MongoDB MCP Server for Claude Code: Setup & Config

What you can do with MongoDB in Claude Code

A broad MongoDB toolset with read-only onboarding and integrated MongoDB knowledge search.

• Inspect collection schemas and indexes before writing queries.
• Search MongoDB documentation and curated knowledge sources.

Before you start: MongoDB in Claude Code

• Node.js 22.13.0 or later
• A MongoDB connection string or Atlas service-account credentials
• An MCP-compatible client

This is the README's read-only connection-string setup. Atlas operations instead need MDB_MCP_API_CLIENT_ID and MDB_MCP_API_CLIENT_SECRET. Docker and HTTP alternatives are documented; HTTP needs deployment-level authentication and protection.

MongoDB Claude Code configuration

1. Choose Claude Code configuration scope

   For MongoDB MCP Server, open Project scope: .mcp.json at the repository root. Project JSON: merge into mcpServers; user scope: use the CLI.

2. Add MongoDB MCP Server to Claude Code

   Use the mongodb-mcp-server entry below in mcpServers. Keep MongoDB MCP Server's documented stdio connection fields and your other Claude Code entries.

3. Check MongoDB MCP Server in Claude Code

   MongoDB MCP Server: Inspect claude mcp list and /mcp status.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mongodb-mcp-server": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mongodb-mcp-server@latest",
        "--readOnly"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MDB_MCP_CONNECTION_STRING": "<MongoDB connection string with appropriate credentials>"
      }
    }
  }
}

claude mcp add-json --scope project 'mongodb-mcp-server' '{"type":"stdio","command":"npx","args":["-y","mongodb-mcp-server@latest","--readOnly"],"env":{"MDB_MCP_CONNECTION_STRING":"<MongoDB connection string with appropriate credentials>"}}'

MongoDB tools available to Claude Code

MongoDB's stored tool list documents 27 tools; compare it with Claude Code's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

aggregate-db

For MongoDB's aggregate-db, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

aggregate

For MongoDB's aggregate, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

collection-indexes

For MongoDB's collection-indexes, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Inspect indexes attached to a collection.

collection-schema

For MongoDB's collection-schema, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Inspect a collection's document structure.

collection-storage-size

For MongoDB's collection-storage-size, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Report storage size for a collection.

connect

For MongoDB's connect, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Open an independent MongoDB connection and return its identifier.

count

For MongoDB's count, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Count collection documents, optionally constrained by a query.

create-collection

For MongoDB's create-collection, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Add a collection, creating its database if necessary.

create-index

For MongoDB's create-index, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Add an index to a collection.

db-stats

For MongoDB's db-stats, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

delete-many

For MongoDB's delete-many, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

disconnect

For MongoDB's disconnect, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

drop-collection

For MongoDB's drop-collection, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

drop-database

For MongoDB's drop-database, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

drop-index

For MongoDB's drop-index, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Remove a specified collection index.

explain

For MongoDB's explain, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

export

For MongoDB's export, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

find

For MongoDB's find, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

insert-many

For MongoDB's insert-many, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

list-collections

For MongoDB's list-collections, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

list-connections

For MongoDB's list-connections, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

list-databases

For MongoDB's list-databases, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Enumerate databases reachable through a connection.

mongodb-logs

For MongoDB's mongodb-logs, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Read recent events logged by mongod.

rename-collection

For MongoDB's rename-collection, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Change a collection's name.

update-many

For MongoDB's update-many, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Modify collection documents that satisfy a filter.

list-knowledge-sources

For MongoDB's list-knowledge-sources, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Discover sources and filtering options in the MongoDB Assistant knowledge base.

search-knowledge

For MongoDB's search-knowledge, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Search MongoDB documentation and expert resources with source and version filters.

MongoDB: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting MongoDB in Claude Code

• If MongoDB MCP Server fails to start, check npx mongodb-mcp-server@latest (Node.js/npm), the working directory, and Claude Code's selected scope; inspect claude mcp list and /mcp.
• MongoDB MCP Server: check MDB_MCP_CONNECTION_STRING; keep credentials out of shared .mcp.json.
• MongoDB MCP Server uses stdio here: Claude Code must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
• Known limitation: Atlas tools require separate service-account credentials.
• Known limitation: HTTP deployments need additional security controls.
• Known limitation: Write-enabled tools can delete data and database objects.
• General Claude Code troubleshooting lives in the /clients/claude-code guide.

Frequently asked questions