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Get started with Visual Studio Code and TiDB MCP Server

This guide shows you how to configure the TiDB MCP Server in Visual Studio Code (VS Code).

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

  • Visual Studio Code: Download and install VS Code from code.visualstudio.com.
  • Python (>=3.10) and uv: Ensure Python (version 3.10 or later) and uv are installed. Follow the installation guide to install uv.
  • A TiDB cluster: For a managed option, create a TiDB Cloud Starter cluster at tidbcloud.com.

Use the TiDB Cloud console to generate a VS Code configuration.

  1. Go to the Clusters page, select your cluster, and then click Use with AI Tools in the upper-right corner.
  2. In the Access your_cluster_name with AI tools dialog, select the Branch and Database that VS Code should access.
  3. Review the Prerequisites list in the dialog and install any missing dependencies.

  4. Configure the root password:

  5. If you have not set a password yet, click Generate Password and store it in a secure location (it is shown only once).

  6. If a password already exists, enter it in the Enter the password for easy setup field.

  7. If you forget the password, click Reset password in the Prerequisites section to generate a new one.

  8. Select the VS Code tab, click Add to VS Code, and then click Install in VS Code.

Manual configuration (any TiDB cluster)

If you prefer manual setup, add the following configuration to your .vscode/mcp.json file and replace the placeholders with your connection parameters:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "TiDB": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["--from", "pytidb[mcp]", "tidb-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "TIDB_HOST": "<YOUR_TIDB_HOST>",
        "TIDB_PORT": "<YOUR_TIDB_PORT>",
        "TIDB_USERNAME": "<YOUR_TIDB_USERNAME>",
        "TIDB_PASSWORD": "<YOUR_TIDB_PASSWORD>",
        "TIDB_DATABASE": "<YOUR_TIDB_DATABASE>"
      }
    }
  }
}

See also