The CData MCP Server for Couchbase defines each connection to Couchbase as a named configuration that Claude can use when sending natural language queries.

You create and manage these configurations using the MCP Configuration Tool. The tool automatically handles formatting, storage, and registration with Claude Desktop.

Understanding Connection Configurations

Each connection configuration is stored in a .mcp file. This file includes the details needed to initialize the connector when Claude starts a session.

• On Windows, configuration files are stored in "~/AppData/Roaming/CData/Couchbase Data Provider/".
• On macOS, configuration files are stored in "~/Library/Application Support/CData/Couchbase Data Provider/".

The .mcp file is a text file that contains a list of connection properties and a timestamp. For example:

#Tue May 20 15:48:40 EDT 2025
AuthScheme=Basic
User=myUser
Password=myPassword
Security Token=myToken

The configuration tool handles these settings automatically. Each saved configuration enables Claude to launch a dedicated MCP Server instance with the correct connector and options. Manual file editing is not required.

Connecting to Couchbase

To connect to data, set the Server property to the hostname or IP address of the Couchbase server(s) you are authenticating to.

If your Couchbase server is configured to use SSL, you can enable it either by using an https URL for Server (like https://couchbase.server), or by setting the UseSSL property to True.

Couchbase Analytics

By default, the server connects to the N1QL Query service. In order to connect to the Couchbase Analytics service, you will also need to set the CouchbaseService property to Analytics.

Couchbase Cloud

Set the following to connect to Couchbase Cloud:

• AuthScheme: Set this to Basic.
• ConnectionMode: Set this to Cloud.
• DNSServer: Set this to a DNS server. In most cases, this should be a public DNS service like 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8.
• SSLServerCert: Set this to the TLS/SSL certificate to be accepted from the server. Any other certificate that is not trusted by the machine is rejected. Alternatively, set "*" to accept all certificates.

Authenticating to Couchbase

The server supports several forms of authentication. Couchbase Cloud only accepts Standard authentication, while Couchbase Server accepts Standard authentication, client certificates, and credentials files.

Standard Authentication

To authenticate with standard authentication, set the following:

• AuthScheme: Set this to Basic.
• User: The user authenticating to Couchbase.
• Password: The password of the user authenticating to Couchbase.

Client Certificates

The server supports authenticating with client certificates when SSL is enabled. To use client certificate authentication, set the following properties:

• AuthScheme: Set this to SSLCertificate.
• SSLClientCertType: The type of client certificate set within SSLClientCert.
• SSLClientCert: The client certificate in the format given by SSLClientCertType.
• SSLClientCertPassword (optional): The password of the client certificate, if it is encrypted.
• SSLClientCertSubject (optional): The subject of the client certificate, which, by default, is the first certificate found in the store. This is required if more than one certificate is available in the certificate store.

Credentials File

You can also authenticate using using a credentials file containing multiple logins. This is included for legacy use and is not recommended when connecting to a Couchbase Server that supports role-based authentication.

• AuthScheme: Set this to CredentialsFile.
• CredentialsFile: The path to the credentials file. Refer to Couchbase's documentation for more information on the format of this file.