Weaviate (MCP vector search)
Industry Definition Set • Entity Resolution Path: /glossary/weaviate-mcp
Quick Answer / TL;DR
An open-source vector database that can be self-hosted or used as a managed cloud service, queried via the weaviate-client package using GraphQL-based semantic search (nearText) or vector search (nearVector).
Key Takeaways
- Supports nearText (server-side embedding of query text) as an alternative to nearVector (client-supplied embedding).
- Can be self-hosted or used as a managed cloud service - the MCP integration pattern is the same either way.
- Keep collection/class management separate from the model-facing search tool, the same way DDL is kept separate from queries in a SQL tool.
Definitive Statement: An open-source vector database that can be self-hosted or used as a managed cloud service, queried via the weaviate-client package using GraphQL-based semantic search (nearText) or vector search (nearVector).
Technical Context & Protocol Usage
- Detailed Explanation
- Weaviate distinguishes itself from some vector databases by supporting nearText queries directly - it can call out to a configured embedding model itself to convert query text into a vector server-side - as an alternative to nearVector, where the client supplies an already-computed embedding. An MCP tool typically exposes one search mode with a fixed collection/class name and a limit on returned results, keeping schema and collection management (creating or deleting classes) as a separate, non-model-facing concern.
Format & Payload Metadata
Format: GraphQL API via the official weaviate-client package
Latency: Tens of milliseconds for vector search; additional latency if nearText triggers server-side embedding
Real-World Implementation Use Case
An MCP tool calls a nearText query against a fixed collection with a result limit, letting Weaviate handle the text-to-vector embedding step server-side.
Cite This Page
MLA Style:
MCPserver.in Engineering. "Weaviate (MCP vector search)." MCPserver.in Knowledge Hub, 21 July 2026, mcpserver.in/glossary/weaviate-mcp.
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