Agent skill · practicalswan
mongodb-mcp-setup
Guide users through configuring key MongoDB MCP server options. Use this skill when a user has the MongoDB MCP server installed but hasn't configured the required environment variables, or when they ask about connecting to MongoDB/Atlas and don't have the credentials set up.
What it needs
About 9k tokens when loaded.
What this skill does
MongoDB MCP Server Setup This skill guides users through configuring the MongoDB MCP server for use with an agentic client. Overview The MongoDB MCP server requires authentication. Users have three options: 1. Connection String (Option A): Direct connection to a specific cluster Quick setup for single cluster Requires MDBMCPCONNECTIONSTRING environment variable 2. Service Account Credentials (Option B): MongoDB Atlas Admin API access Recommended for Atlas users - simplifies authentication and data access Access to Atlas Admin API and dynamic cluster connection via atlas-connect-cluster No manual DB user credential management Requires MDBMCPAPICLIENTID and MDBMCPAPICLIENTSECRET environment variables 3. Atlas Local (Option C): Local development with Docker Best for local testing - zero configuration required Runs Atlas locally in Docker, requires Docker installed No credentials or cloud cluster access This is an interactive step-by-step guide. The agent detects the user's environment and provides tailored instructions, but never asks for or handles credentials — users add those directly to their shell profile or agentic client config in Step 5. Make this clear to the user whenever credentials come up in Steps 3a and 3b. Step 0: Detect Client Before anything else, determine which agentic client the user is running. This controls how credentials are configured in Step 1 and Step 5. Run: If no CODEX variables are present → the user is running a shell-based client (Claude, Cursor, Copilot CLI, or another compatible client). Credentials are configured via shell profile environment variables. If any CODEX variables are present → the user is running Codex. Credentials are stored in ~/.codex/config.toml (macOS/Linux) or %USERPROFILE%\.codex\config.toml (Windows), not in shell environment variables. The desktop app does not inherit shell env vars when launched from Finder, Launchpad, or the Windows Start menu. Carry this client type (Codex vs. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills practicalswan/mongodb-mcp-setup