Remote MCP server in Cloud
Not all users interact with ClickHouse through the Cloud console. For example, many developers work directly from their preferred code editors, CLI agents, or connect to the database via custom setups, while others rely on general-purpose AI assistants such as Anthropic Claude for most of their explorations. These users and the agentic workloads acting on their behalf need a way to securely access and query ClickHouse Cloud without complex setups or custom infrastructure.
The remote MCP server capability in ClickHouse Cloud addresses this by exposing a standard interface that external agents can use to retrieve analytical context. MCP, or Model Context Protocol, is a standard for structured data access by AI applications powered by LLMs. With this integration, external agents can list databases and tables, inspect schemas, and run scoped, read-only SELECT queries. Authentication is handled via OAuth. The server is fully managed on ClickHouse Cloud, so no setup or maintenance is required.
This makes it easier for agentic tools to plug into ClickHouse and retrieve the data they need, whether for analysis, summarization, code generation, or exploration.
Remote MCP server vs open-source MCP server
ClickHouse offers two MCP servers.
| Remote MCP server (Cloud) | Open-source MCP server | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Fully managed by ClickHouse Cloud | mcp-clickhouse on GitHub |
| Transport | Streamable HTTP (https://mcp.clickhouse.cloud/mcp) | Local stdio |
| Works with | ClickHouse Cloud services | Any ClickHouse instance (self-hosted or Cloud) |
| Authentication | OAuth 2.0 with your Cloud credentials | Environment variables |
| Tools | 13 tools covering querying, schema exploration, service management, backups, ClickPipes, and billing | 3 tools: run_select_query, list_databases, list_tables |
| Setup | Zero installation. Point your MCP client at the endpoint and authenticate. | Install and run the server locally |
The remote MCP server provides the richest integration with ClickHouse Cloud, including service management, backup monitoring, ClickPipe visibility, and billing data, with no infrastructure to manage. For self-hosted ClickHouse instances, see the open-source MCP server guides.
Enabling the remote MCP server
The remote MCP server must be enabled per service before it can accept connections. In the ClickHouse Cloud console, open your service, click the Connect button, select MCP, and enable it. For detailed steps with screenshots, see the setup guide.
Endpoint
Once enabled, the remote MCP server is available at:
Authentication
All access to the remote MCP server is authenticated via OAuth 2.0. When an MCP client connects for the first time, it initiates an OAuth flow that opens a browser window for the user to sign in with their ClickHouse Cloud credentials. Access is scoped to the organizations and services the authenticated user has permission to access. No additional API key configuration is required.
Safety
All tools exposed by the remote MCP server are read-only. Each tool is annotated with readOnlyHint: true in its MCP metadata. No tool can modify data, alter service configuration, or perform any destructive operation.
Available tools
The remote MCP server exposes 13 tools organized into the following categories.
Query and schema exploration
These tools allow agents to discover what data is available and run analytical queries.
| Tool | Description | Parameters |
|---|---|---|
run_select_query | Execute a read-only SELECT query against a ClickHouse service. | query, a valid ClickHouse SQL SELECT query; serviceId |
list_databases | List all databases available in a ClickHouse service. | serviceId |
list_tables | List all tables in a database, including column definitions. | serviceId; database; optionally like or notLike (SQL LIKE patterns to filter table names) |
Organizations
| Tool | Description | Parameters |
|---|---|---|
get_organizations | Retrieve all ClickHouse Cloud organizations accessible to the authenticated user. | None |
get_organization_details | Return details of a single organization. | organizationId |
Services
| Tool | Description | Parameters |
|---|---|---|
get_services_list | List all services in a ClickHouse Cloud organization. | organizationId |
get_service_details | Return details of a specific service. | organizationId; serviceId |
Backups
| Tool | Description | Parameters |
|---|---|---|
list_service_backups | List all backups for a service, most recent first. | organizationId; serviceId |
get_service_backup_details | Return details of a single backup. | organizationId; serviceId; backupId |
get_service_backup_configuration | Return the backup configuration for a service (schedule and retention settings). | organizationId; serviceId |
ClickPipes
| Tool | Description | Parameters |
|---|---|---|
list_clickpipes | List all ClickPipes configured for a service. | organizationId; serviceId |
get_clickpipe | Return details of a specific ClickPipe. | organizationId; serviceId; clickPipeId |
Billing
| Tool | Description | Parameters |
|---|---|---|
get_organization_cost | Retrieve billing and usage cost data for an organization. Returns a grand total and daily per-entity cost records. | organizationId; optionally from_date and to_date (YYYY-MM-DD, max 31-day range) |
Getting started
See the setup guide for step-by-step instructions on enabling the remote MCP server and connecting it to an MCP client.
