{"id":"cdatasoftware-airtable-mcp-server-by-cdata","name":"airtable-mcp-server-by-cdata","homepage":null,"repo_url":"https://github.com/CDataSoftware/airtable-mcp-server-by-cdata","category":"api-gateway","subcategories":[],"tags":["mcp","airtable","jdbc","data-access","stdio","claude-desktop","read-only"],"what_it_does":"Provides a local, stdio-based MCP server that wraps CData’s JDBC Driver for Airtable, exposing Airtable tables/columns and SQL SELECT querying (and it claims broader CRUD in the managed offerings, but this repo is explicitly read-only). Intended for LLM clients like Claude Desktop to retrieve live Airtable data using MCP tools without writing SQL.","use_cases":["Ask natural-language questions over live Airtable records via an MCP client","List Airtable tables and columns for schema discovery","Run read-only SQL SELECT queries against Airtable (via CData JDBC SQL model)","Build desktop-local RAG or analytics workflows that need current Airtable data"],"not_for":["Exposing a public network API (server is local/stdio-only)","Write/update/delete workflows (this project is described as read-only)","Multi-tenant or browser-based use where strong app-layer auth and transport security would be required","Environments needing documented pagination, rate limiting, or retry semantics at the MCP-tool level"],"best_when":"You run the MCP server on the same machine as your MCP-capable desktop client and need read-only access to Airtable data using a JDBC-to-SQL abstraction.","avoid_when":"You need robust, well-documented security controls for remote access, strict rate limiting guarantees, or reliable idempotent write semantics (not applicable for read-only).","alternatives":["CData’s managed MCP platform (CData Connect AI) referenced in README","CData MCP Server for Airtable (managed/full capabilities) referenced in README","Direct use of CData JDBC driver with your own application (no MCP)","Other Airtable SDKs/APIs if MCP is not required"],"af_score":44.0,"security_score":26.8,"reliability_score":17.5,"package_type":"mcp_server","discovery_source":["github"],"priority":"low","status":"evaluated","version_evaluated":null,"last_evaluated":"2026-04-04T20:00:09.172953+00:00","interface":{"has_rest_api":false,"has_graphql":false,"has_grpc":false,"has_mcp_server":true,"mcp_server_url":null,"has_sdk":false,"sdk_languages":[],"openapi_spec_url":null,"webhooks":false},"auth":{"methods":["MCP server launched locally with a .prp that embeds a JDBC connection URL; underlying JDBC driver may use OAuth for Airtable as indicated in setup notes"],"oauth":true,"scopes":false,"notes":"Authentication is handled by the underlying CData JDBC driver. The README notes that if the data source uses OAuth, authentication must be done in a browser and a connection string/JdbcUrl is copied into the .prp file (e.g., example shows InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH). The MCP itself is local stdio, so it does not describe its own auth layer."},"pricing":{"model":null,"free_tier_exists":false,"free_tier_limits":null,"paid_tiers":["CData JDBC Driver licensing required (trial or license key mentioned)"],"requires_credit_card":false,"estimated_workload_costs":null,"notes":"The MCP server build/run is local, but the README indicates the CData JDBC driver must be licensed (trial or license key). No MCP-specific pricing is provided in the README."},"requirements":{"requires_signup":false,"requires_credit_card":false,"domain_verification":false,"data_residency":[],"compliance":[],"min_contract":null},"agent_readiness":{"af_score":44.0,"security_score":26.8,"reliability_score":17.5,"mcp_server_quality":55.0,"documentation_accuracy":65.0,"error_message_quality":0.0,"error_message_notes":null,"auth_complexity":60.0,"rate_limit_clarity":0.0,"tls_enforcement":10.0,"auth_strength":45.0,"scope_granularity":10.0,"dependency_hygiene":30.0,"secret_handling":35.0,"security_notes":"Security is largely delegated to the underlying CData JDBC driver and the OAuth flow (if used). This MCP server is local stdio-only (reduces network exposure), but there is no documented auth layer or scope model for the MCP server itself. Connection details (JdbcUrl/DriverPath/etc.) are stored in a local .prp file; the README does not discuss secret management practices (e.g., encryption, redaction from logs). TLS is not applicable to stdio transport; network security depends on the JDBC driver’s connection to upstream Airtable.","uptime_documented":0.0,"version_stability":30.0,"breaking_changes_history":20.0,"error_recovery":20.0,"idempotency_support":"false","idempotency_notes":null,"pagination_style":"none","retry_guidance_documented":false,"known_agent_gotchas":["Server uses stdio, so it can only be used with MCP clients running on the same machine","Project is described as read-only; agents should avoid assuming safe write/update/delete behavior","No rate limit or retry guidance is documented at the MCP tool level","Tool outputs for get_tables/get_columns are returned as CSV; agents may need to parse CSV carefully"]}}