npm package: @iflow-mcp/surrealdb-mcp-server
Description: A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides a standardized interface for AI assistants to interact with a SurrealDB database.
Author: David Whatley
Latest version: 0.2.0

# SurrealDB MCP Server

<p align="center">
  <img src="assets/images/sdblogo.png" width="256" alt="SurrealDB MCP Server Logo" />
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/surrealdb-mcp-server"><img src="https://img.shields.io/npm/v/surrealdb-mcp-server.svg" alt="npm version"></a>
  <a href="https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-blue.svg" alt="License: MIT"></a>
  <a href="https://nodejs.org/"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/node-%3E%3D18.0.0-brightgreen" alt="Node.js Version"></a>
  <a href="https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/MCP%20SDK-%5E1.6.1-orange" alt="MCP SDK"></a>
</p>

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides a standardized interface for AI assistants to interact with a [SurrealDB](https://surrealdb.com/) database. This server enables AI systems to query and manipulate data within a configured SurrealDB instance.

> **Note for AI Assistants:** If you are an AI assistant (like Claude, Cline, Copilot, etc.) reading this documentation, please refer to the [llms-install.md](llms-install.md) file for detailed instructions specifically designed for you to help users install and configure this MCP server.

## Installation Guide

### Which AI assistant are you using?

- **📝 Using Cline VS Code Extension?** → [Go to Cline Installation](#cline-installation)
- **🖥️ Using Claude Desktop App?** → [Go to Claude Installation](#claude-installation)
- **🤖 Using GitHub Copilot in VS Code?** → [Go to Copilot Installation](#copilot-installation)
- **🦘 Using Roo Code in VS Code?** → [Go to Roo Code Installation](#roo-code-installation)
- **🌊 Using Windsurf?** → [Go to Windsurf Installation](#windsurf-installation)
- **⚡ Using Cursor?** → [Go to Cursor Installation](#cursor-installation)
- **🔄 Using [n8n](https://n8n.io/)?** → [Go to n8n Integration](#integration-with-n8n)

## Key Terms

- **MCP Server**: A server that implements the Model Context Protocol, allowing AI assistants to access external tools and resources
- **MCP Host**: The application (like VS Code with Cline or Claude Desktop) that connects to MCP servers
- **[SurrealDB](https://surrealdb.com/)**: A scalable, distributed, document-graph database with real-time capabilities

## Available Tools

The server exposes the following tools for interacting with SurrealDB:

-   `query`: Execute a raw SurrealQL query.
-   `select`: Select records from a table (all or by specific ID).
-   `create`: Create a single new record in a table.
-   `update`: Update a specific record, replacing its content.
-   `delete`: Delete a specific record by ID.
-   `merge`: Merge data into a specific record (partial update).
-   `patch`: Apply JSON Patch operations to a specific record.
-   `upsert`: Create a record if it doesn't exist, or update it if it does.
-   `insert`: Insert multiple records into a table.
-   `insertRelation`: Create a graph relation (edge) between two records.

*(Refer to the MCP host's tool listing for detailed input schemas.)*

## 📝 Cline Installation

### One-Click Installation for Cline VS Code Extension

1. **Install the package globally:**

   ```bash
   npm install -g surrealdb-mcp-server
   ```

2. **Add to Cline settings:**

   Edit the file at: `%APPDATA%\Code\User\globalStorage\saoudrizwan.claude-dev\settings\cline_mcp_settings.json`
   
   Add the following configuration:

   ```json
   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "surrealdb": {
         "command": "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe",
         "args": [
           "C:\\Users\\YOUR_USERNAME\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\surrealdb-mcp-server\\build\\index.js"
         ],
         "env": {
           "SURREALDB_URL": "ws://localhost:8000",
           "SURREALDB_NS": "your_namespace",
           "SURREALDB_DB": "your_database",
           "SURREALDB_USER": "your_db_user",
           "SURREALDB_PASS": "your_db_password"
         },
         "disabled": false,
         "autoApprove": []
       }
     }
   }
   ```

   > **Important:** Replace `YOUR_USERNAME` with your actual Windows username in the path.

3. **Restart VS Code**

4. **Verify Installation:**
   - Open Cline in VS Code
   - Ask Cline to "list available MCP servers"
   - You should see "surrealdb" in the list

## 🖥️ Claude Installation

### Installation for Claude Desktop App

1. **Configure Claude Desktop to use the server:**
   
   Edit the Claude Desktop App's MCP settings file:
   - Windows: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
   - macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
   - Linux: `~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`

   Add the following configuration:

   ```json
   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "surrealdb": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "-y",
           "surrealdb-mcp-server"
         ],
         "env": {
           "SURREALDB_URL": "ws://localhost:8000",
           "SURREALDB_NS": "your_namespace",
           "SURREALDB_DB": "your_database",
           "SURREALDB_USER": "your_db_user",
           "SURREALDB_PASS": "your_db_password"
         },
         "disabled": false,
         "autoApprove": []
       }
     }
   }
   ```

   > **Note:** Using the `npx` command as shown above means the MCP client will automatically download and run the package from npm when needed. No manual installation is required.

2. **Restart Claude Desktop App**

3. **Verify Installation:**
   - Ask Claude to "list available MCP servers"
   - You should see "surrealdb" in the list

## 🤖 Copilot Installation

### Installation for GitHub Copilot in VS Code

1. **Create a workspace configuration file:**
   
   Create a file at: `.vscode/mcp.json` in your workspace
   
   Add the following configuration:

   ```json
   {
     "inputs": [
       {
         "type": "promptString",
         "id": "surrealdb-url",
         "description": "SurrealDB URL",
         "default": "ws://localhost:8000"
       },
       {
         "type": "promptString",
         "id": "surrealdb-ns",
         "description": "SurrealDB Namespace"
       },
       {
         "type": "promptString",
         "id": "surrealdb-db",
         "description": "SurrealDB Database"
       },
       {
         "type": "promptString",
         "id": "surrealdb-user",
         "description": "SurrealDB Username"
       },
       {
         "type": "promptString",
         "id": "surrealdb-pass",
         "description": "SurrealDB Password",
         "password": true
       }
     ],
     "servers": {
       "surrealdb": {
         "type": "stdio",
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "-y",
           "surrealdb-mcp-server"
         ],
         "env": {
           "SURREALDB_URL": "${input:surrealdb-url}",
           "SURREALDB_NS": "${input:surrealdb-ns}",
           "SURREALDB_DB": "${input:surrealdb-db}",
           "SURREALDB_USER": "${input:surrealdb-user}",
           "SURREALDB_PASS": "${input:surrealdb-pass}"
         }
       }
     }
   }
   ```

   > **Note:** This configuration uses VS Code's input variables to securely prompt for and store your SurrealDB credentials.

2. **Verify Installation:**
   - Open GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code
   - Select "Agent" mode from the dropdown
   - Click the "Tools" button to see available tools
   - You should see SurrealDB tools in the list

## 🦘 Roo Code Installation

### Installation for Roo Code in VS Code

1. **Access MCP Settings:**
   
   Click the MCP icon in the top navigation of the Roo Code pane, then select "Edit MCP Settings" to open the configuration file.

2. **Add the SurrealDB MCP Server configuration:**

   ```json
   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "surrealdb": {
         "command": "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe",
         "args": [
           "C:\\Users\\YOUR_USERNAME\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\surrealdb-mcp-server\\build\\index.js"
         ],
         "env": {
           "SURREALDB_URL": "ws://localhost:8000",
           "SURREALDB_NS": "your_namespace",
           "SURREALDB_DB": "your_database",
           "SURREALDB_USER": "your_db_user",
           "SURREALDB_PASS": "your_db_password"
         },
         "disabled": false,
         "autoApprove": []
       }
     }
   }
   ```

   > **Important:** Replace `YOUR_USERNAME` with your actual Windows username in the path.

3. **Restart VS Code**

4. **Verify Installation:**
   - Open Roo Code in VS Code
   - Click the MCP icon to see available servers
   - You should see "surrealdb" in the list

## 🌊 Windsurf Installation

### Installation for Windsurf

1. **Install the package globally:**

   ```bash
   npm install -g surrealdb-mcp-server
   ```

2. **Configure Windsurf:**
   
   - Open Windsurf on your system
   - Navigate to the Settings page
   - Go to the Cascade tab
   - Find the Model Context Protocol (MCP) Servers section
   - Click on "View raw config" to open the configuration file (typically at `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`)

3. **Add the SurrealDB MCP Server configuration:**

   ```json
   {
     "servers": [
       {
         "name": "surrealdb",
         "command": "node",
         "args": [
           "/path/to/global/node_modules/surrealdb-mcp-server/build/index.js"
         ],
         "env": {
           "SURREALDB_URL": "ws://localhost:8000",
           "SURREALDB_NS": "your_namespace",
           "SURREALDB_DB": "your_database",
           "SURREALDB_USER": "your_db_user",
           "SURREALDB_PASS": "your_db_password"
         }
       }
     ]
   }
   ```

   > **Note:** Replace `/path/to/global/node_modules` with the actual path to your global node_modules directory.

4. **Restart Windsurf**

5. **Verify Installation:**
   - Open Cascade in Windsurf
   - You should see SurrealDB tools available in the tools list

## ⚡ Cursor Installation

### Installation for Cursor

1. **Install the package globally:**

   ```bash
   npm install -g surrealdb-mcp-server
   ```

2. **Configure Cursor:**
   
   - Open Cursor
   - Go to Settings > Cursor Settings
   - Find the MCP Servers option and enable it
   - Click on "Add New MCP Server"

3. **Add the SurrealDB MCP Server configuration:**

   ```json
   {
     "name": "surrealdb",
     "command": "node",
     "args": [
       "/path/to/global/node_modules/surrealdb-mcp-server/build/index.js"
     ],
     "env": {
       "SURREALDB_URL": "ws://localhost:8000",
       "SURREALDB_NS": "your_namespace",
       "SURREALDB_DB": "your_database",
       "SURREALDB_USER": "your_db_user",
       "SURREALDB_PASS": "your_db_password"
     }
   }
   ```

   > **Note:** Replace `/path/to/global/node_modules` with the actual path to your global node_modules directory.

4. **Restart Cursor**

5. **Verify Installation:**
   - Open Cursor Chat
   - You should see SurrealDB tools available in the tools list

## Required Environment Variables

This server requires the following environment variables to connect to your SurrealDB instance:

-   `SURREALDB_URL`: The WebSocket endpoint of your SurrealDB instance (e.g., `ws://localhost:8000` or `wss://cloud.surrealdb.com`).
-   `SURREALDB_NS`: The target Namespace.
-   `SURREALDB_DB`: The target Database.
-   `SURREALDB_USER`: The username for authentication (Root, NS, DB, or Scope user).
-   `SURREALDB_PASS`: The password for the specified user.

## Troubleshooting

### Common Issues

#### "Cannot find module" Error

If you see an error like "Cannot find module 'surrealdb-mcp-server'", try:

1. Verify the global installation: `npm list -g surrealdb-mcp-server`
2. Check the path in your configuration matches the actual installation path
3. Try reinstalling: `npm install -g surrealdb-mcp-server`

#### Connection Errors

If you see "Failed to connect to SurrealDB":

1. Verify SurrealDB is running: `surreal start --log debug`
2. Check your connection URL, namespace, database, and credentials
3. Ensure your SurrealDB instance is accessible from the path specified

#### Cline-Specific Issues

If the npx approach doesn't work with Cline:

1. Always use the global installation method for Cline
2. Specify the full path to node.exe and the installed package
3. Make sure to replace YOUR_USERNAME with your actual Windows username

## Advanced Configuration

### Using a Local Build

If you've cloned the repository or want to use a local build, you can use this configuration:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "surrealdb": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/your/surrealdb-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "SURREALDB_URL": "ws://localhost:8000",
        "SURREALDB_NS": "your_namespace",
        "SURREALDB_DB": "your_database",
        "SURREALDB_USER": "your_db_user",
        "SURREALDB_PASS": "your_db_password"
      },
      "disabled": false,
      "autoApprove": []
    }
  }
}
```

- Replace `/path/to/your/surrealdb-mcp-server` with the actual path where you cloned the repository
- Replace the environment variable values with your actual SurrealDB connection details

## Development

If you want to contribute to the development of this MCP server, follow these steps:

### Local Development Setup

1. **Clone the repository:**
   ```bash
   git clone https://github.com/nsxdavid/surrealdb-mcp-server.git
   cd surrealdb-mcp-server
   ```

2. **Install dependencies:**
   ```bash
   npm install
   ```

3. **Build the project:**
   ```bash
   npm run build
   ```

### Running Locally

```bash
# Ensure required SURREALDB_* environment variables are set
npm run dev # (Note: dev script uses ts-node to run TypeScript directly)
# Or run the built version:
npm start
```

### Testing

```bash
npm test # (Note: Tests need to be implemented)
```

### Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for guidelines.

## Integration with n8n

You can integrate this SurrealDB MCP Server with [n8n](https://n8n.io/) using the [n8n-nodes-mcp](https://github.com/nerding-io/n8n-nodes-mcp) community node.

**NOTE: Currently only the [self-hosted (Docker) version of n8n](https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/installation/docker/) supports community nodes. There is no option for MCP Servers in the n8n cloud version (yet?).**

### Installation

1. **Install the n8n-nodes-mcp package:**

   ```bash
   npm install n8n-nodes-mcp
   ```

2. **Configure n8n to use the custom node:**

   Add the following to your n8n configuration:

   ```bash
   N8N_CUSTOM_EXTENSIONS="n8n-nodes-mcp"
   ```

3. **Configure the MCP node in n8n:**
   
   - Add the "MCP" node to your workflow
   - Configure it to connect to your SurrealDB MCP Server
   - Select the desired operation (query, select, create, etc.)
   - Configure the operation parameters

For more details, visit the [n8n-nodes-mcp GitHub repository](https://github.com/nerding-io/n8n-nodes-mcp).

## License

MIT