MCP Directory

How to add Pinecone Developer MCP Server to Claude Desktop

Official Pinecone server: manage indexes, upsert/search records, rerank, and search Pinecone docs. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 15, 2026 · 500★ · stdio · apikey · official

Claude Desktop config for Pinecone Developer MCP Server

npx -y @pinecone-database/mcp
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pinecone-developer-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@pinecone-database/mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PINECONE_API_KEY": "<your-pinecone-api-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

  1. 1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
  2. 2Paste the Pinecone Developer MCP Server config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
  3. 3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
  4. 4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
  5. 5Open a chat and confirm Pinecone Developer MCP Server's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

  • Node.js v18 or later with npx available on PATH
  • A Pinecone API key, generated in the Pinecone console at https://app.pinecone.io (set as PINECONE_API_KEY)
  • A Pinecone index created with integrated inference (required for the upsert/search record tools)
  • An MCP-compatible client such as Cursor, Claude Desktop, or the Gemini CLI

What Pinecone Developer MCP Server can do in Claude Desktop

search-docs

Search the official Pinecone documentation.

list-indexes

List all indexes in the Pinecone project.

describe-index

View the configuration of a specific index.

describe-index-stats

Get record/data statistics and namespaces for an index.

create-index-for-model

Create a new index with integrated inference for a chosen model.

upsert-records

Insert or update text records, embedding them via integrated inference.

search-records

Run a semantic text query with metadata filtering and optional reranking.

cascading-search

Search across multiple indexes and merge results.

Security

The PINECONE_API_KEY grants full access to your Pinecone project's indexes and data, so store it in env vars and rotate if leaked. Index-mutating tools (create/upsert) can change live data, so review agent actions before granting write access.

Pinecone Developer MCP Server + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the Pinecone Developer MCP Server config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is Pinecone Developer MCP Server safe to use with Claude Desktop?

The PINECONE_API_KEY grants full access to your Pinecone project's indexes and data, so store it in env vars and rotate if leaked. Index-mutating tools (create/upsert) can change live data, so review agent actions before granting write access.

Does it work with any Pinecone index?

No. The record tools (upsert-records, search-records) only support indexes created with integrated inference. Standalone or non-inference indexes are not supported.

How does it authenticate?

Via a Pinecone API key passed as the PINECONE_API_KEY environment variable. The key is scoped to the project it was generated in.

Which clients are supported?

The README documents Cursor (.cursor/mcp.json), Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json), and the Gemini CLI (installed as an extension). Any stdio MCP client should work.

View repo Full Pinecone Developer MCP Server page