Docs/AI Assistants (MCP)

MCP tools reference

The MCP server exposes 26 tools to your AI assistant. You never call these directly — you describe a goal in plain language and the AI picks and chains the tools itself. This page is the plain-language map of what it can reach.

Every tool is read-only. Nothing here can change your data, connections, stream configs, or stream runtime state. See Safety & privacy for the full boundary.

Database inspection

ToolWhat it does
list_connectionsLists your connections (name, type, ID) — never DSNs or passwords.
get_connectionDetail for one connection: host, port, username, default database, SSL/SSH topology — never the password, SSH private key, or cloud keys (S3/GCS/Azure access keys, tokens, service-account JSON).
list_databasesDatabases on a connection (system databases hidden unless asked).
list_schemasSchemas inside a database (system schemas hidden unless asked).
list_tablesTables in a database, optionally filtered by schema.
describe_tableColumns, indexes, primary/foreign keys, and CREATE TABLE DDL for a table.
preview_tableA bounded sample of rows (default 100, max 1000), with optional ordering and offset.
list_viewsViews in a database (separate from tables), optionally filtered by schema.
describe_viewA view's columns, defining SQL, materialized flag, and dependencies.
preview_viewA bounded sample of view rows (default 100, max 1000).

Files & S3

ToolWhat it does
list_filesLists local files/directories (CSV, JSON, JSONL, Parquet) from a path or a files-type connection.
get_file_schemaDetected schema, row-count estimate, and optional column statistics for a data file.
list_s3_bucketsLists the S3 buckets reachable with a stored S3 connection's credentials.
list_s3_objectsLists objects and sub-folder prefixes under an S3 bucket/prefix, with pagination.

Query

ToolWhat it does
run_selectRuns one bounded SELECT / WITH ... SELECT against a connection. Returns rows plus measured executionMs. Rejects anything that isn't a single read-only query.
explain_selectRuns EXPLAIN for a query (Postgres / MySQL / DuckDB), returning the plan plus parsed top-of-plan metrics.

Federated query (cross-source)

ToolWhat it does
run_federated_selectOne SELECT spanning multiple sources — databases, local files, and S3 — joined in a single query.
explain_federated_selectEXPLAIN for a federated query, to sanity-check the cross-source join plan before running it.

Streams

ToolWhat it does
list_streamsLists your stream configs (name, mode, source/target connection IDs).
get_streamFull config for one stream: source tables, target shape, write mode, schema policy, per-table filters.
get_stream_statusLatest known status from runtime snapshots or run history.
get_stream_statsLatest throughput/row statistics snapshot.
get_stream_recent_errorsRecent error-level log entries for a stream (secrets redacted).
get_stream_recent_logsRecent log entries with an optional level filter (secrets redacted).

Comparison

ToolWhat it does
compare_schemasCompares two table schemas across connections; flags blockers and warnings for migration/CDC.
compare_data_sampleCompares bounded sample rows across two tables, matched by key columns or row order.

At a glance

CategoryCountTools
Database inspection10list_connections, get_connection, list_databases, list_schemas, list_tables, describe_table, preview_table, list_views, describe_view, preview_view
Files & S34list_files, get_file_schema, list_s3_buckets, list_s3_objects
Query2run_select, explain_select
Federated query2run_federated_select, explain_federated_select
Streams6list_streams, get_stream, get_stream_status, get_stream_stats, get_stream_recent_errors, get_stream_recent_logs
Comparison2compare_schemas, compare_data_sample
Total26all read-only

What's deliberately not here

No tool — by any path — writes data, changes configuration, runs arbitrary SQL, or controls streams. The AI advises; you execute. The full list of guarantees is in Safety & privacy → What cannot happen.

Next steps