NPM Search

NPM Search is an MCP server that enables AI assistants to search the npm registry directly from client interfaces such as Claude Desktop and Zed. By wrapping the standard npm search command, the server gives developers, software engineers, and AI agents the ability to look up Node.js and JavaScript libraries without switching context away from their coding environment. It exposes a single dedicated tool called search_npm_packages that accepts a string query and returns package names, descriptions, author details, published versions, and licenses. Beyond standard command-line interaction via stdio, the server supports HTTP transport with Server-Sent Events, complete with session management, graceful shutdown, health check endpoints, and structured logging powered by Pino. Developers working with complex dependency graphs or evaluating open-source options can use this server to explore alternatives, verify module naming, check package licensing, and retrieve current metadata immediately. Whether executed directly via npx, uvx, or deployed in a Docker container, NPM Search bridges package discovery directly into agentic workflows.

Category: Developer Tools & Code Intelligence

Tags: javascript, node, npm, packages, registry

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How to install and configure NPM Search

1. Run the server using npx, uvx, or install it globally with npm install -g npm-search-mcp-server. 2. To configure for Claude Desktop, add the server to your mcpServers configuration: json { "mcpServers": { "npm-search": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "npm-search-mcp-server"] } } } 3. If using uvx, replace the command with "uvx" and the args with ["npm-search-mcp-server"]. 4. For Zed, add the same settings under context_servers in settings.json. 5. Restart your client to activate package search.

What you can do with NPM Search

• Querying the npm registry for specific libraries like Express or React directly within an ongoing development session in Claude. * Comparing available JavaScript dependencies by reviewing package descriptions, maintainer details, and licensing information during project architecture planning. * Verifying the exact name and published version of a module before adding it to package.json configuration files. * Hosting the server inside a Docker container using HTTP transport to provide team-wide npm discovery endpoints. * Assisting coding assistants in Zed to discover relevant Node.js utilities based on natural language problem statements.

Key facts

• Free
• https://github.com/btwiuse/npm-search-mcp-server
• Developer Tools & Code Intelligence, Web Search & Research
• javascript, node, npm, packages, registry

Part of MCP Servers

How do I install NPM Search?

You can run NPM Search without prior local installation using npx or uvx directly in your MCP client configuration. Alternatively, install it globally using the npm command npm install -g npm-search-mcp-server. You can also deploy it in a Docker container by building from source or install it automatically for Claude Desktop using the Smithery CLI.

What can NPM Search do?

NPM Search enables language models to execute the npm search command against the package registry. Through its search_npm_packages tool, an assistant can look up packages using search strings, returning details such as package name, description, author, latest version, and license. It also supports both stdio and HTTP transport with health endpoints.

Which MCP clients work with NPM Search?

NPM Search works with any Model Context Protocol compliant client, including Claude Desktop and Zed editor. It can run locally through standard input and output streams or remotely over HTTP and Server-Sent Events when configured with a port environment variable.

Is NPM Search open source?

Yes, NPM Search is free and open-source software licensed under the MIT License. The code is publicly hosted on GitHub at btwiuse/npm-search-mcp-server, allowing developers to inspect, modify, and contribute enhancements or new npm-related tools to the project.