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Installation & MongoDB Compass

The easiest way to get started is using MongoDB Atlas, a fully managed cloud database.
  1. Go to mongodb.com/atlas.
  2. Sign up for a free account.
  3. Create a free M0 Sandbox cluster.
  4. Create a database user (username/password).
  5. Allow access from your IP address (Network Access).
  6. Get your connection string.

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Option 2: Local Installation (Community Edition)

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Windows

  1. Download the MSI installer from the MongoDB Download Center.
  2. Run the installer.
  3. Choose “Complete” setup.
  4. Select “Install MongoDB as a Service”.
  5. Important: Check “Install MongoDB Compass” (the GUI tool).

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macOS

Use Homebrew: 
brew tap mongodb/brew
brew install mongodb-community@6.0
brew services start mongodb/brew/mongodb-community

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MongoDB Compass

MongoDB Compass is the official GUI for MongoDB. It allows you to query, optimize, and analyze your MongoDB data visually.
  1. Open MongoDB Compass.
  2. Paste your connection string (from Atlas or mongodb://localhost:27017 for local).
  3. Click Connect.

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Compass Features

  • Data Explorer: View databases, collections, and documents.
  • Query Bar: Filter documents visually.
  • Aggregation Pipeline Builder: Construct complex aggregations.
  • Performance: View real-time server stats.
  • Shell: Built-in Mongo shell (mongosh).

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Summary

  • MongoDB Atlas is the cloud option (easiest).
  • MongoDB Community Edition is for local development.
  • MongoDB Compass is a powerful GUI tool for managing your data.