Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is the Markdown Rules MCP Server? A: The Markdown Rules MCP Server is a tool that transforms your project documentation into intelligent AI context using standard Markdown files. It works across any MCP-compatible AI tool, escaping vendor lock-in.

Q: What is MCP? A: MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It is an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to LLMs (Large Language Models).

Q: Why should I use Markdown Rules MCP Server? A: It helps you avoid vendor lock-in, ensures AI agents have complete context, simplifies dependency resolution, and allows for precision context control, making it ideal for complex codebases.

Q: What AI tools are compatible with Markdown Rules MCP Server? A: It’s compatible with Cursor, Claude Desktop, and any future MCP-enabled AI tool.

Q: What are the prerequisites for installing Markdown Rules MCP Server? A: You need Node.js (v18 or higher).

Q: How do I install Markdown Rules MCP Server? A: You can install it via Smithery or manually. Instructions for both methods are provided in the documentation.

Q: What is the purpose of the markdown-rules.md file? A: It allows you to customize the default usage instructions for the get_relevant_docs tool.

Q: What are the different document types and how do I define them? A: Document types include Global (alwaysApply: true), Auto-Attached (globs: […]), Agent-Requested (description: “…”), and No Frontmatter (manual inclusion). Examples are provided in the documentation.

Q: What are the environment variables used for configuration? A: Key environment variables include PROJECT_ROOT, MARKDOWN_INCLUDE, HOIST_CONTEXT, and MARKDOWN_EXCLUDE. Their purposes are detailed in the documentation.

Q: What does the get_relevant_docs tool do? A: It retrieves relevant documentation based on the user’s query.

Q: How do I link files and embed specific lines in my Markdown documents? A: Use ?md-link=true to include linked files and ?md-embed=START-END to embed specific lines.

Q: What do I do if the tool or docs are not being used by the AI? A: Ensure the tool is enabled, the paths are correct, usage instructions are set up, and frontmatter is correctly formatted. Use the list_indexed_docs tool for debugging.

Q: What if new or updated docs are not being reflected? A: Restart the server after making changes to the docs or the markdown-rules.md file.

Q: I’m getting a ‘Server Not Found’ error. What should I do? A: Verify the npm link is correctly set up, check Cursor configuration syntax, and ensure Node.js is properly installed.

Q: Why would I use this with UBOS? A: The Markdown Rules MCP Server complements the UBOS platform by providing AI Agents with a comprehensive understanding of your projects, enabling them to perform tasks more effectively and efficiently within the UBOS ecosystem.