MCP Toolbox for Databases in Continue.dev declared in YAML, end to end.
Continue.dev configures MCP servers in YAML — and Google's MCP Toolbox for Databases defines its tools in YAML too. Two files, one pipeline: config.yaml launches the server, tools.yaml decides what your agent can query.
MCP Toolbox for Databases (github.com/googleapis/genai-toolbox, 15.5k stars) is Google's open-source MCP server for database access. Its model is declarative: a tools.yaml lists database sources and named, parameterized query tools, and agents get exactly that tool set. Engines including PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, BigQuery, and Spanner are supported — the repo docs carry the full matrix.
Continue.dev's MCP configuration is YAML as well: an mcpServers block in ~/.continue/config.yaml, or standalone YAML files dropped into .continue/mcpServers/ for project-scoped setups. The Toolbox ships as an OCI container image, so Continue will launch it through Docker.
Choose global or per-project
If one database setup serves all your work, put the block in ~/.continue/config.yaml. If the database belongs to a specific repo — the usual case — create .continue/mcpServers/toolbox.yaml in that project so the server definition travels with the code. Both shapes are the same; only the location differs.
Add the mcpServers block
Continue's MCP entries take a name, a command, and an args list. Note that YAML args are list items, one per line — every flag and value is its own item. Mount your tools.yaml into the container with an absolute host path and point --tools-file at the container-side path.
mcpServers:
- name: toolbox
command: docker
args:
- run
- -i
- --rm
- -v
- /Users/you/db/tools.yaml:/config/tools.yaml
- us-central1-docker.pkg.dev/database-toolbox/toolbox/toolbox:latest
- --tools-file
- /config/tools.yaml
- --stdioReload and test in agent mode
Reload the Continue extension (or the whole VS Code window) after saving — Continue reads MCP config at startup. MCP tools surface in Continue's agent mode, so switch the chat into agent mode and ask a question your tools.yaml can answer; the response should show a Toolbox tool invocation rather than a hallucinated answer. Plain chat mode won't call tools, which is the most common 'it's configured but nothing happens' explanation.
Troubleshooting in Continue.dev
YAML indentation does the most damage here. mcpServers entries are list items — the leading dash on name matters, and args must be a proper list with each element on its own line. A single mis-indented line makes Continue skip the block without an obvious error.
If the config parses but the server won't connect, run the docker command manually: the Toolbox validates tools.yaml at startup and exits with a clear stderr message when a source is unreachable or a tool is malformed. Keep -i in the args (stdio needs stdin held open), use host.docker.internal rather than localhost for a database running on your host, and after every fix, reload the extension — Continue won't hot-reload MCP definitions mid-session.
The live listing
The Toolbox's probed tool list is visible on its Loomal marketplace listing at https://loomal.ai/marketplace/mcp-toolbox-for-databases — worth a look before writing your tools.yaml. Maintainers can claim their server's listing on Loomal to verify ownership and set per-call pricing for agent callers.
FAQ
How do I install the Toolbox for Databases in Continue.dev?
Add an mcpServers block to ~/.continue/config.yaml (or a YAML file in .continue/mcpServers/) with command docker and args that mount your tools.yaml and pass --tools-file plus --stdio. Reload the Continue extension and use agent mode to invoke the tools.
Where does Continue.dev keep MCP configuration?
Globally in ~/.continue/config.yaml under the mcpServers key, or per-project as individual YAML files in .continue/mcpServers/. The per-project form is handy for a database toolbox because the definition ships with the repo it belongs to.
The config looks right but no tools ever fire — why?
Check you're in agent mode; Continue only exposes MCP tools there, not in plain chat. If agent mode shows no Toolbox tools either, the YAML likely mis-parsed (indentation or a missing list dash) or the docker launch failed — run the command manually to see the Toolbox's startup error.
Can I limit what the agent queries?
Yes, structurally: the Toolbox only serves the named tools in your tools.yaml, each a fixed parameterized statement. Start read-only, watch how Continue uses them, and add write tools only when there's a concrete need.
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