Connect to MotherDuck

Use this skill when establishing database connectivity from any application, script, or service to MotherDuck. Start here before running queries or loading data.

Source Of Truth

• Prefer current MotherDuck connection, attach-mode, read-scaling, and multithreading docs.
• If the MotherDuck MCP ask_docs_question feature is available, use it first for current connection behavior.
• When it is unavailable, verify guidance against the public docs before making firm claims about connection strings, token types, or read-scaling behavior.

Default Posture

• Start with the PG endpoint for backend applications, BI tools, and serverless runtimes that want PostgreSQL wire compatibility.
• For BI tools, treat the PG endpoint as the compatibility path for Power BI and Tableau Cloud when current docs list them as supported.
• Use the native DuckDB API only when you need local files, hybrid local/cloud execution, or direct DuckDB control.
• Use md: workspace connections for multi-database exploration, bootstrap flows, and temporary validation environments.
• Start with one connection. Add pooling or read scaling only when real concurrent-read pressure exists.
• Use native DuckDB custom_user_agent where supported; for PG endpoint clients, prefer the client's application_name setting when available.

Workflow

1. Choose one connection method and do not mix methods in the same application.
2. Put the MotherDuck token in environment-managed secrets, not in source code.
3. Establish the connection with explicit SSL settings where required.
4. Verify the connection with SELECT 1 AS connected and then list reachable tables.
5. If the workload is read-heavy and concurrent, evaluate read scaling and session_hint.

Open Next

• references/CONNECTION_GUIDE.md for connection-method selection, PG endpoint and native DuckDB examples, token handling, read scaling, attach modes, and common failure modes

Related Skills

• motherduck-explore for discovering databases, tables, columns, and shares after the connection is established
• motherduck-query for executing DuckDB SQL against the connected databases
• motherduck-duckdb-sql for DuckDB syntax and function lookup support