Preface¶

In DSH’s plugin architecture, a common pain point is: external research tools already provide MCP capabilities, but to use them directly in dsh Web, one-time integration and configuration are still required. dsh-plugin-xquant solves this problem: it integrates xquant’s quantitative research MCP into DeepSeek Harness. After installation, you can query factors, strategy logic, and historical data in dsh Web.

Below is an introduction to its positioning, core capabilities, installation method, typical usage, as well as notes on permissions, billing, and versioning.

What is this¶

dsh-plugin-xquant is a DSH plugin maintained by codingDuan under the MIT license.

It integrates xquant’s quantitative research MCP into DeepSeek Harness, allowing you to query factors, browse strategy logic, and access historical data in dsh Web, as well as organize tool results into more readable research conclusions.

Note: This is a research tool and does not provide specific buy/sell recommendations, personalized investment advice, or market predictions. Historical performance does not guarantee future results, and investing involves risk.

Core Features¶

The capabilities provided by the plugin include:

Query available factors and their definitions.
Calculate time-series factors for supported assets and time windows.
Browse information on strategy logic, historical performance, and historical signals within permissions.
Translate tool results into more readable research conclusions using “small volume” style research guidance.

These capabilities are oriented towards research-side querying and interpretation, not equivalent to trading execution or investment advice.

Installation and Activation¶

Before installation, confirm that a valid XQUANT_API_KEY is available in the dsh process environment. The plugin only reads this value from the dsh process environment; it does not write to configuration files, upload, or print this value.

First set the key, then add the plugin, and finally start dsh Web.

1. Set API Key¶

Set it in the terminal where you intend to run dsh:

export XQUANT_API_KEY='xq_live_...'

This step simply puts the Key into the environment variable readable by the current dsh process. The plugin will not save or print it.

2. Add Plugin¶

Execute the official installation command:

dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-plugin-xquant

This step adds dsh-plugin-xquant to dsh’s web profile.

3. Start dsh Web¶

Execute:

dsh web

After the steps above, you can use xquant’s quantitative research MCP capabilities in dsh Web.

The plugin connects to by default:

https://xquant.shop/xquant-mcp/mcp

Do not use the migrated:

/factor-mcp/

Configuring Private or Staging Environments¶

If you need to connect to a private or staging environment, simply override the service origin. The plugin uses the xquant MCP path based on that origin to avoid accidentally connecting to the old path.

Example:

export XQUANT_MCP_ORIGIN='https://staging.xquant.shop'
export XQUANT_API_KEY='xq_live_...'

Note: XQUANT_MCP_ORIGIN must be an HTTP(S) origin without a path, query, or hash, for example:

https://mcp.example.com

It is not the full MCP URL.

Typical Usage¶

Start:

dsh web

After entering dsh Web, you can ask research-side questions using natural language. For example:

How is the momentum factor typically calculated? First, check the xquant factor definition, then explain using a stock example.

This example is suitable for confirming factor definitions and requesting explanations based on xquant’s returned content.

Another example:

Help me compare the historical returns and drawdowns of two publicly available strategies; do not provide buy or sell recommendations.

This example is suitable for comparing historical performance of publicly available strategies while explicitly restricting the output from containing buy or sell recommendations.

Permissions, Billing, and Security¶

The plugin’s permission boundaries are not on the local side. The xquant server is the sole boundary for permissions and compliance.

This means:

Paid content, recent rebalancing signals, and admin tools will only be returned based on the current account’s permissions.
Non-admins will not gain access to admin tools simply by installing the plugin.
The plugin runs within the dsh process, and the API Key is only read from the dsh process environment.
The plugin does not write to configuration files, upload, or print XQUANT_API_KEY.

Regarding billing, the plugin does not bill locally. The server will only record usage for successful compute_factor calls based on existing rules. MCP handshakes, tool enumeration, and failed calls should not deduct factor calculation quotas.

Applicable Scenarios and Notes¶

dsh-plugin-xquant is suitable for the following scenarios:

You already have research permissions on the xquant side and want to query factors and strategy information in dsh Web.
You need to integrate the xquant MCP into the plugin workflow of DeepSeek Harness.
You want to organize tool return results into research descriptions but do not want the output to become buy/sell advice or market predictions.

Suggestions before use:

The plugin will read XQUANT_API_KEY from the dsh process environment.
The actually accessible content depends on the xquant server’s permissions for the current account.
You can check the source code and MIT license before installation.
Do not treat the output as specific buy/sell recommendations, personalized investment advice, or market predictions.
Historical performance does not represent future performance, and investing involves risk.

Version and Future¶

DeepSeek Harness is still in developer preview.

This package is currently verified for dsh@0.1.0-rc.7. Before upgrading dsh, please run the full smoke test and read the release notes.

Conclusion¶

The value of dsh-plugin-xquant is concrete: it integrates xquant’s quantitative research MCP into DSH, enabling you to query factors, strategy logic, and historical data in dsh Web, and organize tool results into more readable research conclusions.

Repository address:

https://github.com/codingDuan/dsh-plugin-xquant

License: MIT.

dsh-plugin-xquant: Integrating xquant quantitative research MCP into DeepSeek Harness