Get up and running with QDrant Loader in 5 minutes! This guide walks you through your first document ingestion and AI tool integration.
In one flow, you will:
- Install the packages
- Start QDrant
- Create a workspace
- Ingest your first content
- Connect AI tools through MCP
Estimated time: 10 to 15 minutes.
- Python 3.12+
- Docker (or an existing QDrant instance)
- One LLM provider key (OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Ollama, or OpenAI-compatible)
pip install qdrant-loader qdrant-loader-mcp-serverVerify:
qdrant-loader --version
mcp-qdrant-loader --versionIf you need OS-specific install help, see Installation Guide.
Local Docker option:
docker run -p 6333:6333 -p 6334:6334 qdrant/qdrantOr use QDrant Cloud and copy URL/API key.
Recommended (wizard):
qdrant-loader setup --output-dir my-qdrant-workspace --mode default
cd my-qdrant-workspaceAlternative (manual):
mkdir my-qdrant-workspace
cd my-qdrant-workspace
qdrant-loader init --workspace .Need more control over prompts and templates? See CLI setup command options.
Create or edit .env:
QDRANT_URL=http://localhost:6333
QDRANT_COLLECTION_NAME=quickstart
LLM_PROVIDER=openai
LLM_BASE_URL=https://api.openai.com/v1
LLM_API_KEY=your-openai-key
LLM_EMBEDDING_MODEL=text-embedding-3-small
LLM_CHAT_MODEL=gpt-4o-miniCanonical configuration references:
- LLM Provider Guide - Pick the right provider profile and copy a known-good
.envtemplate. - Environment Variables Reference - Validate required keys fast and avoid common startup/auth errors.
Create config.yaml:
global:
qdrant:
url: "${QDRANT_URL}"
collection_name: "${QDRANT_COLLECTION_NAME}"
llm:
provider: "${LLM_PROVIDER}"
base_url: "${LLM_BASE_URL}"
api_key: "${LLM_API_KEY}"
models:
embeddings: "${LLM_EMBEDDING_MODEL}"
chat: "${LLM_CHAT_MODEL}"
embeddings:
vector_size: 1536
projects:
quickstart:
project_id: "quickstart"
display_name: "Quick Start"
sources:
localfile:
docs:
base_url: "file://./docs"
include_paths: ["**/*.md"]Create sample content and ingest:
mkdir docs
printf "# Hello QDrant Loader\n\nThis is my first document.\n" > docs/sample.md
qdrant-loader ingest --workspace .
# Expected output:
# 📁 Scanning directory: my-project/
# 📄 Processing: 2 files found
# ✅ Ingested: 2 documents, multiple chunks
# 🔍 Collection: quickstartFor Git/Confluence/Jira and advanced source filters, see Data Sources Guide.
mcp-qdrant-loader
# Expected output:
# 🚀 QDrant Loader MCP Server starting...
# 📡 Server running on stdio
# 🔍 Available tools: search, hierarchy_search, attachment_search
# ✅ Ready for connectionsDetailed integration guides:
- Setup and Integration Guide - Connect MCP in Cursor, Claude Desktop, and other clients step by step.
- Search Capabilities Guide - Learn each search tool, parameters, and practical query patterns.
In Cursor/Claude/Windsurf, run a query like:
"Search my docs for QDrant Loader quick start notes"
If results are returned from ingested content, setup is complete.
- Configuration Reference - Tune chunking, embeddings, and project-level behavior for production use.
- Data Sources Guide - Expand beyond local files with Git, Confluence, Jira, and public docs.
- Troubleshooting Guide - Diagnose ingestion/search issues quickly with practical fix paths.
-
qdrant-loader --versionandmcp-qdrant-loader --versionreturn successfully -
qdrant-loader ingest --workspace .finishes without errors - MCP server starts with
mcp-qdrant-loader - Your AI tool returns results from ingested documents
🎉 Quick Start Complete!
You're now ready to explore the full power of QDrant Loader. The next step is reviewing the Core Concepts summarized in Getting Started, or dive into the User Guides for specific features and workflows.