MCP FAQ
Short answers about Gadwal's MCP server and the AI apps that use it.
Questions
What is MCP?
The Model Context Protocol is an open standard that lets AI apps call tools provided by other programs. Gadwal provides database tools over MCP, so the AI app you already use can work with your databases through Gadwal.
Does Gadwal send my data to an AI company?
No. Gadwal has no AI model and no API keys, and its server only listens on 127.0.0.1. The AI app you connect sends what it reads to its own provider, as it does with anything else you show it. Hide sensitive columns and keep production at Read-only to limit what it can read.
Which AI apps work?
Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code with GitHub Copilot, Codex (CLI, IDE extension and app), and any other MCP client on your Mac that speaks Streamable HTTP and can send a bearer token header.
Why not ChatGPT.com or Claude.ai in the browser?
Their connectors run on the provider's servers and can't reach a server on your Mac. That is by design: Gadwal is never exposed to the internet. Use Codex for OpenAI models, or Claude Desktop or Claude Code for Claude.
Can the AI change or delete my data without asking?
Only if you set that connection to Full. Then ordinary writes run at once, and that includes delete_rows, which deletes rows by primary key (only BigQuery stages it). Destructive statements such as DROP, TRUNCATE or a DELETE without a WHERE still wait for your approval and are backed up first. On Ask before write every change waits for you; on Read-only writes are refused.
Does the AI know whether I approved?
Yes. A staged change returns a change id. The AI can call wait_for_change or get_change_status and learns whether it was applied, rejected (with your reason), expired or failed.
Can the AI approve its own changes?
No. No tool approves a change. Only you can, in Gadwal's Review.
Does Gadwal have to be running?
Yes. The server runs inside the app, so AI tools stop when you quit Gadwal and come back when you open it with the server on.
Is MCP free?
AI tools are included in the 14-day trial. After that they need the one-time lifetime unlock ($9.99, price may vary by region). The rest of Gadwal keeps working on the free tier.
Can I connect several AI apps at once?
Yes. Each one gets its own token, and the AI Activity log records which app made each call.
How do I cut an AI app off?
On the AI & MCP page, open the ⋯ menu on the app's row and choose Revoke, or Rotate Token to issue a new one. The old token stops working at once and its sessions close. To take one connection away from every AI app, set its AI access to Off.
Where are tokens stored?
Gadwal keeps them in your Keychain. Each AI app keeps its own copy in its config file in plain text; Claude Desktop stores it encrypted. Gadwal clears the clipboard 90 seconds after copying a token.
Can I change the port?
Yes, under Port on the AI & MCP page (1024 to 65535). The address changes, so set each AI app up again afterwards.
Which databases does it work with?
Every engine Gadwal supports: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, DuckDB, Cloudflare D1, ClickHouse and BigQuery. WordPress tools work on MySQL and MariaDB.
How much data does the AI get per answer?
200 rows by default (change it under Rows returned to AI), 2 KB per cell and 256 KB per answer. Hidden columns are always removed.