Upstash MCP Server

What is Upstash MCP Server about?

Upstash MCP Server implements the Model Context Protocol to let users control Upstash Redis services with plain language commands such as creating databases, listing keys, generating backups, or retrieving usage statistics.

How to use Upstash MCP Server?

Prerequisites – Node.js ≥ 18 and an Upstash API key.
Install for a client – Run one of the following depending on the MCP client you use:
- Claude Desktop: npx -y @smithery/cli@latest install @upstash/mcp-server --client claude
- Cursor: npx -y @smithery/cli@latest install @upstash/mcp-server --client cursor
- Windsurf: npx -y @smithery/cli@latest install @upstash/mcp-server --client windsurf
- Without Smithery: npx @upstash/mcp-server init <UPSTASH_EMAIL> <UPSTASH_API_KEY> (adds an entry to your MCP config).
Run locally – npx -y @upstash/mcp-server run <UPSTASH_EMAIL> <UPSTASH_API_KEY>.

Run with Docker – Build the image (docker build -t upstash-mcp .) and start it:

docker run --rm -i \
  -e UPSTASH_EMAIL=<UPSTASH_EMAIL> \
  -e UPSTASH_API_KEY=<UPSTASH_API_KEY> \
  upstash-mcp

Development / testing – Clone the repo, install with pnpm, and use pnpm run inspector or pnpm run setup for Claude Desktop.

Key features of Upstash MCP Server

Direct natural‑language interface for Upstash Redis operations.
Support for all common Redis management tasks (create/delete databases, backups, region updates, usage stats, etc.).
Ready‑to‑use installers for Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf via Smithery.
Docker image for platform‑agnostic deployment.
Troubleshooting guidance for PATH and Node version manager issues.

Use cases of Upstash MCP Server

Developers who want to manage cloud Redis instances without leaving their IDE or AI assistant.
Teams automating routine database tasks (backups, password rotation) through voice or chat commands.
Monitoring and reporting of recent throughput or usage patterns via simple queries.
Rapid prototyping of data‑driven applications that need on‑the‑fly database provisioning.

FAQ from the Upstash MCP Server

Q: Which Node version is required? A: Node.js ≥ 18.0.0.

Q: Do I need to set environment variables manually? A: When using the Docker image you provide UPSTASH_EMAIL and UPSTASH_API_KEY as -e flags. For the npx command you can pass them as CLI arguments or set them in a .env file for local development.

Q: How do I fix “command not found” errors? A: Ensure the full path to npx (or docker) is used in your MCP config, especially if you use a custom shell or a node version manager.

Q: Can I run multiple commands in a single request? A: Yes, the redis_database_run_multiple_redis_commands tool lets you batch several Redis commands.

Q: Where do I get help if I hit an issue? A: Consult the troubleshooting guide linked in the README or join the Discord community at https://discord.com/invite/w9SenAtbme.

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a new, standardized protocol for managing context between large language models (LLMs) and external systems. In this repository, we provide an installer as well as an MCP Server for Upstash Developer API's.

This allows you to use any MCP Client to interact with your Upstash account using natural language, e.g.:

"Create a new Redis database in us-east-1"
"List my databases"
"List keys starting with "user:" in users-db"
"Create a backup"
"Give me the spikes in throughput during the last 7 days"

Usage

Quick Setup

First, get your Upstash credentials:

Email: Your Upstash account email
API Key: Get it from Upstash Console → Account → API Keys

Add this to your MCP client configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "upstash": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@upstash/mcp-server@latest",
        "--email",
        "YOUR_EMAIL",
        "--api-key",
        "YOUR_API_KEY"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Streamable HTTP Transport (for web applications):

Start your MCP server with the http transport:

npx @upstash/mcp-server@latest --transport http --port 3000 --email YOUR_EMAIL --api-key YOUR_API_KEY

And configure your MCP client to use the HTTP transport:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "upstash": {
      "url": "http://localhost:3000/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Create a Dockerfile:

FROM node:18-alpine

WORKDIR /app

# Install the latest version globally
RUN npm install -g @upstash/mcp-server

# Expose default port if needed (optional, depends on MCP client interaction)
# EXPOSE 3000

# Default command to run the server
CMD ["upstash-mcp-server"]

Then, build the image using a tag (e.g., upstash-mcp). Make sure Docker Desktop (or the Docker daemon) is running. Run the following command in the same directory where you saved the Dockerfile:

docker build -t upstash-mcp .

Configure Your MCP Client:

Update your MCP client's configuration to use the Docker command.

Example for a claude_desktop_config.json:
```
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "upstash": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e",
        "UPSTASH_EMAIL=YOUR_EMAIL",
        "-e",
        "UPSTASH_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY",
        "upstash-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```
Note: This is an example configuration. Please refer to the specific examples for your MCP client (like Cursor, VS Code, etc.) earlier in this README to adapt the structure (e.g., mcpServers vs servers). Also, ensure the image name in args matches the tag used during the docker build command.

Requirements

Node.js >= v18.0.0
Upstash API key - You can create one from here.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Your mcp client might have trouble finding the right binaries because of the differences between your shell and system PATH.

To fix this, you can get the full path of the binaries by running which npx or which docker in your shell, and replace the npx or docker command in the MCP config with the full binary path.

Node Version Manager

If you are using a node version manager like nvm or fnm, please check this issue. You should change the node command in the MCP config to the absolute path of the node binary.

Additional Troubleshooting

See the troubleshooting guide in the MCP documentation. You can also reach out to us at Discord.

Tools

Redis

redis_database_create_backup
redis_database_create_new
redis_database_delete
redis_database_delete_backup
redis_database_get_details
redis_database_list_backups
redis_database_list_databases
redis_database_reset_password
redis_database_restore_backup
redis_database_run_multiple_redis_commands
redis_database_run_single_redis_command
redis_database_set_daily_backup
redis_database_update_regions
redis_database_get_usage_last_5_days
redis_database_get_stats

Development

Clone the project and run:

pnpm install
pnpm run watch

This will continuously build the project and watch for changes.

For testing, you can create a .env file in the same directory as the project with the following content:

UPSTASH_EMAIL=<UPSTASH_EMAIL>
UPSTASH_API_KEY=<UPSTASH_API_KEY>

This will be used for setting the Claude config.

Testing with Claude Desktop

To install the Claude Desktop config for local development, add the following to your Claude Desktop MCP config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "upstash": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "<path-to-repo>/dist/index.js",
        "run",
        "--email",
        "<UPSTASH_EMAIL>",
        "--api-key",
        "<UPSTASH_API_KEY>"
      ]
    }
  }
}

NOTE: The same issue with node version manager applies here. Please look at the note in the usage section if you are using a node version manager.

You can now use Claude Desktop to run Upstash commands.

To view the logs from the MCP Server in real time, run the following command:

pnpm run logs

Upstash MCP Server