Connect your application

The Operator creates Kubernetes Secrets with ready-to-use MongoDB connection strings. Use those URIs in your application instead of building the connection string by hand. Any MongoDB driver accepts the URI, so your app connects the same way whether it runs inside the cluster or outside it.

For Secret names, key layout, and exposed endpoints, see Connection secrets.

Get a connection string

1. List Secrets in your namespace:

   kubectl get secrets -n <namespace>
   

2. Retrieve the URI for the user your app should use.

   databaseAdmin (sharded cluster)databaseAdmin (replica set, sharding off)Application user

   Secret: <cluster-name>-databaseadmin-conn-str

   kubectl get secret <cluster-name>-databaseadmin-conn-str -n <namespace> \
     -o jsonpath='{.data.databaseAdmin_mongos_connectionString}' | base64 --decode && echo
   

   Secret: <cluster-name>-databaseadmin-conn-str

   kubectl get secret <cluster-name>-databaseadmin-conn-str -n <namespace> \
     -o jsonpath='{.data.databaseAdmin_rs0_connectionStringSrv}' | base64 --decode && echo
   

   For an Operator-managed application user, use that user’s connection string Secret (for example <cluster-name>-custom-user-secret-conn-str, or <passwordSecretRef.name>-conn-str when you supply the password Secret).

   Keys follow <username>_mongos_connectionString on sharded clusters. See Connection secrets for naming details.

   kubectl get secret <connection-secret-name> -n <namespace> \
     -o jsonpath='{.data.<username>_mongos_connectionString}' | base64 --decode && echo
   

For testing you can use databaseAdmin. For production, create a dedicated application user and use its connection string Secret.

Use the URI in your application

Pass the decoded URI to your MongoDB driver as the connection string. Example shape (values come from the Secret; do not hardcode passwords):

mongodb://user:password@host:27017/?authSource=admin

If the cluster has TLS enabled, the Operator includes the TLS parameters in the generated URI. Use an _connectionStringExposed key when your app connects from outside the cluster through an exposed Service.

Next steps

Get credentials for your app Connection examples (Node, Python, Go)

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Last update: September 2, 2026
Created: September 2, 2026