MCP Toolbox for Databases

--- title: "Looker using MCP" type: docs weight: 2 description: > Connect your IDE to Looker using Toolbox. --- [Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/introduction) is an open protocol for connecting Large Language Models (LLMs) to data sources like Postgres. This guide covers how to use [MCP Toolbox for Databases][toolbox] to expose your developer assistant tools to a Looker instance: * [Gemini-CLI][gemini-cli] * [Cursor][cursor] * [Windsurf][windsurf] (Codium) * [Visual Studio Code][vscode] (Copilot) * [Cline][cline] (VS Code extension) * [Claude desktop][claudedesktop] * [Claude code][claudecode] [toolbox]: https://github.com/googleapis/genai-toolbox [gemini-cli]: #configure-your-mcp-client [cursor]: #configure-your-mcp-client [windsurf]: #configure-your-mcp-client [vscode]: #configure-your-mcp-client [cline]: #configure-your-mcp-client [claudedesktop]: #configure-your-mcp-client [claudecode]: #configure-your-mcp-client ## Set up Looker 1. Get a Looker Client ID and Client Secret. Follow the directions [here](https://cloud.google.com/looker/docs/api-auth#authentication_with_an_sdk). 1. Have the base URL of your Looker instance available. It is likely something like `https://looker.example.com`. In some cases the API is listening at a different port, and you will need to use `https://looker.example.com:19999` instead. ## Install MCP Toolbox 1. Download the latest version of Toolbox as a binary. Select the [correct binary](https://github.com/googleapis/genai-toolbox/releases) corresponding to your OS and CPU architecture. You are required to use Toolbox version v0.10.0+: <!-- {x-release-please-start-version} --> {{< tabpane persist=header >}} {{< tab header="linux/amd64" lang="bash" >}} curl -O https://storage.googleapis.com/genai-toolbox/v0.24.0/linux/amd64/toolbox {{< /tab >}} {{< tab header="darwin/arm64" lang="bash" >}} curl -O https://storage.googleapis.com/genai-toolbox/v0.24.0/darwin/arm64/toolbox {{< /tab >}} {{< tab header="darwin/amd64" lang="bash" >}} curl -O https://storage.googleapis.com/genai-toolbox/v0.24.0/darwin/amd64/toolbox {{< /tab >}} {{< tab header="windows/amd64" lang="bash" >}} curl -O https://storage.googleapis.com/genai-toolbox/v0.24.0/windows/amd64/toolbox.exe {{< /tab >}} {{< /tabpane >}} <!-- {x-release-please-end} --> 1. Make the binary executable: ```bash chmod +x toolbox ``` 1. Verify the installation: ```bash ./toolbox --version ``` ## Configure your MCP Client {{< tabpane text=true >}} {{% tab header="Gemini-CLI" lang="en" %}} 1. Install [Gemini-CLI](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli#install-globally-with-npm). 1. Create a directory `.gemini` in your home directory if it doesn't exist. 1. Create the file `.gemini/settings.json` if it doesn't exist. 1. Add the following configuration, or add the mcpServers stanza if you already have a `settings.json` with content. Replace the path to the toolbox executable and the environment variables with your values, and save: ```json { "mcpServers": { "looker-toolbox": { "command": "./PATH/TO/toolbox", "args": ["--stdio", "--prebuilt", "looker"], "env": { "LOOKER_BASE_URL": "https://looker.example.com", "LOOKER_CLIENT_ID": "", "LOOKER_CLIENT_SECRET": "", "LOOKER_VERIFY_SSL": "true" } } } } ``` 1. Start Gemini-CLI with the `gemini` command and use the command `/mcp` to see the configured MCP tools. {{% /tab %}} {{% tab header="Claude code" lang="en" %}} 1. Install [Claude Code](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/agents-and-tools/claude-code/overview). 1. Create a `.mcp.json` file in your project root if it doesn't exist. 1. Add the following configuration, replace the environment variables with your values, and save: ```json { "mcpServers": { "looker-toolbox": { "command": "./PATH/TO/toolbox", "args": ["--stdio", "--prebuilt", "looker"], "env": { "LOOKER_BASE_URL": "https://looker.example.com", "LOOKER_CLIENT_ID": "", "LOOKER_CLIENT_SECRET": "", "LOOKER_VERIFY_SSL": "true" } } } } ``` 1. Restart Claude Code to apply the new configuration. {{% /tab %}} {{% tab header="Claude desktop" lang="en" %}} 1. Open [Claude desktop](https://claude.ai/download) and navigate to Settings. 1. Under the Developer tab, tap Edit Config to open the configuration file. 1. Add the following configuration, replace the environment variables with your values, and save: ```json { "mcpServers": { "looker-toolbox": { "command": "./PATH/TO/toolbox", "args": ["--stdio", "--prebuilt", "looker"], "env": { "LOOKER_BASE_URL": "https://looker.example.com", "LOOKER_CLIENT_ID": "", "LOOKER_CLIENT_SECRET": "", "LOOKER_VERIFY_SSL": "true" } } } } ``` 1. Restart Claude desktop. 1. From the new chat screen, you should see a hammer (MCP) icon appear with the new MCP server available. {{% /tab %}} {{% tab header="Cline" lang="en" %}} 1. Open the [Cline](https://github.com/cline/cline) extension in VS Code and tap the **MCP Servers** icon. 1. Tap Configure MCP Servers to open the configuration file. 1. Add the following configuration, replace the environment variables with your values, and save: ```json { "mcpServers": { "looker-toolbox": { "command": "./PATH/TO/toolbox", "args": ["--stdio", "--prebuilt", "looker"], "env": { "LOOKER_BASE_URL": "https://looker.example.com", "LOOKER_CLIENT_ID": "", "LOOKER_CLIENT_SECRET": "", "LOOKER_VERIFY_SSL": "true" } } } } ``` 1. You should see a green active status after the server is successfully connected. {{% /tab %}} {{% tab header="Cursor" lang="en" %}} 1. Create a `.cursor` directory in your project root if it doesn't exist. 1. Create a `.cursor/mcp.json` file if it doesn't exist and open it. 1. Add the following configuration, replace the environment variables with your values, and save: ```json { "mcpServers": { "looker-toolbox": { "command": "./PATH/TO/toolbox", "args": ["--stdio", "--prebuilt", "looker"], "env": { "LOOKER_BASE_URL": "https://looker.example.com", "LOOKER_CLIENT_ID": "", "LOOKER_CLIENT_SECRET": "", "LOOKER_VERIFY_SSL": "true" } } } } ``` 1. Open [Cursor](https://www.cursor.com/) and navigate to **Settings > Cursor Settings > MCP**. You should see a green active status after the server is successfully connected. {{% /tab %}} {{% tab header="Visual Studio Code (Copilot)" lang="en" %}} 1. Open [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/overview) and create a `.vscode` directory in your project root if it doesn't exist. 1. Create a `.vscode/mcp.json` file if it doesn't exist and open it. 1. Add the following configuration, replace the environment variables with your values, and save: ```json { "servers": { "looker-toolbox": { "command": "./PATH/TO/toolbox", "args": ["--stdio", "--prebuilt", "looker"], "env": { "LOOKER_BASE_URL": "https://looker.example.com", "LOOKER_CLIENT_ID": "", "LOOKER_CLIENT_SECRET": "", "LOOKER_VERIFY_SSL": "true" } } } } ``` {{% /tab %}} {{% tab header="Windsurf" lang="en" %}} 1. Open [Windsurf](https://docs.codeium.com/windsurf) and navigate to the Cascade assistant. 1. Tap on the hammer (MCP) icon, then Configure to open the configuration file. 1. Add the following configuration, replace the environment variables with your values, and save: ```json { "mcpServers": { "looker-toolbox": { "command": "./PATH/TO/toolbox", "args": ["--stdio", "--prebuilt", "looker"], "env": { "LOOKER_BASE_URL": "https://looker.example.com", "LOOKER_CLIENT_ID": "", "LOOKER_CLIENT_SECRET": "", "LOOKER_VERIFY_SSL": "true" } } } } ``` {{% /tab %}} {{< /tabpane >}} ## Use Tools Your AI tool is now connected to Looker using MCP. Try asking your AI assistant to list models, explores, dimensions, and measures. Run a query, retrieve the SQL for a query, and run a saved Look. The full tool list is available in the [Prebuilt Tools Reference](../../reference/prebuilt-tools/#looker). The following tools are available to the LLM: ### Looker Model and Query Tools These tools are used to get information about a Looker model and execute queries against that model. 1. **get_models**: list the LookML models in Looker 1. **get_explores**: list the explores in a given model 1. **get_dimensions**: list the dimensions in a given explore 1. **get_measures**: list the measures in a given explore 1. **get_filters**: list the filters in a given explore 1. **get_parameters**: list the parameters in a given explore 1. **query**: Run a query and return the data 1. **query_sql**: Return the SQL generated by Looker for a query 1. **query_url**: Return a link to the query in Looker for further exploration ### Looker Content Tools These tools get saved content (Looks and Dashboards) from a Looker instance and create new saved content. 1. **get_looks**: Return the saved Looks that match a title or description 1. **run_look**: Run a saved Look and return the data 1. **make_look**: Create a saved Look in Looker and return the URL 1. **get_dashboards**: Return the saved dashboards that match a title or description 1. **run_dashboard**: Run the queries associated with a dashboard and return the data 1. **make_dashboard**: Create a saved dashboard in Looker and return the URL 1. **add_dashboard_element**: Add a tile to a dashboard 1. **add_dashboard_filter**: Add a filter to a dashboard 1. **generate_embed_url**: Generate an embed url for content ### Looker Instance Health Tools These tools offer the same health check algorithms that the popular CLI [Henry](https://github.com/looker-open-source/henry) offers. 1. **health_pulse**: Check the health of a Looker intance 1. **health_analyze**: Analyze the usage of a Looker object 1. **health_vacuum**: Find LookML elements that might be unused ### LookML Authoring Tools These tools allow enable the caller to write and modify LookML files as well as get the database schema needed to write LookML effectively. 1. **dev_mode**: Activate dev mode. 1. **get_projects**: Get the list of LookML projects 1. **get_project_files**: Get the list of files in a project 1. **get_project_file**: Get the contents of a file in a project 1. **create_project_file**: Create a file in a project 1. **update_project_file**: Update the contents of a file in a project 1. **delete_project_file**: Delete a file in a project 1. **get_connections**: Get the list of connections 1. **get_connection_schemas**: Get the list of schemas for a connection 1. **get_connection_databases**: Get the list of databases for a connection 1. **get_connection_tables**: Get the list of tables for a connection 1. **get_connection_table_columns**: Get the list of columns for a table in a connection {{< notice note >}} Prebuilt tools are pre-1.0, so expect some tool changes between versions. LLMs will adapt to the tools available, so this shouldn't affect most users. {{< /notice >}}