MongoDB Lens

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MongoDB Lens is a local Model Context Protocol (MCP) server with full featured access to MongoDB databases using natural language via LLMs to perform queries, run aggregations, optimize performance, and more.

Quick Start

Install MongoDB Lens
Configure MongoDB Lens
Set up your MCP Client (e.g. Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc)
Explore your MongoDB databases with natural language queries

Features

Tools

aggregate-data: Execute aggregation pipelines
analyze-query-patterns: Analyze live queries and suggest optimizations
analyze-schema: Automatically infer collection schemas
bulk-operations: Perform multiple operations efficiently ( requires confirmation for destructive operations)
collation-query: Find documents with language-specific collation rules
compare-schemas: Compare schemas between two collections
connect-mongodb: Connect to a different MongoDB URI
connect-original: Connect back to the original MongoDB URI used at startup
count-documents: Count documents matching specified criteria
create-collection: Create new collections with custom options
create-database: Create a new database with option to switch to it
create-index: Create new indexes for performance optimization
create-timeseries: Create time series collections for temporal data
create-user: Create new database users with specific roles
current-database: Show the current database context
delete-document: Delete documents matching specified criteria ( requires confirmation)
distinct-values: Extract unique values for any field
drop-collection: Remove collections from the database ( requires confirmation)
drop-database: Drop a database ( requires confirmation)
drop-index: Remove indexes from collections ( requires confirmation)
drop-user: Remove database users ( requires confirmation)
explain-query: Analyze query execution plans
export-data: Export query results in JSON or CSV format
find-documents: Run queries with filters, projections, and sorting
generate-schema-validator: Generate JSON Schema validators
geo-query: Perform geospatial queries with various operators
get-stats: Retrieve database or collection statistics
gridfs-operation: Manage large files with GridFS buckets
list-collections: Explore collections in the current database
list-connections: View all available MongoDB connection aliases
list-databases: View all accessible databases
map-reduce: Run MapReduce operations for complex data processing
modify-document: Insert or update specific documents
rename-collection: Rename existing collections ( requires confirmation when dropping targets)
shard-status: View sharding configuration for databases and collections
text-search: Perform full-text search across text-indexed fields
transaction: Execute multiple operations in a single ACID transaction
use-database: Switch to a specific database context
validate-collection: Check for data inconsistencies
watch-changes: Monitor real-time changes to collections

Resources

collection-indexes: Index information for a collection
collection-schema: Schema information for a collection
collection-stats: Performance statistics for a collection
collection-validation: Validation rules for a collection
collections: List of collections in the current database
database-triggers: Database change streams and event triggers configuration
database-users: Database users and roles in the current database
databases: List of all accessible databases
performance-metrics: Real-time performance metrics and profiling data
replica-status: Replica set status and configuration
server-status: Server status information
stored-functions: Stored JavaScript functions in the current database

Prompts

aggregation-builder: Step-by-step creation of aggregation pipelines
backup-strategy: Customized backup and recovery recommendations
data-modeling: Expert advice on MongoDB schema design for specific use cases
database-health-check: Comprehensive database health assessment and recommendations
index-recommendation: Get personalized index suggestions based on query patterns
migration-guide: Step-by-step MongoDB version migration plans
mongo-shell: Generate MongoDB shell commands with explanations
multi-tenant-design: Design MongoDB multi-tenant database architecture
query-builder: Interactive guidance for constructing MongoDB queries
query-optimizer: Optimization recommendations for slow queries
schema-analysis: Detailed collection schema analysis with recommendations
schema-versioning: Manage schema evolution in MongoDB applications
security-audit: Database security analysis and improvement recommendations
sql-to-mongodb: Convert SQL queries to MongoDB aggregation pipelines

Other Features

MongoDB Lens includes several additional features:

Configuration File: Custom configuration via ~/.mongodb-lens.json
Connection Resilience: Automatic reconnection with exponential backoff
Component Disabling: Selectively disable specific tools, prompts or resources
Smart Caching: Enhanced caching for schemas, collection lists, and server status
JSONRPC Error Handling: Comprehensive error handling with proper error codes
Memory Management: Automatic memory monitoring and cleanup for large operations

Installation

MongoDB Lens can be installed and run in several ways:

Installation: NPX

Note

NPX requires Node.js installed and running on your system (suggestion: use Volta).

The easiest way to run MongoDB Lens is using npx:

# Ensure Node.js is installed
node --version # Ideally >= v22.x but MongoDB Lens is >= v18.x compatible

# Using default connection string mongodb://localhost:27017
npx -y mongodb-lens

# Using custom connection string
npx -y mongodb-lens mongodb://your-connection-string

Tip

If you encounter permissions errors with npx try running npx clear-npx-cache prior to running npx -y mongodb-lens (this clears the cache and re-downloads the package).

Installation: Docker Hub

Note

Docker Hub requires Docker installed and running on your system.

Run MongoDB Lens via Docker Hub:

# Using default connection string mongodb://localhost:27017
docker run --rm -i --network=host furey/mongodb-lens

# Using custom connection string
docker run --rm -i --network=host furey/mongodb-lens mongodb://your-connection-string

# Using "--pull" to keep the Docker image up-to-date
docker run --rm -i --network=host --pull=always furey/mongodb-lens

Installation: Node.js from Source

Note

Node.js from source requires Node.js installed and running on your system (suggestion: use Volta).

Clone the MongoDB Lens repository:

git clone https://github.com/furey/mongodb-lens.git

Navigate to the cloned repository directory:

cd /path/to/mongodb-lens

Ensure Node.js is installed:

node --version # Ideally >= v22.x but MongoDB Lens is >= v18.x compatible

Install Node.js dependencies:

npm ci

Start the server:

# Using default connection string mongodb://localhost:27017
node mongodb-lens.js

# Using custom connection string
node mongodb-lens.js mongodb://your-connection-string

Installation: Docker from Source

Note

Docker from source requires Docker installed and running on your system.

Clone the MongoDB Lens repository:

git clone https://github.com/furey/mongodb-lens.git

Navigate to the cloned repository directory:

cd /path/to/mongodb-lens

Build the Docker image:

docker build -t mongodb-lens .

Run the container:

# Using default connection string mongodb://localhost:27017
docker run --rm -i --network=host mongodb-lens

# Using custom connection string
docker run --rm -i --network=host mongodb-lens mongodb://your-connection-string

Installation Verification

To verify the installation, paste and run the following jsonrpc message into the server's stdio:

{"method":"resources/read","params":{"uri":"mongodb://databases"},"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1}

The server should respond with a list of databases in your MongoDB instance, for example:

{"result":{"contents":[{"uri":"mongodb://databases","text":"Databases (12):\n- admin (180.00 KB)\n- config (108.00 KB)\n- local (40.00 KB)\n- sample_airbnb (51.88 MB)\n- sample_analytics (9.46 MB)\n- sample_geospatial (980.00 KB)\n- sample_guides (40.00 KB)\n- sample_mflix (108.90 MB)\n- sample_restaurants (7.73 MB)\n- sample_supplies (968.00 KB)\n- sample_training (40.85 MB)\n- sample_weatherdata (2.69 MB)"}]},"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1}

MongoDB Lens is now installed and ready to accept MCP requests.

Configuration

Configuration: MongoDB Connection String

The server accepts a MongoDB connection string as its only argument.

Example NPX usage:

npx -y mongodb-lens mongodb://your-connection-string

MongoDB connection strings have the following format:

mongodb://[username:password@]host[:port][/database][?options]

Example connection strings:

Local connection:

mongodb://localhost:27017

Connection to mydatabase with credentials from admin database:

mongodb://username:password@hostname:27017/mydatabase?authSource=admin

Connection to mydatabase with various other options:

mongodb://hostname:27017/mydatabase?retryWrites=true&w=majority

If no connection string is provided, the server will attempt to connect via local connection.

Configuration: Config File

MongoDB Lens supports extensive customization via JSON config file.

Note

The config file is optional. MongoDB Lens will run with default settings if no config file is provided.

Tip

MongoDB Lens supports both .json and .jsonc (JSON with comments) file formats.

Example configuration file

{
  "mongoUri": "mongodb://localhost:27017",         // Default MongoDB connection string or object of alias-URI pairs
  "connectionOptions": {
    "maxPoolSize": 20,                             // Maximum number of connections in the pool
    "retryWrites": false,                          // Whether to retry write operations
    "useNewUrlParser": true,                       // Use MongoDB's new URL parser
    "connectTimeoutMS": 30000,                     // Connection timeout in milliseconds
    "socketTimeoutMS": 360000,                     // Socket timeout in milliseconds
    "useUnifiedTopology": true,                    // Use the new unified topology engine
    "heartbeatFrequencyMS": 10000,                 // How often to ping servers for status
    "serverSelectionTimeoutMS": 30000              // Timeout for server selection
  },
  "defaultDbName": "admin",                        // Default database if not specified in URI
  "connection": {
    "maxRetries": 5,                               // Maximum number of initial connection attempts
    "maxRetryDelayMs": 30000,                      // Maximum delay between retries
    "reconnectionRetries": 10,                     // Maximum reconnection attempts if connection lost
    "initialRetryDelayMs": 1000                    // Initial delay between retries
  },
  "disabled": {
    "tools": [],                                   // List of tools to disable or true to disable all
    "prompts": [],                                 // List of prompts to disable or true to disable all
    "resources": []                                // List of resources to disable or true to disable all
  },
  "cacheTTL": {
    "stats": 15000,                                // Stats cache lifetime in milliseconds
    "schemas": 60000,                              // Schema cache lifetime in milliseconds
    "indexes": 120000,                             // Index cache lifetime in milliseconds
    "collections": 30000,                          // Collections list cache lifetime in milliseconds
    "serverStatus": 20000                          // Server status cache lifetime in milliseconds
  },
  "enabledCaches": [                               // List of caches to enable\
    "stats",                                       // Statistics cache\
    "fields",                                      // Collection fields cache\
    "schemas",                                     // Collection schemas cache\
    "indexes",                                     // Collection indexes cache\
    "collections",                                 // Database collections cache\
    "serverStatus"                                 // MongoDB server status cache\
  ],
  "memory": {
    "enableGC": true,                              // Whether to enable garbage collection
    "warningThresholdMB": 1500,                    // Memory threshold for warnings
    "criticalThresholdMB": 2000                    // Memory threshold for cache clearing
  },
  "logLevel": "info",                              // Log level (info or verbose)
  "disableDestructiveOperationTokens": false,      // Whether to skip confirmation for destructive ops
  "watchdogIntervalMs": 30000,                     // Interval for connection monitoring
  "defaults": {
    "slowMs": 100,                                 // Threshold for slow query detection
    "queryLimit": 10,                              // Default limit for query results
    "allowDiskUse": true,                          // Allow operations to use disk for large datasets
    "schemaSampleSize": 100,                       // Sample size for schema inference
    "aggregationBatchSize": 50                     // Batch size for aggregation operations
  },
  "security": {
    "tokenLength": 4,                              // Length of confirmation tokens
    "tokenExpirationMinutes": 5,                   // Expiration time for tokens
    "strictDatabaseNameValidation": true           // Enforce strict database name validation
  },
  "tools": {
    "transaction": {
      "readConcern": "snapshot",                   // Read concern level for transactions
      "writeConcern": {
        "w": "majority"                            // Write concern for transactions
      }
    },
    "bulkOperations": {
      "ordered": true                              // Whether bulk operations execute in order
    },
    "export": {
      "defaultLimit": -1,                          // Default limit for exports (-1 = no limit)
      "defaultFormat": "json"                      // Default export format (json or csv)
    },
    "watchChanges": {
      "maxDurationSeconds": 60,                    // Maximum duration for change streams
      "defaultDurationSeconds": 10                 // Default duration for change streams
    },
    "queryAnalysis": {
      "defaultDurationSeconds": 10                 // Default duration for query analysis
    }
  }
}

By default, MongoDB Lens looks for the config file at: ~/.mongodb-lens.json

To customize the config file path, set the environment variable CONFIG_PATH to the desired file path.

Example NPX usage:

CONFIG_PATH='/path/to/config.json' npx -y mongodb-lens

Example Docker Hub usage:

docker run --rm -i --network=host -v /path/to/config.json:/root/.mongodb-lens.json furey/mongodb-lens

Configuration: Environment Variable Overrides

MongoDB Lens supports environment variable overrides for configuration settings.

Environment variables take precedence over config file settings.

Config environment variables follow the naming pattern:

CONFIG_[SETTING PATH, SNAKE CASED, UPPERCASED]

Example overrides:

| Config Setting | Environment Variable Override | | --- | --- | | mongoUri | CONFIG_MONGO_URI | | logLevel | CONFIG_LOG_LEVEL | | defaultDbName | CONFIG_DEFAULT_DB_NAME | | connectionOptions.maxPoolSize | CONFIG_CONNECTION_OPTIONS_MAX_POOL_SIZE | | connection.reconnectionRetries | CONFIG_CONNECTION_RECONNECTION_RETRIES | | defaults.queryLimit | CONFIG_DEFAULTS_QUERY_LIMIT | | tools.export.defaultFormat | CONFIG_TOOLS_EXPORT_DEFAULT_FORMAT |

For environment variable values:

For boolean settings, use string values 'true' or 'false'.
For numeric settings, use string representations.
For nested objects or arrays, use JSON strings.

Example NPX usage:

CONFIG_DEFAULTS_QUERY_LIMIT='25' npx -y mongodb-lens

Example Docker Hub usage:

docker run --rm -i --network=host -e CONFIG_DEFAULTS_QUERY_LIMIT='25' furey/mongodb-lens

Configuration: Multiple MongoDB Connections

MongoDB Lens supports defining multiple MongoDB URIs with aliases in your config file, allowing you to easily switch between different MongoDB instances using simple names.

To configure multiple connections, set the mongoUri setting to an object with alias-URI pairs:

{
  "mongoUri": {
    "main": "mongodb://localhost:27017",
    "backup": "mongodb://localhost:27018",
    "atlas": "mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/mydb"
  }
}

With this configuration:

The first URI in the list (e.g. main) becomes the default connection at startup
You can switch connections using natural language: "Connect to backup" or "Connect to atlas"
The original syntax still works: "Connect to mongodb://localhost:27018"
The new list-connections tool shows all available connection aliases

This feature makes it easier to manage connections to different environments (development, testing, production) or to switch between primary and replica databases.

Note

When using the command-line argument to specify a connection, you can use either a full MongoDB URI or an alias defined in your configuration file.

Client Setup

Client Setup: Claude Desktop

To use MongoDB Lens with Claude Desktop:

Install Claude Desktop
Open claude_desktop_config.json (create if it doesn't exist):
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
- Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Add the MongoDB Lens server configuration as per configuration options
Restart Claude Desktop
Start a conversation with Claude about your MongoDB data

Claude Desktop Configuration Options

For each option:

Replace mongodb://your-connection-string with your MongoDB connection string or omit it to use the default mongodb://localhost:27017.
To use a custom config file, set CONFIG_PATH environment variable.

To include environment variables:

For NPX or Node add "env": {} with key-value pairs, for example:

"command": "/path/to/npx",
"args": [\
  "-y",\
  "mongodb-lens",\
  "mongodb://your-connection-string"\
],
"env": {
  "CONFIG_LOG_LEVEL": "verbose",
  "CONFIG_DEFAULT_DB_NAME": "analytics",
  "CONFIG_CONNECTION_OPTIONS_MAX_POOL_SIZE": "30"
}

For Docker add -e flags, for example:

docker run --rm -i --network=host
-e CONFIG_LOG_LEVEL='verbose'
-e CONFIG_DEFAULT_DB_NAME='analytics'
-e CONFIG_CONNECTION_OPTIONS_MAX_POOL_SIZE='30'
furey/mongodb-lens ```

Option 1: NPX (Recommended)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mongodb-lens": {
      "command": "/path/to/npx",
      "args": [\
        "-y",\
        "mongodb-lens",\
        "mongodb://your-connection-string"\
      ]
    }
  }
}

Option 2: Docker Hub Image

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mongodb-lens": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [\
        "run",\
        "--rm",\
        "-i",\
        "--network=host",\
        "--pull=always",\
        "furey/mongodb-lens",\
        "mongodb://your-connection-string"\
      ]
    }
  }
}

Option 3: Local Node.js Installation

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mongodb-lens": {
      "command": "/path/to/node",
      "args": [\
        "/path/to/mongodb-lens.js",\
        "mongodb://your-connection-string"\
      ]
    }
  }
}

Option 4: Local Docker Image

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mongodb-lens": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [\
        "run",\
        "--rm",\
        "-i",\
        "--network=host",\
        "mongodb-lens",\
        "mongodb://your-connection-string"\
      ]
    }
  }
}

Client Setup: MCP Inspector

MCP Inspector is a tool designed for testing and debugging MCP servers.

Note

MCP Inspector starts a proxy server on port 3000 and web client on port 5173.

Example NPX usage:

Run MCP Inspector:

# Using default connection string mongodb://localhost:27017
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/inspector npx -y mongodb-lens

# Using custom connection string
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/inspector npx -y mongodb-lens mongodb://your-connection-string

# Using custom ports
SERVER_PORT=1234 CLIENT_PORT=5678 npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/inspector npx -y mongodb-lens

Open MCP Inspector: http://localhost:5173

MCP Inspector should support the full range of MongoDB Lens capabilities, including autocompletion for collection names and query fields.

For more, see: MCP Inspector

Client Setup: Other MCP Clients

MongoDB Lens should be usable with any MCP-compatible client.

For more, see: MCP Documentation: Example Clients

Data Protection

To protect your data while using MongoDB Lens, consider the following:

Data Protection: Read-Only User Accounts

When connecting MongoDB Lens to your database, the permissions granted to the user in the MongoDB connection string dictate what actions can be performed. When the use case fits, a read-only user can prevent unintended writes or deletes, ensuring MongoDB Lens can query data but not alter it.

To set this up, create a user with the read role scoped to the database(s) you're targeting. In MongoDB shell, you'd run something like:

use admin

db.createUser({
  user: 'readonly',
  pwd: 'eXaMpLePaSsWoRd',
  roles: [{ role: 'read', db: 'mydatabase' }]
})

Then, apply those credentials to your MongoDB connection string:

mongodb://readonly:eXaMpLePaSsWoRd@localhost:27017/mydatabase

Using read-only credentials is a simple yet effective way to enforce security boundaries, especially when you're poking around schemas or running ad-hoc queries.

Data Protection: Working with Database Backups

When working with MongoDB Lens, consider connecting to a backup copy of your data hosted on a separate MongoDB instance.

Start by generating the backup with mongodump. Next, spin up a fresh MongoDB instance (e.g. on a different port like 27018) and restore the backup there using mongorestore. Once it's running, point MongoDB Lens to the backup instance's connection string (e.g. mongodb://localhost:27018/mydatabase).

This approach gives you a sandbox to test complex or destructive operations against without risking accidental corruption of your live data.

Data Protection: Confirmation for Destructive Operations

MongoDB Lens implements a token-based confirmation system for potentially destructive operations, requiring a two-step process to execute tools that may otherwise result in unchecked data loss:

First tool invocation: Returns a 4-digit confirmation token that expires after 5 minutes
Second tool invocation: Executes the operation if provided with the valid token

For an example of the confirmation process, see: Working with Confirmation Protection.

Tools that require confirmation include:

drop-user: Remove a database user
drop-index: Remove an index (potential performance impact)
drop-database: Permanently delete a database
drop-collection: Delete a collection and all its documents
delete-document: Delete one or multiple documents
bulk-operations: When including delete operations
rename-collection: When the target collection exists and will be dropped

This protection mechanism aims to prevent accidental data loss from typos and unintended commands. It's a safety net ensuring you're aware of the consequences before proceeding with potentially harmful actions.

Note

If you're working in a controlled environment where data loss is acceptable, you can configure MongoDB Lens to bypass confirmation and perform destructive operations immediately.

Bypassing Confirmation for Destructive Operations

You might want to bypass the token confirmation system.

Set the environment variable CONFIG_DISABLE_DESTRUCTIVE_OPERATION_TOKENS to true to execute destructive operations immediately without confirmation:

# Using NPX
CONFIG_DISABLE_DESTRUCTIVE_OPERATION_TOKENS=true npx -y mongodb-lens

# Using Docker
docker run --rm -i --network=host -e CONFIG_DISABLE_DESTRUCTIVE_OPERATION_TOKENS='true' furey/mongodb-lens

Warning

Disabling confirmation tokens removes an important safety mechanism. It's strongly recommended to only use this option in controlled environments where data loss is acceptable, such as development or testing. Disable at your own risk.

Data Protection: Disabling Destructive Operations

Disabling Tools

MongoDB Lens includes several tools that can modify or delete data. To disable specific tools, add them to the disabled.tools array in your configuration file:

{
  "disabled": {
    "tools": [\
      "drop-user",\
      "drop-index",\
      "drop-database",\
      "drop-collection",\
      "delete-document",\
      "bulk-operations",\
      "rename-collection"\
    ]
  }
}

High-Risk Tools

These tools can cause immediate data loss and should be considered for disabling in sensitive environments:

drop-user: Removes database users and their access permissions
drop-index: Removes indexes (can impact query performance)
drop-database: Permanently deletes entire databases
drop-collection: Permanently deletes collections and all their documents
delete-document: Removes documents matching specified criteria
bulk-operations: Can perform batch deletions when configured to do so
rename-collection: Can overwrite existing collections when using the drop target option

Medium-Risk Tools

These tools can modify data but typically don't cause immediate data loss:

create-user: Creates users with permissions that could enable further changes
transaction: Executes multiple operations in a transaction (potential for complex changes)
modify-document: Inserts or updates documents which could overwrite existing data

Read-Only Configuration

For a complete read-only configuration, disable all potentially destructive tools:

{
  "disabled": {
    "tools": [\
      "drop-user",\
      "drop-index",\
      "create-user",\
      "transaction",\
      "create-index",\
      "drop-database",\
      "drop-collection",\
      "delete-document",\
      "modify-document",\
      "bulk-operations",\
      "create-database",\
      "gridfs-operation",\
      "create-collection",\
      "rename-collection",\
      "create-timeseries"\
    ]
  }
}

This configuration allows MongoDB Lens to query and analyze data while preventing any modifications, providing multiple layers of protection against accidental data loss.

Tutorial

This following tutorial guides you through setting up a MongoDB container with sample data, then using MongoDB Lens to interact with it through natural language queries:

Tutorial: 1. Start Sample Data Container

Note

This tutorial assumes you have Docker installed and running on your system.

Important

If Docker is already running a container on port 27017, stop it before proceeding.

Initialise the sample data container:

docker run --name mongodb-sampledata -d -p 27017:27017 mongo:6

Verify the container is running without issue:

docker ps | grep mongodb-sampledata

Tutorial: 2. Import Sample Data

MongoDB provides several sample datasets which we'll use to explore MongoDB Lens.

Download the sample datasets:

curl -LO https://atlas-education.s3.amazonaws.com/sampledata.archive

Copy the sample datasets into your sample data container:

docker cp sampledata.archive mongodb-sampledata:/tmp/

Import the sample datasets into MongoDB:

docker exec -it mongodb-sampledata mongorestore --archive=/tmp/sampledata.archive

This will import several databases:

sample_airbnb: Airbnb listings and reviews
sample_analytics: Customer and account data
sample_geospatial: Geographic data
sample_mflix: Movie data
sample_restaurants: Restaurant data
sample_supplies: Supply chain data
sample_training: Training data for various applications
sample_weatherdata: Weather measurements

Tutorial: 3. Connect MongoDB Lens

Install MongoDB Lens as per the Quick Start instructions.

Set your MCP Client to connect to MongoDB Lens via: mongodb://localhost:27017

Tip

Omitting the connection string from your MCP Client configuration will default the connection string to mongodb://localhost:27017.

Example Claude Desktop configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mongodb-lens": {
      "command": "/path/to/npx",
      "args": [\
        "-y",\
        "mongodb-lens"\
      ]
    }
  }
}

Tutorial: 4. Example Queries

With your MCP Client running and connected to MongoDB Lens, try the following example queries:

Example Queries: Basic Database Operations

"List all available databases"

➥ Uses list-databases tool

"What database am I currently using?"

➥ Uses current-database tool

"Switch to the sample_mflix database"

➥ Uses use-database tool

"Create a new database called test_db"

➥ Uses create-database tool

"Create another database called analytics_db and switch to it"

➥ Uses create-database tool with switch=true

"Drop the test_db database"

➥ Uses drop-database tool (with confirmation)

Example Queries: Collection Management

"What collections are in the current database?"

➥ Uses list-collections tool

"Create a new collection named user_logs"

➥ Uses create-collection tool

"Drop the user_logs collection"

➥ Uses drop-collection tool (with confirmation)

"Rename the user_logs collection to system_logs"

➥ Uses rename-collection tool

"Check the data consistency in the movies collection"

➥ Uses validate-collection tool

Example Queries: User Management

"Create a read-only user for analytics"

➥ Uses create-user tool

"Drop the inactive_user account"

➥ Uses drop-user tool (with confirmation)

Example Queries: Querying Data

"Count all documents in the movies collection"

➥ Uses count-documents tool

"Find the top 5 movies with the highest IMDB rating"

➥ Uses find-documents tool

"Show me aggregate data for movies grouped by decade"

➥ Uses aggregate-data tool

"List all unique countries where movies were produced"

➥ Uses distinct-values tool

"Search for movies containing 'godfather' in their title"

➥ Uses text-search tool

"Find German users with last name 'müller' using proper collation"

➥ Uses collation-query tool

Example Queries: Schema Analysis

"What's the schema structure of the movies collection?"

➥ Uses analyze-schema tool

"Compare the schema between users and comments collections"

➥ Uses compare-schemas tool

"Generate a JSON schema validator for the movies collection"

➥ Uses generate-schema-validator tool

"Analyze common query patterns for the movies collection"

➥ Uses analyze-query-patterns tool

Example Queries: Data Modification

"Insert a new movie document"

➥ Uses modify-document tool (insert operation)

"Update all movies from 1994 to add a 'classic' flag"

➥ Uses modify-document tool (update operation)

"Delete all movies with zero ratings"

➥ Uses delete-document tool (with confirmation)

"Run these bulk operations on the movies collection"

➥ Uses bulk-operations tool

Example Queries: Performance & Index Management

"Create an index on the title field in the movies collection"

➥ Uses create-index tool

"Drop the unused ratings_idx index"

➥ Uses drop-index tool (with confirmation)

"Explain the execution plan for finding movies from 1995"

➥ Uses explain-query tool

"Get statistics for the current database"

➥ Uses get-stats tool (database target)

"Show collection stats for the movies collection"

➥ Uses get-stats tool (collection target)

Example Queries: Geospatial & Special Operations

"Switch to sample_geospatial database, then find all shipwrecks within 10km of coordinates [-80.12, 26.46]"

➥ Uses geo-query tool

"Switch to sample_mflix database, then run this Map-Reduce to calculate movie counts by year with map 'function () { emit(this.year, 1) }' and reduce 'function (key, values) { return Array.sum(values) }'"

➥ Uses map-reduce tool

"Switch to sample_analytics database, then execute a transaction to move funds between accounts"

➥ Uses transaction tool

"Create a time series collection for sensor readings"

➥ Uses create-timeseries tool

"Watch for changes in the users collection for 30 seconds"

➥ Uses watch-changes tool

"List all files in the images GridFS bucket"

➥ Uses gridfs-operation tool (list operation)

Example Queries: Export, Administrative & Other Features

"Switch to sample_mflix database, then export the top 20 movies based on 'tomatoes.critic.rating' as a CSV with title, year and rating fields, output as raw csv text in a single code block"

➥ Uses export-data tool

"Switch to sample_analytics database, then check its sharding status"

➥ Uses shard-status tool

"Switch to sample_weatherdata database, and generate an interactive report on its current state"

➥ Uses numerous tools

Example Queries: Connection Management

"Connect to a different MongoDB server at mongodb://localhost:27018"

➥ Uses connect-mongodb tool

"Connect to MongoDB Atlas instance at mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/mydb"

➥ Uses connect-mongodb tool

"Connect back to the original MongoDB server"

➥ Uses connect-original tool

"Connect to a MongoDB replica set without validating the connection"

➥ Uses connect-mongodb tool with validateConnection=false

Tutorial: 5. Working With Confirmation Protection

MongoDB Lens includes a safety mechanism for potentially destructive operations. Here's how it works in practice:

Request to drop a collection:

"Drop the collection named test_collection"

MongoDB Lens responds with a warning and confirmation token:

⚠️ DESTRUCTIVE OPERATION WARNING ⚠️

You've requested to drop the collection 'test_collection'.

This operation is irreversible and will permanently delete all data in this collection.

To confirm, you must type the 4-digit confirmation code EXACTLY as shown below:

Confirmation code: 9876

This code will expire in 5 minutes for security purposes.

Confirm the operation by submitting the confirmation token:

"9876"

MongoDB Lens executes the operation:

Collection 'test_collection' has been permanently deleted.

This two-step process prevents accidental data loss by requiring explicit confirmation.

Note

If you're working in a controlled environment where data loss is acceptable, you can configure MongoDB Lens to bypass confirmation and perform destructive operations immediately.

Disclaimer

MongoDB Lens:

is licensed under the MIT License.
is not affiliated with or endorsed by MongoDB, Inc.
is written with the assistance of AI and may contain errors.
is intended for educational and experimental purposes only.
is provided as-is with no warranty—please use at your own risk.

Support

If you've found MongoDB Lens helpful consider supporting my work through:

Buy Me a Coffee | GitHub Sponsorship

Contributions help me continue developing and improving this tool, allowing me to dedicate more time to add new features and ensuring it remains a valuable resource for the community.

furey/mongodb-lens

Installation

Claude Desktop

Installation Command

Configuration

Instructions

README

MongoDB Lens

Contents

Quick Start

Features

Tools

Resources

Prompts

Other Features

Installation

Installation: NPX

Installation: Docker Hub

Installation: Node.js from Source

Installation: Docker from Source

Installation Verification

Configuration

Configuration: MongoDB Connection String

Configuration: Config File

Configuration: Environment Variable Overrides

Configuration: Multiple MongoDB Connections

Client Setup

Client Setup: Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop Configuration Options

Option 1: NPX (Recommended)

Option 2: Docker Hub Image

Option 3: Local Node.js Installation

Option 4: Local Docker Image

Client Setup: MCP Inspector

Client Setup: Other MCP Clients

Data Protection

Data Protection: Read-Only User Accounts

Data Protection: Working with Database Backups

Data Protection: Confirmation for Destructive Operations

Bypassing Confirmation for Destructive Operations

Data Protection: Disabling Destructive Operations

Disabling Tools

High-Risk Tools

Medium-Risk Tools

Read-Only Configuration

Tutorial

Tutorial: 1. Start Sample Data Container

Tutorial: 2. Import Sample Data

Tutorial: 3. Connect MongoDB Lens

Tutorial: 4. Example Queries

Example Queries: Basic Database Operations

Example Queries: Collection Management

Example Queries: User Management

Example Queries: Querying Data

Example Queries: Schema Analysis

Example Queries: Data Modification

Example Queries: Performance & Index Management

Example Queries: Geospatial & Special Operations

Example Queries: Export, Administrative & Other Features

Example Queries: Connection Management

Tutorial: 5. Working With Confirmation Protection

Disclaimer

Support