ChromaDB MCP Server 🧠

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that gives AI assistants persistent memory through ChromaDB vector storage. Now with EXIF extraction, Watch Folders, and Duplicate Detection - the ultimate tool for creators!

✨ Features

Core

• Persistent AI Memory: Your AI assistant remembers past conversations and solutions
• Vector Search: Find similar code patterns, configurations, and documentation instantly
• Local First: Run everything on your own hardware, no cloud dependencies

🚀 Batch Processing

• Fast Batch Ingest: Process entire directories in seconds (500+ files)
• 77 File Types: Photos, CAD, documents, data files, code
• Quick Load/Unload: Temporary collections for rapid workflows
• Export/Import: Backup and transfer collections as JSON

📸 Photo Features (NEW in v3.0)

• EXIF Extraction: Camera, lens, exposure, GPS location, date taken
• Search by Camera: "Find photos shot with my Canon 5D"
• Search by Location: GPS coordinates embedded and searchable
• Search by Date: "Find photos from vacation 2024"

👁️ Watch Folders (NEW in v3.0)

• Auto-Ingest: Drop files in watched folders, auto-add to ChromaDB
• Hands-Free: Perfect for incoming photo dumps, downloads
• Filter by Type: Watch only for specific file types

🔍 Duplicate Detection (NEW in v3.0)

• Find Duplicates: Hash-based detection across directories
• Reclaim Space: See exactly how much space duplicates waste
• Compare Files: Check if two files are identical
• Perceptual Hashing: Find similar (not just identical) images

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Bun (JavaScript runtime)
• Docker (for ChromaDB)
• Claude Desktop (or any MCP client)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com//vespo92/chromadblocal-mcp-server.git
   cd chromadb-mcp-server

2. Install dependencies

bun install

3. Start ChromaDB

docker run -d \
     --name chromadb-local \
     -p 8001:8000 \
     -v ~/chromadb-data:/chroma/chroma \
     -e IS_PERSISTENT=TRUE \
     chromadb/chroma:latest

4. Initialize collections

bun run setup

5. Configure Claude Desktop

Add to `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`:

{
     "mcpServers": {
       "chromadb-context": {
         "command": "bun",
         "args": ["run", "/path/to/chromadb-mcp-server/index.js"],
         "env": {
           "CHROMADB_URL": "http://localhost:8001"
         }
       }
     }
   }

6. Restart Claude Desktop and start building your knowledge base!

💬 Usage Examples

Once configured, interact naturally with your AI:

Store Knowledge

• "Store this Docker configuration in ChromaDB for future reference"
• "Save this React component pattern with tags: hooks, authentication"
• "Remember this solution for GPU passthrough issues"

Retrieve Information

• "Search ChromaDB for Python async examples"
• "Find similar component patterns to this one"
• "What solutions do we have for Docker networking issues?"

Build Context

• "Add this API documentation to the project_docs collection"
• "Store these test patterns for our testing suite"

🚀 Batch File Processing

The killer feature! Process massive amounts of files instantly for AI-powered search and retrieval.

Quick Load Workflow (Fastest)

Perfect for "load, process, discard" workflows:

You: "Quick load my photos from /home/photos/vacation2024"
AI: Creates temp collection, ingests 500 photos in seconds
You: "Find photos with mountains or beaches"
AI: Returns matching photos with metadata
You: "Unload the collection"
AI: Cleans up, frees memory

Supported File Types

Batch Processing Examples

"Scan /projects/cad-files to see what's there"
"Batch ingest all STL files from /3d-prints into the 'print_library' collection"
"Quick load my Downloads folder, find anything mentioning 'invoice'"
"Export the photo_archive collection to backup.json"
"Import backup.json into a new collection called 'restored_photos'"

Processing Speed

• Quick Load: ~200 files in 2-3 seconds
• Batch Ingest: ~500 files in 5-10 seconds (with full metadata)
• Concurrent Processing: 10-20 parallel file operations
• No external dependencies: Pure JavaScript/Bun processing

📚 Available Collections

🛠️ MCP Tools

`search_context`

Search for relevant information across collections

Parameters:
- query: Search query
- collection: (optional) Specific collection to search
- limit: (optional) Number of results

`store_context`

Store new information with metadata

Parameters:
- content: The content to store
- metadata: Tags, categories, descriptions
- collection: Target collection

`list_collections`

List all available collections and their metadata

`find_similar_patterns`

Find code patterns similar to provided example

Batch Processing Tools

`scan_directory`

Preview files in a directory before ingesting

Parameters:
- path: Directory to scan
- categories: Filter by type (images, cad, documents, data, code)
- extensions: Filter by extension (.jpg, .stl, etc.)
- recursive: Include subdirectories (default: true)

`batch_ingest`

Bulk ingest files into ChromaDB with full metadata

Parameters:
- path: Source directory
- collection: Target collection name
- categories: File types to include
- max_files: Limit number of files

`quick_load`

🚀 FAST: Rapidly load files for temporary processing

Parameters:
- path: Directory to load
- name: Collection name (auto-generated if omitted)
- categories: File types to include

`unload_collection`

Delete a collection (cleanup after quick_load)

Parameters:
- collection: Name of collection to delete

`export_collection`

Export collection to JSON file

Parameters:
- collection: Collection to export
- output_path: File path for JSON output

`import_collection`

Import collection from JSON file

Parameters:
- input_path: JSON file to import
- collection: Override collection name
- overwrite: Delete existing first (default: false)

`get_collection_info`

Get detailed stats about a collection

Parameters:
- collection: Collection name

`ingest_file`

Ingest a single file with metadata extraction

Parameters:
- path: File to ingest
- collection: Target collection

`list_file_types`

Show all supported file extensions

EXIF & Photo Tools

`extract_exif`

Extract detailed EXIF metadata from photos

Parameters:
- path: Path to JPEG or TIFF image
Returns: Camera, lens, exposure, GPS, date taken

Watch Folder Tools

`watch_folder`

Start auto-ingesting new files from a folder

Parameters:
- path: Folder to watch
- collection: Target collection (default: auto_ingest)
- categories: File types to watch
- include_exif: Extract EXIF from photos (default: true)

`stop_watch`

Stop watching a folder

Parameters:
- path: Folder to stop watching

`list_watchers`

List all active folder watchers

Duplicate Detection Tools

`find_duplicates`

Scan directory for duplicate files

Parameters:
- path: Directory to scan
- hash_method: "partial" (fast), "full" (thorough), "perceptual" (images)
- categories: File types to check
Returns: Duplicate groups with wasted space info

`compare_files`

Check if two files are duplicates

Parameters:
- file1: First file path
- file2: Second file path

`find_collection_duplicates`

Find duplicate entries in a ChromaDB collection

Parameters:
- collection: Collection name

🔧 Configuration

Environment Variables

CHROMADB_URL=http://localhost:8001  # ChromaDB server URL

Custom Collections

Add new collections in `setup-home-collections.js`:

await createCollection('ml_experiments', {
  description: 'Machine learning experiments and results'
});

📦 Project Structure

chromadb-mcp-server/
├── index.js                    # MCP server with 22 tools
├── batch-processor.js          # Fast batch file processing engine
├── exif-extractor.js           # EXIF metadata extraction for photos
├── watch-folder.js             # Auto-ingest watch folder system
├── duplicate-detector.js       # Duplicate file detection
├── setup-home-collections.js   # Collection initialization
├── test-chromadb.js           # Connection test script
├── test-mcp.js                # MCP functionality test
├── test-batch-processor.js    # Batch processing tests
├── HOME-AI-SETUP.md           # Detailed setup guide
├── package.json               # Project dependencies
└── README.md                  # This file

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

See CONTRIBUTING.md for more details.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Anthropic for the MCP specification
• Chroma for the excellent vector database
• The open-source community for inspiration and support

🚀 What's Next?

• ✅ ~~Export/import collections~~ DONE!
• ✅ ~~Batch file processing~~ DONE!
• ✅ ~~EXIF metadata extraction~~ DONE in v3.0!
• ✅ ~~Watch folders / auto-ingest~~ DONE in v3.0!
• ✅ ~~Duplicate detection~~ DONE in v3.0!
• Cloud sync capabilities
• Multi-user support
• Web UI for collection management
• AI-powered image descriptions (what's in the photo)
• 3D print analysis (volume, time estimates)

Built with ❤️ for the Home AI Community