@database-mcp/sqlite

MCP server giving AI clients safe, structured access to a SQLite database. Two tools, guardrails on by default.

Quick start (Claude Desktop / Claude Code / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sqlite": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@database-mcp/sqlite", "--dsn", "/absolute/path/to/database.db"]
    }
  }
}

Configuration

SQLite needs one thing: the path to the database file. Three ways to give it:

Flag

--dsn /absolute/path/to/database.db, as in the quick start.

Environment variable

"env": { "SQLITE_PATH": "/absolute/path/to/database.db" }

YAML config file

Useful if you want the guardrail settings in one file. Pass an absolute path, since the working directory at launch is unpredictable:

"args": ["-y", "@database-mcp/sqlite", "--config", "/absolute/path/database-mcp.yaml"]

# /absolute/path/database-mcp.yaml
connection:
  dsn: /absolute/path/to/database.db

guardrails:
  readOnly: true
  maxRows: 1000
  queryTimeoutMs: 30000

Run the server with --print-config to see exactly what it resolved.

Tools

• execute_sql { sql } runs a single SQL statement. Returns a summary line (N rows / truncated to N rows / OK (N affected)) followed by compact JSON {columns, rows}.
• search_objects { table? } lists tables with estimated row counts, or describes one table (columns, indexes, foreign keys).

Guardrails (defaults)

| Guardrail | Default | Override | | --------------- | ---------- | --------------------------------- | | Read-only | on | --allow-write / ALLOW_WRITE | | Row cap | 1000 | --max-rows / MAX_ROWS | | Query timeout | 30000 ms | --query-timeout-ms / QUERY_TIMEOUT_MS |

Read-only is enforced in two layers: a conservative SQL guard, plus the database file opened read-only with PRAGMA query_only=ON. Writes smuggled through CTEs are blocked too.

Part of database-mcp

One package per engine, identical tool contract, shared conformance suite: github.com/arifulislamat/database-mcp

License

MIT