create competing products based on Chroma MCP Server

See the file for the complete license text.