What it does

Talks to Metabase over its API with a key rather than OAuth, which makes it easy to wire up and easy to over-permit. Useful when the question is 'what does this saved question return' rather than 'write me a new query'. Point it at a restricted user whose data access matches what you would grant a new analyst.

Install

Terminal

npx -y @serdnaley/metabase-mcp

Client configuration

Paste this into your MCP client config (Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any client that reads mcpServers), then restart the client.

mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "metabase": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@serdnaley/metabase-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Use it for

Running saved questions and reading schemas from an existing Metabase instance

Skip it if

Ad-hoc SQL against production without a read replica

When to use it

Reach for this when the task needs analytics inside the agent loop. Skip it if a plain shell command or a one-off script is enough — every server you add costs context and adds a failure mode.

Other TypeScript servers

Filesystem — Gives an agent scoped read, write, and search access to directories you explicitly allow
Memory — A persistent knowledge graph stored in a local JSON file, exposed through entities, relations, and observations
Sequential Thinking — Gives the model a scratchpad for structured, revisable reasoning: numbered thoughts that can branch, revise, and conclude

Metabase MCP