DataTables MCP Server

MCP server providing AI agents with searchable access to DataTables.net documentation (196 pages: manual, examples, extensions).

Requirements: PHP 8.1+ with SQLite FTS5

Quick Install

composer config repositories.datatables-mcp vcs https://github.com/brownrl/datatables-mcp
composer require brownrl/datatables-mcp:^1.0

Or for latest development version:

composer require brownrl/datatables-mcp:dev-main

Configuration

Claude Desktop

Edit config file:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "datatables": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/your-project/vendor/bin/datatables-mcp",
      "args": ["serve"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop after saving.

Claude Code (Windsurf)

Add to your MCP settings in Claude Code:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "datatables": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/your-project/vendor/bin/datatables-mcp",
      "args": ["serve"]
    }
  }
}

Charm Crush

Add to .crush.json in your project root:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "datatables": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "php",
      "args": [
        "vendor/bin/datatables-mcp",
        "serve"
      ],
      "timeout": 120,
      "disabled": false,
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Note: Crush runs from your project directory, so relative paths work. Restart Crush after saving.

Test It

# Search documentation
vendor/bin/datatables-mcp search "ajax server-side"

# View stats
vendor/bin/datatables-mcp stats

# Run server (for debugging)
vendor/bin/datatables-mcp serve

Or ask your AI agent:

• "How do I enable server-side processing in DataTables?"
• "Show me examples of row grouping"
• "What are the FixedColumns extension options?"

Update

composer update brownrl/datatables-mcp

Standalone Install

For use outside a project:

git clone https://github.com/brownrl/datatables-mcp.git
cd datatables-mcp
composer install

Configure with: /path/to/datatables-mcp/bin/datatables-mcp

Available Tools

The server provides 5 specialized tools for comprehensive DataTables documentation assistance:

1. search_datatables

General documentation search across all content.

Use when: You need to find information about any DataTables feature.

Ask: "How do I enable server-side processing?"
Returns: Documentation pages with parameters, examples, and related items

2. get_function_details

Get complete details about a specific function, option, or event.

Use when: You need deep information about a specific API method or option.

Ask: "Tell me everything about ajax.reload()"
Returns: All parameters, return types, code examples, related functions

3. search_by_example

Search specifically within code examples to find usage patterns.

Use when: You want to see how to use a specific feature in practice.

Ask: "Show me examples using setInterval"
Returns: Functions with code examples containing setInterval

4. search_by_topic

Filter searches by documentation section or type.

Use when: You need focused results within a specific area (API, Options, Events, etc.).

Ask: "Find all ajax-related API methods"
Returns: Results filtered to API section only

5. get_related_items

Navigate relationships between functions, options, and events.

Use when: You want to discover complementary features.

Ask: "What's related to columns option?"
Returns: Related API methods, options, and events grouped by category

What's Included

• 1,206 searchable documents: Manual pages, API reference, examples, extensions
• Structured data: 221 parameters, 1,276 code examples, 1,761 relationships
• Pre-indexed SQLite database: Ready to use, no indexing needed
• Full-text search: Fast FTS5 search engine with structured parsing
• Incremental updates: Re-index only new content with vendor/bin/datatables-mcp index

Troubleshooting

MCP not appearing: Use absolute paths, restart AI client completely

No results: Check database exists: ls -lh vendor/brownrl/datatables-mcp/data/datatables.db

Database missing: Clone repo or check Composer installed correctly

Documentation

• INSTALL.md: Detailed installation guide
• GUIDE.md: Complete technical documentation
• AGENTS.md: Development guide for AI agents

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file