Expose Postgres safely to agents with pREST MCP
Run pREST in front of existing Postgres databases to provide instant REST APIs and a read-only MCP endpoint with auth, ACL, custom SQL routes, and multi-database support.
npx skills add agentskillexchange/skills --skill expose-postgres-safely-to-agents-with-prest-mcp
PREST_PG_URL, DATABASE_URL, or pg.* configuration for the target Postgres database, then follow the docs for MCP over HTTP and AI client configuration.Use pREST when an agent needs controlled read access to an existing Postgres database without hand-writing a backend. The workflow is concrete: point pREST at Postgres with `PREST_PG_URL` or documented configuration, enable auth, ACL, custom query routes, and the read-only MCP-over-HTTP endpoint, then connect an AI client such as Cursor, Claude, or another MCP-capable runtime to inspect or query approved data. Invoke this instead of direct database credentials or a one-off API wrapper when the operator needs a reviewable REST/MCP facade over Postgres with permission boundaries. Keep the scope on pREST’s Postgres REST and read-only MCP workflow; do not treat it as a generic database platform, SQL tutorial, or all-purpose backend framework.
What this skill actually does
Inputs and prerequisites: pRESTd; PostgreSQL 9.5+; database connection configuration; optional Docker, Homebrew, or Go install path; MCP-capable AI client.
Setup notes: Install pREST with the documented Docker, Homebrew, or Go path, set PREST_PG_URL , DATABASE_URL , or pg.* configuration for the target Postgres database, then follow the docs for MCP over HTTP and AI client configuration.
Source and verification boundary: use https://docs.prestd.com/ as the canonical reference before running the workflow; keep commands, API calls, CLI usage, and generated outputs reviewable against that upstream source.
Framework fit: publish this as a MCP workflow only when the operator can invoke the documented toolchain directly, rather than treating the upstream project as a generic product listing.