mcp -arangodb

This MCP server exposes a set of ArangoDB operations via the Model Context Protocol. It provides tools to query, insert, update, and remove documents, as well as perform backups and manage collections. The available tools are: arango_query for executing AQL queries; arango_insert to insert documents into a collection (automatic key generation if not provided); arango_update to modify existing documents; arango_remove to delete documents by collection and key; arango_backup to back up all collections to JSON files; arango_list_collections to list current collections; and arango_create_collection to create new collections with optional type (document or edge) and write-wait behavior. To use these tools, connect to the MCP server (configured via environment variables) and send the appropriate JSON payloads describing the operation. The server is designed to work with Claude app or the Cline VSCode extension, enabling you to issue MCP commands directly from these interfaces. For example, you can query all users, insert a new user document, update a user by key, or back up a collection to JSON files, all through the MCP tool prompts.

Usage patterns typically involve sending a JSON payload with the operation’s required fields. Examples include providing a collection name and document for inserts, a query string for arango_query, or the target collection and key for updates/removals. The server handles ArangoDB authentication via the configured environment variables and returns results as JSON.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js and npm installed on your system
• Access to an ArangoDB instance (local or remote) with a database name, username, and password

Installation steps:

1. Install the ArangoDB MCP server globally via npm (or use npx):

npm install -g arango-server

2. Run the server using NPX (no global install required):

npx arango-server

3. Configure MCP in your environment or tooling with required environment variables:

export ARANGO_URL=http://localhost:8529
export ARANGO_DB=your_database_name
export ARANGO_USERNAME=your_username
export ARANGO_PASSWORD=your_password

4. Start the MCP integration in your VSCode or Claude workflow as described in the README, using the arango-mcp server configuration (see mcp_config example).

Note: The server is designed to be run locally for development. In a production setting, consider securing credentials and restricting access to the MCP endpoints.

Environment variables are required for connecting to ArangoDB: ARANGO_URL, ARANGO_DB, ARANGO_USERNAME, and ARANGO_PASSWORD. If you run the server behind a proxy or in a container, ensure the ARANGO_URL points to the accessible ArangoDB endpoint. When using VSCode integration, you may add the provided configuration snippet into your MCP settings to automatically load the arango-server tool. For backups, arango_backup will write JSON files per collection to the specified output directory; ensure the process has write permissions to that directory. If you encounter authentication errors, verify that the credentials match the ArangoDB instance and that the user has appropriate permissions for the target database. The README notes that the server is intended for development use and may require additional hardening for production deployments.