LABSCO SUMMARY

An ArangoDB session that survives being asked vague questions.

Describing the database and sampling documents come before querying, so a model that has never seen your schema can find it rather than invent it. The read-only query path and the confirm flag on dropping a collection are where that exploration stops short of damage.

What it is

A full working surface for one ArangoDB database: AQL execution with a read-only mode, document CRUD in bulk, collection and index management, graph traversal, and ArangoSearch views and analyzers.

What you get

AQL with bind variables and bounded results, plus a read-only variant that rejects writes and DDL
Query validation and execution plans, so a query can be checked before it runs
Database discovery — collections, counts, indexes and sample fields in one summary
Documents by key, listed with limit and offset, counted, or randomly sampled to learn a schema
Writes one at a time, or up to 1000 documents per bulk insert or bulk update
Collections created and dropped, the drop requiring an explicit confirm
Indexes: persistent, geo, TTL and inverted
Graphs, edges, traversal and shortest path
ArangoSearch views, analyzers and search, plus a database backup

Requirements

A reachable ArangoDB instance and credentials for the database you point it at. It runs as a TypeScript server launched from your MCP client config.

Setup effort

One command plus credentials — npm install -g arango-server, then supply credentials

See installation options

USE CASES

01

Getting oriented in a database you did not design

Summarise the collections and sample a few documents to learn the shape before writing a query.

arango_describe_databasearango_sample_documents

02

Answering a question without risking a write

Run it through the read-only path so a stray update cannot get through.

arango_read_query

03

Fixing a slow query

Validate it, read the execution plan, and see which index it is actually using.

arango_validate_queryarango_explain_queryarango_list_indexes

04

Loading a dataset

Create the collection, then push documents up to a thousand at a time instead of one per call.

arango_create_collectionarango_bulk_insert

05

Following relationships through the data

Traverse the graph from a starting vertex, or ask for the shortest path between two.

arango_traversearango_shortest_path

06

Standing up full-text search over a collection

Create the analyzer and the search view, then query through it.

arango_create_analyzerarango_create_search_viewarango_search

31 tools

Listed in project docs. Your client may show a different list.

arango_query

arango_read_query

arango_validate_query

arango_explain_query

arango_describe_database

arango_list_collections

arango_get_collection

arango_create_collection

arango_drop_collection

arango_get_document

arango_list_documents

arango_count_documents

arango_sample_documents

arango_insert

arango_bulk_insert

BEFORE YOU INSTALL

What to know first

Tools you get

31 tools named in the project's documentation.

Requires

npx on PATH
ARANGO_PASSWORD in your environment
ARANGO_URL in your environment
ARANGO_DB in your environment
ARANGO_USERNAME in your environment

Where it runs

All 4 documented clients run the server on your machine.

INSTALLATION

Connect your client

Server setup

TERMINAL

npm install -g arango-server

MCP Clients

VS Code

VS CODE · JSON

{
  "servers": {
    "arango-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "arango-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ARANGO_URL": "http://localhost:8529",
        "ARANGO_DB": "<YOUR_ARANGO_DB>",
        "ARANGO_USERNAME": "<YOUR_ARANGO_USERNAME>",
        "ARANGO_PASSWORD": "<YOUR_ARANGO_PASSWORD>"
      }
    }
  }
}

OpenCode

OPENCODE · JSON

{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "arango": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": [
        "npx",
        "-y",
        "arango-server"
      ],
      "enabled": true,
      "environment": {
        "ARANGO_URL": "<YOUR_ARANGO_URL>",
        "ARANGO_DB": "<YOUR_ARANGO_DB>",
        "ARANGO_USERNAME": "<YOUR_ARANGO_USERNAME>",
        "ARANGO_PASSWORD": "<YOUR_ARANGO_PASSWORD>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cline, Warp

JSON

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "arango": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "arango-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ARANGO_URL": "<YOUR_ARANGO_URL>",
        "ARANGO_DB": "<YOUR_ARANGO_DB>",
        "ARANGO_USERNAME": "<YOUR_ARANGO_USERNAME>",
        "ARANGO_PASSWORD": "<YOUR_ARANGO_PASSWORD>"
      }
    }
  }
}

ArangoDB