ELIZA Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides access to the classic ELIZA chatbot. ELIZA is a famous early natural language processing program that simulates a Rogerian psychotherapist.

Overview

This MCP server exposes ELIZA's conversational capabilities through a standardized interface, allowing LLMs to interact with this historic chatbot for demonstrations, examples, or entertainment purposes.

Features

• Stateful Conversations: Maintains conversation context across multiple interactions
• Classic ELIZA Responses: Uses the original ELIZA algorithm from the elizabot npm package
• Simple API: Four tools for complete control over ELIZA interactions

Installation

npm install
npm run build

Usage

With Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "eliza": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["elisa-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Standalone

npm start

Available Tools

eliza_chat

Send a message to ELIZA and receive a response.

Parameters:

• message (string, required): The message to send to ELIZA

Returns:

• response (string): ELIZA's response
• quit (boolean): Whether the user said a quit phrase

Example:

{
  "message": "I'm feeling sad today"
}

eliza_reset

Reset the ELIZA conversation, clearing all memory and starting fresh.

Parameters: None

Returns: Confirmation message

eliza_get_initial

Get ELIZA's initial greeting message to start a new conversation.

Parameters: None

Returns: ELIZA's greeting

eliza_get_final

Get ELIZA's farewell message when ending the conversation.

Parameters: None

Returns: ELIZA's farewell

Example Interaction

1. Get initial greeting:

Tool: eliza_get_initial
Response: "Hello. How are you feeling today?"

2. Chat with ELIZA:

Tool: eliza_chat
Input: { "message": "I'm worried about my future" }
Response: { "response": "Why are you worried about your future?", "quit": false }

3. Continue conversation:

Tool: eliza_chat
Input: { "message": "I don't know what I want to do" }
Response: { "response": "Do you often feel uncertain about what you want?", "quit": false }

4. Reset if needed:

Tool: eliza_reset
Response: "ELIZA conversation has been reset..."

How ELIZA Works

ELIZA uses pattern matching and substitution to simulate conversation. It:

• Recognizes keywords and patterns in user input
• Applies transformation rules to generate responses
• Maintains a small memory of previous statements
• Occasionally reflects earlier topics back to the user

The chatbot gives the illusion of understanding while using simple text manipulation techniques.

Technical Details

• Built with the official MCP TypeScript SDK
• Uses the elizabot npm package (v0.0.3)
• Maintains conversation state in memory
• Communicates via stdio transport

References

• Model Context Protocol
• MCP TypeScript SDK
• elizabot on npm
• Original ELIZA by Joseph Weizenbaum (1966)

License

MIT

Sources

This project was built using information from:

• MCP TypeScript SDK Documentation
• elizabot npm package
• MCP Server Examples