Use RAGFlow as an MCP Server
RAGFlow's Go API server exposes MCP tools through its built-in MCP endpoint.
External MCP client → Go MCP endpoint → RAGFlow services
Choose an endpoint
| Endpoint | Availability | Transport | Authentication |
|---|---|---|---|
POST /api/v1/mcp on the Go API port | Available while the Go API runs | Streamable HTTP with JSON responses | Each client sends its RAGFlow credential in Authorization. |
/mcp on the optional MCP listener | Enable mcp.enabled or RAGFLOW_MCP_ENABLED | Streamable HTTP; legacy SSE at /sse and /messages/ when enabled | host mode authenticates each request; self-host mode uses one configured key for all clients. |
For a local binary, start the API with bin/ragflow_server --api --config conf/service_conf.yaml. The target Go API port is 9380, so its direct endpoint is http://127.0.0.1:9380/api/v1/mcp. Use the configured address if your port or reverse proxy differs. This API route accepts POST requests; it does not provide the legacy SSE paths.
Enable the optional MCP listener
The Go API process also owns an optional listener. It is disabled by default and binds to 127.0.0.1:9382 unless configured otherwise. Uncomment or add this example in conf/service_conf.yaml for local use:
mcp:
enabled: true
host: 127.0.0.1
port: 9382
launch_mode: host
transport_sse_enabled: true
transport_streamable_enabled: true
json_response: true
Start the Go API with bin/ragflow_server --api --config conf/service_conf.yaml. The listener's Streamable HTTP URL is http://127.0.0.1:9382/mcp. If SSE is enabled, legacy clients use http://127.0.0.1:9382/sse and send messages to /messages/.
Environment variables override YAML settings:
| Environment variable | YAML field under mcp | Default |
|---|---|---|
RAGFLOW_MCP_ENABLED | enabled | false |
RAGFLOW_MCP_HOST | host | 127.0.0.1 |
RAGFLOW_MCP_PORT | port | 9382 |
RAGFLOW_MCP_LAUNCH_MODE | launch_mode | self-host |
RAGFLOW_MCP_HOST_API_KEY | host_api_key | empty |
RAGFLOW_MCP_TRANSPORT_SSE_ENABLED | transport_sse_enabled | true |
RAGFLOW_MCP_TRANSPORT_STREAMABLE_ENABLED | transport_streamable_enabled | true |
RAGFLOW_MCP_JSON_RESPONSE | json_response | true |
Boolean values 1, true, yes, and on are true, regardless of case. An explicitly empty environment value also overrides YAML. An empty host binds all interfaces. If both transports are disabled, Streamable HTTP is re-enabled with streamed responses. Invalid ports or launch modes prevent startup.
Authentication
The optional listener supports two modes:
| Mode | Credential handling |
|---|---|
host | Every request is authenticated as its client. Prefer Authorization: Bearer <key>; api_key, X-API-Key, and Api-Key headers are also accepted. Both Streamable HTTP and SSE work in this mode. |
self-host (default) | Set mcp.host_api_key or RAGFLOW_MCP_HOST_API_KEY before startup. Every connected client uses the configured user's identity, regardless of its own headers. Restrict access to trusted clients. |
Enabling the listener with its default self-host mode requires mcp.host_api_key or RAGFLOW_MCP_HOST_API_KEY; startup fails when that key is empty. The configured key is checked at startup and for each request, so revoking it takes effect. Keep keys out of command arguments and committed files. The /api/v1/mcp API route always authenticates each client through its own Authorization header; listener launch modes do not change that route.
Docker
For the Go deployment, use docker/docker-compose.yml with docker/.env. Uncomment the mcp example in docker/service_conf.yaml.template or set the equivalent RAGFLOW_MCP_* values in docker/.env. The Go entrypoint generates the runtime configuration from that template.
To connect to the optional listener from outside the container, set its host to 0.0.0.0 and add this mapping under the ragflow-cpu service's ports in docker/docker-compose.yml:
ports:
- ${SVR_MCP_PORT}:9382
The checked-in Go Compose file does not publish port 9382 by default. SVR_MCP_PORT is defined in docker/.env. Adjust the container-side port if you change mcp.port. Use host mode when external clients must authenticate individually.
Verify the endpoint
Use RAGFlow MCP Client Examples to initialize the endpoint, list its tools, and call a tool. A successful initialization response contains an MCP result with serverInfo. For the API route, use your Go API address ending in /api/v1/mcp; for the optional listener, use its /mcp URL. See RAGFlow MCP Tools for the available tools.