run_select_query

Executes a SELECT statement against the configured providers and returns the result rows. Read only -- mutations and lifecycle operations are not accepted; use run_mutation_query or run_lifecycle_operation for those.

Result rows are returned to the client but are deliberately excluded from the audit log.

See also: [ MCP overview ] [ validate_select_query ] [ list_methods ] [ SELECT language spec ]

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Inputs

Argument	Required	Description
sql	Yes	A SELECT statement. Metadata statements (SHOW, DESCRIBE, DESC, EXPLAIN) are classed as read-only by the policy gate and accepted too; DESC is recognised in StackQL releases from v0.12.732.
row_limit	No	Cap on the number of rows returned to the client. 0 (default) means no client-side cap.
source	No	Query library entry ID when the SQL came from query_library_get. Attribution only; does not change execution or approvals.
format	No	Text rendering: markdown or json. When omitted, uses the server's render setting.

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Output

Renderer	Shape
Table	{rows: [...]} -- one object per row, keyed by column name

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Gating

Allowed in every server mode (read_only, safe, delete_safe, full_access) when every statement in the payload is read-only. From v1.0, INSERT, UPDATE, REPLACE, DELETE and EXEC are refused by this tool in every mode, including full_access, with an error naming run_mutation_query or run_lifecycle_operation. A payload holding several statements is classed by its most privileged statement, so a mutation behind a leading SELECT is refused in the same way. The tool declares destructiveHint: false and openWorldHint: true.

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Example

Try this prompt with any elicitation-capable MCP client with the StackQL MCP server registered:

List the VPC networks in my Google Cloud project my-project  
and tell me which ones use auto subnet creation.

Here's an example in Claude Desktop: