Tabularis MCP Server: Setup for Claude, Cursor and Other Apps
Lets Claude, Cursor and other assistants read your database schema and run SQL queries through the Tabularis desktop app.
Tabularis is an open-source desktop SQL app. Its built-in MCP server is the same program started with the --mcp flag, so the assistant uses the database connections you already saved in the app. Passwords stay in the app and are never shown to the assistant.
By default, anything that is not a plain SELECT waits for you to approve it in the Tabularis window, which has to be open. You can also turn on read-only mode per connection. The app supports Postgres, MySQL, SQLite and many other engines through plugins.
Good for
- Developers who already use Tabularis and want the assistant to query the same connections
- Analysts who ask data questions in plain English and want the SQL written and run
- Teams who want a person to approve every write the assistant tries
Works in
12 should work
Tap an app to see how to set it up and any known problems.
Supports local MCP servers.
Supports local MCP servers.
Supports local MCP servers.
Supports local MCP servers.
Supports local MCP servers.
Supports local MCP servers.
Supports local MCP servers.
Supports local MCP servers.
Supports local MCP servers.
Supports local MCP servers.
Supports local MCP servers.
Supports local MCP servers.
Client does not support this transport.
Client does not support this transport.
Install tabularis MCP
Claude Code
- 1
Copy this prompt.
Add the tabularis MCP server to Claude Code. Run this command: claude mcp add --scope user tabularis /path/to/tabularis -- --mcp Then check that it loaded and tell me if I need to sign in or restart.
- 2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.
Requires Tabularis desktop app.
Read-only mode: In the Tabularis app, open Settings > MCP and turn on read-only mode for the connection. Writes are then blocked.
Install the Tabularis desktop app first, then replace /path/to/tabularis with the real path of its program on your computer. The server is the app's own program started with the --mcp flag, so the app has to stay installed. The app has a one-click option under Settings > MCP Server Integration that writes the config for Claude Desktop, Cursor and Windsurf. Tabularis documents Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Antigravity and Codex; the other tabs use the same command in that app's own format.
From the vendor's docs. Source.
Tools
List your saved database connections
Lists the database connections saved in Tabularis. Passwords are never included.
Try: “Which database connections do I have in Tabularis?”
Read ·
list_connectionsList databases on a connection
Lists the databases available on one saved connection.
Try: “Which databases are on my staging connection?”
Read ·
list_databasesList tables in a database
Lists the tables of a connection, with an optional schema or database to look in.
Try: “List the tables in the public schema of production.”
Read ·
list_tablesShow a table's columns, indexes and keys
Returns the full structure of one table: columns, indexes and foreign keys.
Try: “Describe the orders table.”
Read ·
describe_tableRun any SQL query
Runs a SQL query you or the assistant write on a saved connection and returns up to 100 rows by default. It can run writes too, which Tabularis holds for your approval by default.
Try: “Find the top 10 customers by order value this month.”
Delete ·
run_query
Read from the source code
Permissions
medium risk · 3 things to watch · 3 advisories
Medium risk
The assistant can read your tables and run SQL on any saved connection, including writes and deletes if you approve them. Use read-only mode for anything you cannot afford to change.
What it can do
- Read your data
- Create and change things
- Delete things
- Read-only modeHow to turn it on
Watch out for
It can run any SQL, including deletes
The query tool runs whatever SQL the assistant writes. Turn on read-only mode for production connections, or use a database user that can only read. github.com
Writes need your approval by default
The default approval mode holds anything that is not a plain SELECT until you approve it in the app. The setting can be switched to ask for every query or turned off, so check it. github.com
The app must be installed and open for approvals
The server is the Tabularis program itself. If the window is not running, queries that need approval fail instead of waiting. github.com
Security advisories
3 known advisories, 1 with no fixed version yet.
- Unvalidated database parameter override in MCP tools allows arbitrary local SQLite file access and bypasses saved connection database scopehigh · Fixed in 0.30.0 · GHSA-9x4c-wq7x-5fjq
- SQL Injection in TabularisDB/tabularis SQLite driver allows attacker-influenced MCP tool calls to bypass read-only mode via table_namehigh · Fixed in 0.28.0 · GHSA-xrx3-j98v-67x9
- MCP read-only mode and write approval bypassed by side-effecting SELECT / PRAGMA statementshigh · GHSA-vqmg-c6j7-6c3j
Technical details
| Turning on read-only | Turn on read-only mode for a connection in the Tabularis MCP settings. Queries that are not SELECT are then blocked. |
|---|---|
| Talks to | The database servers behind your saved connections |
| Sign-in and keys | Connection passwords are kept in the app and the system keychain. The assistant never receives them. |
| Scopes |
|
Questions
Is it official?
Yes. The MCP server is built into Tabularis and ships from the Tabularis repository. It is not a separate package.
Do I need an API key?
No. You need the Tabularis desktop app and at least one saved database connection. The database login stays in the app.
Can it run read-only?
Yes. Turn on read-only mode for a connection in the Tabularis MCP settings. Queries that are not SELECT are then blocked.
Can the assistant change my data?
Only if you allow it. Anything that is not a plain SELECT waits for your approval in the app by default. Without read-only mode and approval, it could run any SQL.
Which databases does it work with?
Whatever Tabularis supports: three built-in drivers and 26 driver plugins, including DuckDB, ClickHouse and Redis. The Tabularis site lists Postgres, MySQL and SQLite as built in.
How do I add it to Claude Desktop?
Use the one-click Install Config button in Tabularis under Settings, MCP Server Integration. Or use the install box above with the path to the Tabularis program.
Is it free?
Yes. Tabularis is open source under the Apache-2.0 license.
Information
updated Nov 2, 2026
- Publisher
- Official
- Transport
- stdio
- Auth
- None
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Last commit
- Oct 31, 2026
- Open issues
- 90
Sources
Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from. Issues, quotes and findings above link to their own source.
Show all 3Hide
- tabularis.dev · tabularis.dev
- github.com · github.com
- github.com · github.com