| name | mcp-local-rag |
| description | Use this skill when ingesting or querying documents with MCP local RAG, including `query_documents`, `ingest_file`, `ingest_data`, and CLI bulk ingestion. Covers query refinement, result score interpretation, and source metadata conventions for PDF, HTML, DOCX, TXT, and Markdown. Not for general file operations or SQL/database queries. |
MCP Local RAG Skills
Tools
| Tool | Use When |
|---|
ingest_file | Local files (PDF, DOCX, TXT, MD) |
ingest_data | Raw content (HTML, text) with source URL |
query_documents | Semantic + keyword hybrid search |
delete_file / list_files / status | Management |
npx mcp-local-rag ingest | Multiple files or directory (shell) |
Search: Core Rules
Hybrid search combines vector (semantic) and keyword (BM25).
Score Interpretation
Lower = better match. Use this to filter noise.
| Score | Action |
|---|
| < 0.3 | Use directly |
| 0.3-0.5 | Include if mentions same concept/entity |
| > 0.5 | Skip unless no better results |
Limit Selection
| Intent | Limit |
|---|
| Specific answer (function, error) | 5 |
| General understanding | 10 |
| Comprehensive survey | 20 |
Query Formulation
| Situation | Why Transform | Action |
|---|
| Specific term mentioned | Keyword search needs exact match | KEEP term |
| Vague query | Vector search needs semantic signal | ADD context |
| Error stack or code block | Long text dilutes relevance | EXTRACT core keywords |
| Multiple distinct topics | Single query conflates results | SPLIT queries |
| Few/poor results | Term mismatch | EXPAND (see below) |
Query Expansion
When results are few or all score > 0.5, expand query terms:
- Keep original term first, add 2-4 variants
- Types: synonyms, abbreviations, related terms, word forms
- Example:
"config" → "config configuration settings configure"
Avoid over-expansion (causes topic drift).
Result Selection
When to include vs skip—based on answer quality, not just score.
INCLUDE if:
- Directly answers the question
- Provides necessary context
- Score < 0.5
SKIP if:
- Same keyword, unrelated context
- Score > 0.7
- Mentions term without explanation
fileTitle
Each result includes fileTitle (document title extracted from content). Null when extraction fails.
| Use | How |
|---|
| Disambiguate chunks | Use fileTitle to identify which document the chunk belongs to |
| Group related chunks | Same fileTitle = same document context |
| Deprioritize mismatches | fileTitle unrelated to query AND score > 0.5 → rank lower |
Ingestion
ingest_file
ingest_file({ filePath: "/absolute/path/to/document.pdf" })
ingest_data
ingest_data({
content: "<html>...</html>",
metadata: { source: "https://example.com/page", format: "html" }
})
Format selection — match the data you have:
- HTML string →
format: "html"
- Markdown string →
format: "markdown"
- Other →
format: "text"
Source format:
- Web page → Use URL:
https://example.com/page
- Other content → Use scheme:
{type}://{date} or {type}://{date}/{detail}
- Examples:
clipboard://2024-12-30, chat://2024-12-30/project-discussion
HTML source options:
- Static page → LLM fetch
- SPA/JS-rendered → Browser MCP
- Auth required → Manual paste
Re-ingest same source to update. Use same source in delete_file to remove.
CLI ingest
For multiple files or directory ingestion. Prefer over repeated ingest_file calls.
| Scenario | Use |
|---|
| Single file from user request | ingest_file |
| Multiple files or a directory | npx mcp-local-rag ingest <path> |
| Raw HTML/text content | ingest_data (CLI does not support stdin) |
npx mcp-local-rag ingest [options] <path>
<path>: file or directory (recursively scans supported formats)- Use
--help for all options and defaults
- Options must match MCP server config — see cli-ingest.md
Output interpretation:
- Exit code 0: all files succeeded
- Exit code 1: one or more files failed — report failed files to user
SKIPPED (0 chunks): file was empty or too short, counted as success
References
For edge cases and examples:
