How to add MongoDB MCP Server to Claude Desktop

Official MongoDB server connecting Atlas, Community, or Enterprise deployments to AI tools. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 15, 2026 · 1.5k★ · stdio · apikey · official

Claude Desktop config for MongoDB MCP Server

npx -y mongodb-mcp-server@latest --readOnly

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mongodb-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mongodb-mcp-server@latest",
        "--readOnly"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MDB_MCP_CONNECTION_STRING": "mongodb+srv://<user>:<password>@<cluster-host>/<db>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
2Paste the MongoDB MCP Server config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
5Open a chat and confirm MongoDB MCP Server's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

Node.js v22.13.0 or later (Node 20.x support is deprecated)
A MongoDB connection string for the deployment you want to access (Atlas, Community, or Enterprise), OR Atlas API Service Account credentials (Client ID + Secret) for Atlas control-plane tools
For Atlas tools: an Atlas Service Account created in the Atlas UI under Access Manager, with the minimum required project/org roles
Optionally Docker, if you prefer running the published container image instead of npx

What MongoDB MCP Server can do in Claude Desktop

find

Run a query against a collection and return matching documents

aggregate

Execute an aggregation pipeline on a collection

count

Count documents matching a filter

insert-many

Insert one or more documents into a collection

update-many

Update documents matching a filter

delete-many

Delete documents matching a filter

list-databases

List databases in the connected deployment

list-collections

List collections in a database

Security

The connection string carries full database credentials, so keep it in env vars (never args) and use a scoped user. Pass --readOnly when the agent should not mutate or drop collections.

MongoDB MCP Server + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the MongoDB MCP Server config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is MongoDB MCP Server safe to use with Claude Desktop?

The connection string carries full database credentials, so keep it in env vars (never args) and use a scoped user. Pass --readOnly when the agent should not mutate or drop collections.

Does it work with self-hosted MongoDB or only Atlas?

Both. Database tools work against any MongoDB deployment via a connection string — Atlas, Community, or Enterprise. The atlas-* tools additionally require Atlas Service Account API credentials and only apply to Atlas.

How do I get Atlas API credentials?

Create a Service Account in the Atlas UI (Organization/Project Access Manager > Applications), copy the Client ID and Client Secret, and grant it the minimum roles needed for the operations you want to perform.

Can I stop an agent from modifying data?

Yes. Start the server with read-only mode enabled and it will only expose non-destructive tools. You can also require confirmation for specific tools and cap how many documents/bytes a query returns.

View repo Full MongoDB MCP Server page