# argon

Gives an AI agent a versioned MongoDB sandbox: branch off, review, merge or roll back. Useful when the agent writes to a database.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI · ★ 176
- Author: argon-lab
- License: MIT · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/argon-lab/argon
- Updated: 2026-10-19
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/argon

## What it does

argon layers version history on top of MongoDB. A branch is a metadata write, so it appears at once and copies nothing; `argon checkout` then materializes it as a real database that pymongo, mongoose, mongosh, indexes, aggregations and transactions all work against. Document writes that capture supports land in history.

From there you inspect changes with `argon diff`, merge them back as a reviewable plan, or revert by actor label and range. Sandboxes carry a TTL, dataset pins hold a captured state, and `argon console` serves a local UI plus REST API. Agents reach the same operations through 13 MCP tools, and a Python SDK ships with a LangGraph adapter.

Stop source writers before an import, or the data will drift. MongoDB has to run as a replica set; a single node is enough. History covers inserts, updates, replacements and deletes — dropping or renaming a collection degrades capture, and indexes and collection options are not versioned. Building from source needs Go 1.26.9 or newer; the npm route wants Node.js 24 LTS and npm 11.16 or newer.

## Requirements
- Needs: Node.js (commands run via npx)

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

**Platform CLI**
```bash
claude mcp add argon -- npx -y argonctl
```

### Codex

**Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add argon -- npx -y argonctl
```

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "argon": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "argonctl"
            ]
        }
    }
}
```

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "argon": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "argonctl"
            ]
        }
    }
}
```

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add argon npx -y argonctl
```

## When to use it
- undo the database changes an agent made during a session
- review data edits before they reach the main branch
- hand an agent a disposable sandbox that expires on its own
- freeze a dataset state for repeatable eval runs
- read a document's history at a chosen point in time

## Example prompts
- Create a branch called `experiment` in project `myapp` and print the connection string
- Diff branch `experiment` against `main` and prepare a merge plan
- Revert the changes from actor `agent:experiment` in project `myapp`

## Similar
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- [Scrapling MCP Server](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/scrapling-mcp-server.md) — MCP server · ★ 89433
- [MCP Toolbox for Databases](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/googleapis-mcp-toolbox-for-databases.md) — MCP server · ★ 16717
- [PostHog MCP Server](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/posthog-mcp-server.md) — MCP server · ★ 40409
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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md