# CockroachDB L1 · Needs a person CockroachDB is a SQL database you can self-host or use in the cloud, with vector search, backups, changefeeds and PostgreSQL migration. **Can an AI agent use CockroachDB? No.** Our agent couldn't get into CockroachDB on its own. Category: Databases · Connects by: API, CLI · Agent payments: None found · Driven: 27 Oct 2026 **How to connect** - API base URL: `https://cockroachlabs.cloud` (documented). Source: https://docs.cockroachlabs.com/openapi/cluster-api-v2.json - Docs page: `https://docs.cockroachlabs.com/` (tested in our drive). Source: https://docs.cockroachlabs.com/ **Level 1: Needs a person.** Agents can't get in on their own. - Got in by: A person sets it up (Not on its own in its drive) - Got as far as: Sign up (Use, Pay and Leave not reached) - To reach L2: Let an agent sign up on its own. 1 drive, awaiting confirmation [What the levels mean](https://agentdrives.com/method/levels?via=md) ## From finding it to leaving What an agent managed without a person, at each step. 1. **Find**: On its own. Docs it can act on: llms.txt and an OpenAPI. 593 doc pages read. 2. **Get in**: Stopped. Can't sign up. The sign-up form shows a visible reCAPTCHA checkbox. Stopped here. 3. **Use**: Not reached. Tasks need an account. 4. **Pay**: Not reached. Buying needs an account. 5. **Leave**: Not reached. Nothing to cancel or delete. ## Getting in None of the 8 ways in got our agent in on its own; one got partway. Where it stopped: **Email and password**. The sign-up form shows a visible reCAPTCHA checkbox. - Both kinds of agent (On a server, or in its own browser): No. Signing up needs a person: it asks for a bot check. - Signed agent (Known to Cloudflare): No. The sign-up page opens. The CAPTCHA on the form stops them too. | Way in | What happened | |---|---| | Runs locally, no account | Partway | | Email and password | Stopped by a CAPTCHA | | Sign-in for apps (OAuth, MCP) | Stopped: The consent page needs an account | | Continue with GitHub | Not tried: Not part of this drive | | Continue with Google | Not tried: Not part of this drive | | CLI code login | Not tried: Not part of this drive | | Continue with Microsoft | Not tried: Not part of this drive | | Added by an admin | Not tried: Not part of this drive | [How agents get past bot checks](https://agentdrives.com/guides/let-signed-agents-past-your-bot-check.md?via=md) ## What an agent can do with CockroachDB No task was tried: our agent couldn't get into CockroachDB. Core tasks CockroachDB offers an agent: - Create a database and cluster (API, CLI) - Run a SQL query against the database (API, CLI) - Create a table and define schema (API, CLI) - Deploy a schema change to a running table (API, CLI) - Run a vector search over embeddings (API, CLI) - Run isolated virtual databases on shared or dedicated capacity (Web app) - Use usage-based (Plenum) storage that scales automatically (Web app) - Resize cluster compute (vCPUs) on demand (API, CLI) - Run CockroachDB in your own cloud account (BYOC) (Web app) What it can't do, and why: - Get a Cloud API key or use the Cloud MCP: Keys and OAuth sign-in need an existing account. - Use any hosted feature: No account could be made. - Buy a plan: Payment is a card form inside the Console; no agent payment route was found. 16 more tasks it offers: - Get AI-generated diagnosis and remediation recommendations for a cluster (Web app) - Stream database changes (change data capture) to Kafka/other sinks (API, CLI) - Replicate a cluster to another region for failover (PCR) (CLI) - Back up a database/cluster (API, CLI) - Restore a database/cluster from backup (API, CLI) - Set row-level security policies (API, CLI) - Create a database user/role (API, CLI) - Migrate an existing PostgreSQL/MySQL/Oracle database to CockroachDB (MOLT) (CLI) - Encrypt data with a customer-managed key (CMEK) (Web app) - View cluster metrics and query performance (DB Console) (API) - Find slow queries and missing/unused indexes (CLI) - Deploy CockroachDB on Kubernetes (CLI) - Connect to CockroachDB from a coding agent via Agent Skills - Manage DNS/private connectivity for a cluster (Web app) - Read usage and billing/quota for the organization (API) - Invite a team member to the organization (Web app) **Surface audit:** 226 documented operations, 4 run, 3 passed, 212 blocked (sandbox or plan limits), 10 left out to stay safe. ## How an agent connects API, OpenAPI, CLI and llms.txt found. Agent surfaces: API tested · MCP tested · CLI tested · SDK none found · Docs tested · Agent payments none found. Issues found: 1. - **MCP server**: 2 tested. A server for searching the docs only. (15 tools across its docs) - **API**: 15 tested. REST Cloud API, 162 operations (OpenAPI 15 Sep 2026) (177 operations across its docs) - **OpenAPI**: Yes. declares openapi 3.0.0. - **CLI**: 1 tested. ccloud 0.6.12 (27 commands, browser or code login) and the cockroach binary. (27 commands across its docs) - **SDK**: None found. - **llms.txt**: Yes. https://docs.cockroachlabs.com/llms.txt - **Agent payments**: None found. The checkout wasn't reached. - **Docs**: No gaps in what we read. Covers getting started, auth, error codes and code examples. https://docs.cockroachlabs.com/ (593 of 7,743 pages read) [The standards](https://agentdrives.com/standard) ## Tips for agent builders - Self-host for anything that needs no Cloud feature: the cockroach binary from binaries.cockroachdb.com starts with `cockroach start-single-node --insecure` in seconds, no account. - Read docs as Markdown: append .md to a docs URL or send Accept: text/markdown; llms.txt lists the OpenAPI specs. - Use the docs MCP at https://docs.cockroachlabs.com/mcp (2026-07-28, no auth): search_cockroach_db and query_docs_filesystem_cockroach_db. - Vector indexes need `SET CLUSTER SETTING feature.vector_index.enabled = true` first. - For MOLT from PostgreSQL use `molt fetch --direct-copy --table-handling drop-on-target-and-recreate` then `molt verify`. ## How CockroachDB compares In Databases: 9 of the 15 products we drove in Databases are higher; 5 others share L1. - [Prisma Postgres](https://agentdrives.com/tools/prisma.md?via=md): L4, Gets in on its own - [Upstash](https://agentdrives.com/tools/upstash.md?via=md): L4, Gets in on its own - [Airtable](https://agentdrives.com/tools/airtable.md?via=md): L4, Gets in on its own - [Convex](https://agentdrives.com/tools/convex.md?via=md): L4, Gets in on its own - [NocoDB](https://agentdrives.com/tools/nocodb.md?via=md): L4, Gets in on its own - [Couchbase](https://agentdrives.com/tools/couchbase.md?via=md): L4, Gets in on its own - [Firebase](https://agentdrives.com/tools/firebase-google.md?via=md): L3, Gets in on its own - **CockroachDB** (this page): L1, Can't sign up on its own [All 15 in Databases](https://agentdrives.com/categories/databases?via=md) Sorted by level, then work done, then time to the first call. [How we rank](https://agentdrives.com/method?via=md#order) On our standard (26 criteria: against other databases products where we measured 5 or more, otherwise against every product we measured): - [Descriptions that say when to use the tool](https://agentdrives.com/standard#mcp-04): **The best result** All 6 others (databases products) lower. - [Typed, tight input schemas](https://agentdrives.com/standard#mcp-06): **The best result** All 6 others (databases products) lower. - [A request id on every answer](https://agentdrives.com/standard#err-07): **Ahead of most** 6 of 7 others (databases products) lower, 1 the same. - [Agents pick the right tool](https://agentdrives.com/standard#mcp-05): **Ahead of most** 5 of 6 others (databases products) lower, 1 the same. - [A tool list that fits](https://agentdrives.com/standard#mcp-11): **Ahead of most** 5 of 6 others (databases products) lower, 1 the same. - [A path written for agents](https://agentdrives.com/standard#docs-10): **Ahead of most** 8 of 11 others (databases products) lower, 3 the same. - [Errors a program can read](https://agentdrives.com/standard#err-02): **Ahead of most** 8 of 11 others (databases products) lower, 3 the same. - [Truthful annotations](https://agentdrives.com/standard#mcp-07): **Ahead of most** 4 of 6 others (databases products) lower, 2 the same. - [Sign-in for agents acting for a person](https://agentdrives.com/standard#in-08): **Level with most** 7 of 11 others (databases products) the same, 4 lower. - [The best way in is built for agents](https://agentdrives.com/standard#in-12): **Level with most** 9 of 12 others (databases products) the same, 3 lower. - [Versions an agent can pin](https://agentdrives.com/standard#api-07): **Level with most** 8 of 10 others (databases products) the same, 2 lower. - [Prices an agent can read](https://agentdrives.com/standard#find-06): **The same as all** 9 others (databases products). - [Fast to the first call](https://agentdrives.com/standard#in-03): **The same as all** 9 others (databases products). - [Tool names that sort themselves](https://agentdrives.com/standard#mcp-03): **The same as all** 6 others (databases products). - [Real status codes](https://agentdrives.com/standard#err-01): **The same as all** 11 others (databases products). - [Errors say what to do next](https://agentdrives.com/standard#err-03): **Level with most** 9 of 11 others (databases products) the same, 1 lower, 1 higher. - [WebMCP tools on the web app](https://agentdrives.com/standard#proto-02): **The same as all** 7 others (databases products). - [Every way in works for an agent](https://agentdrives.com/standard#in-11): **In the middle** 2 of 12 others (databases products) lower, 6 the same, 4 higher. - [Pages fit one fetch](https://agentdrives.com/standard#docs-08): **Level with most** 9 of 11 others (databases products) the same, 2 higher. - [Docs an agent can navigate](https://agentdrives.com/standard#docs-11): **Level with most** 9 of 11 others (databases products) the same, 2 higher. - [One way to page through lists](https://agentdrives.com/standard#api-03): **Level with most** 7 of 10 others (databases products) the same, 3 higher. - [Results sized for a context window](https://agentdrives.com/standard#mcp-09): **Behind most** 16 of 31 others (every product) higher, 11 the same, 4 lower. - [Spend an agent can see and cap](https://agentdrives.com/standard#pay-05): **Behind most** 7 of 12 others (databases products) higher, 5 the same. - [Structured results](https://agentdrives.com/standard#mcp-08): **Behind most** 22 of 36 others (every product) higher, 14 the same. - [Answers sized for an agent](https://agentdrives.com/standard#api-04): **Behind most** 6 of 9 others (databases products) higher, 3 the same. - [Export before leaving](https://agentdrives.com/standard#leave-03): **Behind most** 8 of 11 others (databases products) higher, 3 the same. [How each criterion is graded](https://agentdrives.com/standard) ## For the team behind CockroachDB **9 things to fix for agents.** Agent blockers: 1 found · Agent surfaces: no issues found. Safety review: no issues found. Agents get stuck at Get in. Prove CockroachDB is yours, then see where each issue is, read your safety findings and ask for a free drive after a fix. How to fix each one comes with the Audit. - Find: Clear - Get in: Blocks agents - Use: Not reached - Pay: Not reached - Leave: Not reached [Claim CockroachDB, free](https://agentdrives.com/app/products?add=cockroachlabs.com&ref=listing) · [What a drive covers](https://agentdrives.com/method?via=md) ## Where CockroachDB fits - Category: [Data and storage](https://agentdrives.com/categories/data?via=md), [Databases](https://agentdrives.com/categories/databases?via=md) - Wall: [Bot checks](https://agentdrives.com/access/get-in/bot-checks) (kept our agent out), [Google reCAPTCHA bot check](https://agentdrives.com/vendors/recaptcha) (the check, and every product we met it at), [Let signed AI agents past your bot check](https://agentdrives.com/guides/let-signed-agents-past-your-bot-check?via=md) (fix guide) - Standards: [OpenAPI](https://agentdrives.com/standards/openapi) (its API, described), [llms.txt](https://agentdrives.com/standards/llms-txt) (its docs, listed for agents) - Steps: [Find](https://agentdrives.com/access/find), [Get in](https://agentdrives.com/access/get-in) (stopped here), [Use](https://agentdrives.com/access/use), [Pay](https://agentdrives.com/access/pay), [Leave](https://agentdrives.com/access/leave) - Rivals: [Appwrite](https://agentdrives.com/tools/appwrite?via=md) (L1), [Baserow](https://agentdrives.com/tools/baserow?via=md) (L1), [MongoDB Atlas](https://agentdrives.com/tools/mongodb?via=md) (L1) ## Cited in 1 article - [Best databases for AI agents: 13 driven, ranked](https://agentdrives.com/research/best-databases-for-ai-agents?via=md) Data: [JSON](https://agentdrives.com/api/tools/cockroachlabs.json?via=md) · [Markdown](https://agentdrives.com/tools/cockroachlabs.md?via=md) · [History](https://agentdrives.com/tools/cockroachlabs/history?via=md) · [Atom](https://agentdrives.com/feeds/tools/cockroachlabs.atom) · [JSON Feed](https://agentdrives.com/feeds/tools/cockroachlabs.json) · licence [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) **Found an error?** [Tell us on this page](https://agentdrives.com/tools/cockroachlabs?via=md#correct) or read [how corrections work](https://agentdrives.com/corrections?via=md).