radar

Connect a database and investigate

A step-by-step with example data: connect a shop's database to Radar, then answer a teammate's question about an order without leaving the conversation.

The example

Northwind Shop keeps its orders in a Postgres database at db.northwind.example. Leo, from support, writes on Slack: "customer says ord_1042 never shipped, can you check?". Radar turns that into a suggestion. We will let Radar look the order up and draft the answer.

Every name, host and value on this page is made up. Use your own.

1. Create a user that can only read

Radar already runs every database query in a read-only transaction and never calls tools that change data. A database user without write permissions makes that impossible to get around, so start there. Ask whoever runs your database to run something like:

CREATE ROLE radar_readonly LOGIN PASSWORD 'choose-a-strong-one';
GRANT CONNECT ON DATABASE shop TO radar_readonly;
GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA public TO radar_readonly;
GRANT SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA public TO radar_readonly;
ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES IN SCHEMA public GRANT SELECT ON TABLES TO radar_readonly;

2. Add the connection

  1. Open Settings → Connections (MCP) and click Add a connection.
  2. Name: shop-db. Type: Postgres database.
  3. Host db.northwind.example, Port 5432, Database shop, User radar_readonly and its password. Keep SSL on for a database in the cloud.
  4. Click Connect. Radar starts a local Postgres MCP server and lists its tool, query, already allowed because it only reads.
  5. Click Save.
The connection form filled with the example database
The example database connected. The password stays in Radar's database on your Mac.

3. Choose who sees the results

  • Only with the local model: the default. Results never leave your Mac.
  • Cloud AI, masked: what we picked for the example. Emails, documents and account numbers are hidden before results reach your AI; amounts and statuses stay readable.
  • Cloud AI: results go to the AI you chose as they are.

If your AI in Settings is a cloud one and the connection is "Only with the local model", Investigate tells you so instead of sending anything.

4. Investigate

  1. Open the suggestion Check why order ord_1042 has no tracking and click 🔎 Investigate.
  2. Radar reads the Slack conversation, then queries shop-db step by step: first the order, then its shipment.
  3. You get what it found, a reply for Leo, and every query it ran under lookups.
  4. Edit the reply if you want and click Save as Slack draft. It waits in Leo's conversation for you to send.
An investigation of order ord_1042 with findings, a draft reply and two queries
Two read-only queries, the finding and a reply ready to go.

5. Make it automatic (optional)

Edit the connection and turn on Investigate new Slack items on its own. New Slack items are investigated when the AI sees something this connection can look up. Narrow it with your own words in When to use it, for example when a message mentions an order id.

Other MCP servers

Any MCP server works, not only databases:

  • MCP server by URL: a hosted server, for example https://mcp.northwind.example/mcp, with its token if it needs one.
  • MCP server by command: a server that runs on your Mac, for example command npx with arguments -y @northwind/mcp-server, and its keys as environment variables (API_KEY=…).

After Connect, Radar marks each tool: reads (allowed), unclear (off until you turn it on) or changes things (never used, can't be turned on).

If it doesn't connect

  • Timeout or connection refused: the database may only accept connections from a VPN or certain IPs. Connect the VPN or ask for your IP to be allowed.
  • Password authentication failed: check the user and password; special characters are fine.
  • npx not found: install Node.js; Radar uses it to run the Postgres MCP server.
  • Still stuck? Click ? in the corner of Radar and send a report with the log.