MotherDuck

Q: Is MotherDuck a remote or a local server?

Remote. MotherDuck hosts it at https://api.motherduck.com/mcp, and it speaks Streamable HTTP. There's nothing to install.

Q: What can MotherDuck do?

It has 5 tools, including execute_query, list_databases and list_tables. You can run SQL queries against MotherDuck and DuckDB databases, list available databases and list tables and views in a database.

listing.by

Query, explore and manage MotherDuck cloud databases with DuckDB SQL from your AI assistant.

state.auth.longStreamable HTTP

listing.connect

listing.explain.oauth

https://api.motherduck.com/mcp

listing.note.oauth

act.add_to act.add_to act.add_to

listing.about

Connects an assistant to MotherDuck, the cloud service built on DuckDB. It can run SQL queries, list databases, tables and views, and inspect column definitions so answers come from your real data.

The hosted endpoint at https://api.motherduck.com/mcp uses streamable HTTP and OAuth sign-in with a MotherDuck account. A local alternative, the mcp-server-motherduck package, runs with uvx and can also open in-memory DuckDB, local DuckDB files and S3-hosted databases. It is read-only by default, and a MotherDuck token is needed to reach MotherDuck from it.

listing.can

Run SQL queries against MotherDuck and DuckDB databases
List available databases
List tables and views in a database
Inspect columns of a table or view
Switch between database connections in the local server when enabled

listing.tools 5

execute_query
Run a SQL query; unqualified table names resolve automatically.
list_databases
List all databases, useful with multiple attached DuckDB databases or MotherDuck.
list_tables
List all tables and views, defaulting to the current database.
list_columns
List all columns of a table or view in the current database or schema.
switch_database_connection
Switch to a different database connection; needs the --allow-switch-databases flag.

listing.prov.mcpb_on

listing.prompts

List the databases in my MotherDuck account.
Show the columns of the orders table and summarize its structure.
Run a SQL query for monthly revenue by region from my sales database.
Which tables in my analytics database contain a user_id column?

listing.setup.h

listing.setup.oauth

Claude Code

Run this in a terminal, in your project folder:

claude mcp add --transport http motherduck https://api.motherduck.com/mcp

Start Claude Code, type /mcp, pick motherduck and choose Authenticate. A browser window opens for the MotherDuck sign-in.

Add --scope user to make it available in every project, not just this one.

Claude Desktop

Open Settings → Connectors and click Add custom connector.
Name it MotherDuck and paste this URL:

https://api.motherduck.com/mcp

Click Add, then Connect, and sign in when MotherDuck asks.

Claude Desktop's JSON config file only starts local servers. Remote servers go through Connectors, and connectors you add on claude.ai show up here too.

claude.ai

Open the connector form on claude.ai. This button fills in the name and URL for you:

Add to claude.ai a11y.new_tab

Check that the URL reads https://api.motherduck.com/mcp and click Add.
Click Connect and sign in when MotherDuck asks.

Free plans allow one custom connector. On Team and Enterprise plans an owner adds it under Organization settings → Connectors.

ChatGPT

On chatgpt.com, open Settings → Security and login and turn on Developer mode.
Go to chatgpt.com/plugins and click + to create an app for a remote MCP server.
Paste https://api.motherduck.com/mcp as the server URL and choose OAuth. ChatGPT sends you to MotherDuck to sign in.

Developer mode is available on the web for Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education accounts.

Cursor

Add to Cursor a11y.new_tab

Or add it by hand to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (all projects) or .cursor/mcp.json (this project):

mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "motherduck": {
      "url": "https://api.motherduck.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Cursor shows Needs login next to the server. Click it to sign in.

VS Code

Install in VS Code a11y.new_tab

Or from a terminal:

code --add-mcp '{"name":"motherduck","type":"http","url":"https://api.motherduck.com/mcp"}'

Or commit it to the repo in .vscode/mcp.json:

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "motherduck": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.motherduck.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

VS Code asks you to sign in the first time the server starts.

Devin Desktop

Add it to ~/.config/devin/mcp_config.json (macOS and Linux) or %APPDATA%\devin\mcp_config.json (Windows):

mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "motherduck": {
      "serverUrl": "https://api.motherduck.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Refresh the MCP server list in Cascade and sign in when asked.

Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf. It reads serverUrl (or url) for remote servers.

Codex

codex mcp add motherduck --url https://api.motherduck.com/mcp
codex mcp login motherduck

Or edit ~/.codex/config.toml directly:

config.toml

[mcp_servers.motherduck]
url = "https://api.motherduck.com/mcp"

Gemini CLI

gemini mcp add --transport http motherduck https://api.motherduck.com/mcp

Then, inside Gemini CLI, run /mcp auth motherduck to sign in.

This adds it to the current project. Add -s user to use it everywhere.

Any client

Most clients accept this shape. Some name the URL field differently: serverUrl in Devin Desktop, httpUrl in Gemini CLI's settings file.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "motherduck": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.motherduck.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Zed puts servers under context_servers in its settings. Cline needs "type": "streamableHttp", or it assumes SSE.

Client only starts local servers? Bridge it with npx -y mcp-remote https://api.motherduck.com/mcp.

listing.faq

Can I paste mcp.tc/i/motherduck into my MCP client?

No. mcp.tc links are pages, not server addresses. Connect with https://api.motherduck.com/mcp, so your client talks to MotherDuck directly. The sign-in token only works there anyway. The quick link is for sharing: it opens this page, with setup steps for every client.

Does MotherDuck need an API key or a sign-in?

Yes, you need a MotherDuck account. The first time your client connects, it opens MotherDuck's sign-in page. The token goes straight to the server's own URL, never through mcp.tc.

Is MotherDuck a remote or a local server?

Remote. MotherDuck hosts it at https://api.motherduck.com/mcp, and it speaks Streamable HTTP. There's nothing to install.

What can MotherDuck do?

It has 5 tools, including execute_query, list_databases and list_tables. You can run SQL queries against MotherDuck and DuckDB databases, list available databases and list tables and views in a database.

Which clients can use it?

Any client that supports remote MCP servers: Claude Code, Claude Desktop, claude.ai, ChatGPT in developer mode, Cursor, VS Code, Devin Desktop, Codex, Gemini CLI, Zed and others. The setup steps cover each one.

Who wrote this page?

mcp.tc's robot read MotherDuck's own metadata (its MCP handshake, tool list and public pages), and an AI model drafted the text from it. A person reviews anything the checks can't confirm. The text can still be wrong, so if you spot a mistake, use Report this listing on this page.

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