Arango

This MCP server provides database interaction capabilities for ArangoDB through a streamlined, MCP-based interface. It enables you to run common database operations, back up data, and integrate ArangoDB with MCP-enabled clients and editors with minimal setup.

How to use

You interact with the Arango MCP Server by connecting your MCP-enabled client to the local or remote server process. Use the available operations to query data, insert and update documents, remove documents, backup collections, and list all collections. Each operation corresponds to a distinct tool exposed by the server, and you can trigger these tools through your MCP client as you would with other MCP servers.

How to install

Prerequisites: you need Node.js installed on your system. You can verify by running node -v and npm -v in your shell.

Install dependencies and build the server from source if needed, then run the server locally using the standard MCP runtime. The following steps assume you will use npm for installation and building.

Additional steps and configuration

Configure the MCP server connection in your client setup. The server is designed to be run as a local process that You start with Node and point your MCP client to the process. The example below shows how to start the local Arango MCP server process, including required environment variables.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "arango": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/arango-server/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "ARANGO_URL": "your_database_url",
        "ARANGO_DATABASE": "your_database_name",
        "ARANGO_USERNAME": "your_username",
        "ARANGO_PASSWORD": "your_password"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment and runtime details

The server relies on specific environment variables to connect to ArangoDB. Ensure you provide the database URL, database name, username, and password when starting the server.

Usage notes

The server uses standard I/O for communication. Start the process, then issue commands from your MCP client to perform actions such as querying, inserting, updating, removing documents, backing up data, and listing collections.

Security considerations

Treat database credentials as sensitive. Store them securely and restrict access to the MCP client and the running server. Use network isolation and, if possible, limit the connected ArangoDB user permissions to only what is required by your application.

Troubleshooting

If the MCP client cannot connect, verify that the ArangoDB connection details are correct and that the server process is running with the proper environment variables. Check console output for connection errors and ensure the port is accessible from your client environment.

Notes

Backup and data export features help you migrate data between environments. Use arango_backup to export to JSON files in the specified output directory, and use arango_list_collections to inspect available collections.

Available tools

arango_query

Execute AQL queries. Accepts a query string and optional bind variables, returning results as JSON.

arango_insert

Insert documents into a collection. Requires collection name and document object; auto-generates a document key if not provided.

arango_update

Update existing documents by collection and key with an update object, returning updated metadata.

arango_remove

Remove documents from a collection by key, returning metadata for the removed document.

arango_backup

Backup all or selected collections to JSON files in a specified output directory.

arango_list_collections

List all collections in the database, with names, IDs, and types.