> Full Neon documentation index: https://neon.com/docs/llms.txt # Get started with Claude Code and Neon Postgres MCP Server Interact with Neon APIs using Claude Code through natural language This guide shows how to use [Claude Code](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code) with the [Neon MCP Server](https://github.com/neondatabase/mcp-server-neon) to manage your Neon databases. **Important: Security** The Neon MCP Server grants broad database management capabilities. Always review and authorize actions requested by the LLM before execution. See [MCP security guidance](https://neon.com/docs/ai/neon-mcp-server#mcp-security-guidance). ## Setting up Neon MCP Server in Claude Code ### Prerequisites Make sure you have: 1. **Claude Code:** Ensure you have Claude Code installed. Visit [docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code) for installation instructions. 2. **Neon API Key (for Local MCP server):** After signing up, get your Neon API Key from the [Neon console](https://console.neon.tech/app/settings/api-keys). This API key is needed to authenticate your application with Neon. For instructions, see [Manage API keys](https://neon.com/docs/manage/api-keys). **Important: Neon API Key Security** Keep your Neon API key secure, and never share it publicly. It provides access to your Neon projects. 3. **Node.js (>= v18) and npm:** Ensure Node.js (version 18 or later) and npm are installed. Download them from [nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org). ### Quick Setup (Recommended) The fastest way to get started is with the [`neonctl init`](https://neon.com/docs/cli/init) command, which automates OAuth authentication, API key creation, and Claude Code configuration: ```bash npx neonctl@latest init ``` This command authenticates via OAuth, creates an API key, and configures Claude Code to connect to Neon's remote MCP server. Once complete, ask your AI assistant **"Get started with Neon"**. ### Option 1: Setting up the Remote Hosted Neon MCP Server (OAuth) **Note:** By default, the Remote MCP Server connects to your personal Neon account. To connect to an organization's account, you must authenticate with an API key. For more information, see [API key-based authentication](https://neon.com/docs/ai/neon-mcp-server#config-generator). 1. Open your terminal. 2. Add the Neon MCP server to Claude Code with the following command: ```sh claude mcp add --transport http neon https://mcp.neon.tech/mcp ``` 3. Start a new session of `claude` to trigger the OAuth authentication flow: ```sh claude ``` 4. You can also trigger authentication with `/mcp` within Claude Code. **Tip:** If you prefer to authenticate using a Neon API key, provide the `Authorization` header to the `mcp add` command: ```sh claude mcp add --transport http neon https://mcp.neon.tech/mcp \ --header "Authorization: Bearer " ``` Replace `` with your actual Neon API key which you obtained from the [prerequisites](https://neon.com/guides/claude-code-mcp-neon#prerequisites) section. ### Option 2: Setting up the Local Neon MCP Server This method runs the Neon MCP server locally on your machine, using a Neon API key for authentication. 1. Open your terminal. 2. Add the Neon MCP server to Claude Code with the following command, replacing `` with your actual Neon API key: ```sh claude mcp add neon -- npx -y @neondatabase/mcp-server-neon start "" ``` 3. Start a new Claude Code session with the `claude` command and start using the Neon MCP server: ```sh claude ``` ### Verification Verify the connection: 1. Start Claude Code: ```sh claude ``` 2. Type `/mcp` to see the available MCP servers and tools. 3. Try out a Neon MCP Server tool by typing a query like `List my Neon projects` to see your projects and verify the connection. For a full list of available tools, see [available tools](https://neon.com/docs/ai/neon-mcp-server#available-tools) in the Neon MCP Server overview. ## Development Workflow: Adding a Column with Claude Code and Neon MCP Here's an example interaction adding a `created_at` column to a table: ```text User: In my neon project id: round-salad-44063611 list all the tables Claude Code: I'll help you list all the tables in your Neon project. I'll use the default database name 'neondb' since none was specified. > Called MCP Tool (get_database_tables) > I found one table in your database: > playing_with_neon (in the public schema) > Would you like to see more details about this table's structure or perform any other operations with it? User: Can you show me first 5 rows? Claude Code: I'll query the first 5 rows from the playing_with_neon table. > Called MCP Tool (run_sql) > Here are the first 5 rows from the table. The table has three columns: > id (sequential numbers) > name (string values) > value (decimal numbers) > Would you like to perform any other operations with this data? User: can you add a created_at column? Claude Code: I'll help you add a created_at column to the playing_with_neon table. I'll set it up with a timestamp data type and set it to automatically record the creation time of new rows. > Called MCP Tool (prepare_database_migration) > Let me verify the change in the temporary branch to make sure it was applied correctly. > Called MCP Tool (run_sql) > I've added the created_at column to the playing_with_neon table in a temporary branch. Would you like to commit this migration to the production branch? > Migration Details: > Migration ID: a65babcd-d1cc-401f-89b5-762570570102 > Temporary Branch Name: br-silent-cherry-a1eqrl6i > Temporary Branch ID: br-silent-cherry-a1eqrl6i > Migration Result: Success > Please let me know if you'd like to proceed with applying this change to the production branch. User: yeah do it Claude Code: I'll complete the migration and apply the changes to the production branch. > Called MCP Tool (complete_database_migration) > The migration has been successfully completed! The created_at column has been added to your table in the production branch, and the temporary branch has been cleaned up. ``` You can verify the changes in your Neon Console or by querying the database directly. **Note:** While the Neon MCP server allows you to use all of Neon's functionalities, you can also use a [generic Postgres MCP server](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/tree/main/src/postgres) to connect to Neon. ## Resources - [MCP Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.org) - [Claude Code Documentation](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code) - [Neon Docs](https://neon.com/docs) - [Neon API Keys](https://neon.com/docs/manage/api-keys#creating-api-keys) - [Neon MCP server GitHub](https://github.com/neondatabase/mcp-server-neon)