Robo 3T: A free and easy-to-use MongoDB GUI with auto-completion and dark theme
Robo 3T: A Free, Open-Source MongoDB GUI
MongoDB is one of the most popular NoSQL databases in the world, powering millions of applications across various domains and industries. However, working with MongoDB can be challenging without a proper graphical user interface (GUI) that can simplify and enhance the user experience. That's where Robo 3T comes in.
Robo 3T (formerly Robomongo) is a free, lightweight, open-source MongoDB GUI that offers an embedded mongo shell, real auto-completion, and support for MongoDB 4.0. In this article, we will explore what Robo 3T is, how to download and install it, how to use it, and what is the future of this tool.
robo 3t
What is Robo 3T?
Robo 3T is a native and cross-platform MongoDB manager that allows you to connect to your MongoDB servers, browse and query your data, and perform various operations on your collections and documents. Robo 3T is designed to be fast and snappy, using very little of your machine resources. It is also open-source, meaning that you can access its source code, contribute to its development, or fork it for your own purposes.
Features and benefits of Robo 3T
Some of the main features and benefits of Robo 3T are:
Embedded mongo shell
Robo 3T integrates the mongo shell, the official command-line interface for MongoDB, into its GUI. This means that you can execute any mongo command or script directly from Robo 3T, without having to switch to a separate terminal window. You can also enjoy syntax highlighting, error checking, and command history in the embedded shell.
Robo 3T download
Robo 3T vs Studio 3T
Robo 3T tutorial
Robo 3T connect to MongoDB Atlas
Robo 3T dark theme
Robo 3T import JSON
Robo 3T export CSV
Robo 3T query builder
Robo 3T aggregation pipeline
Robo 3T create database
Robo 3T create collection
Robo 3T create index
Robo 3T create user
Robo 3T authentication
Robo 3T SSL
Robo 3T SSH tunnel
Robo 3T replica set
Robo 3T sharded cluster
Robo 3T backup and restore
Robo 3T find and replace
Robo 3T autocomplete
Robo 3T keyboard shortcuts
Robo 3T update document
Robo 3T delete document
Robo 3T insert document
Robo 3T view document
Robo 3T edit document
Robo 3T copy document
Robo 3T duplicate document
Robo 3T rename collection
Robo 3T drop collection
Robo 3T drop database
Robo 3T count documents
Robo 3T sort documents
Robo 3T filter documents
Robo 3T projection documents
Robo 3T limit documents
Robo 3T skip documents
Robo 3T explain query plan
Robo 3T run mongo shell commands
Robo 3T run JavaScript code snippets
Robo 3T syntax highlighting
Robo 3T code formatting
Robo 3T code folding
Robo 3T code completion
Robo 3T code validation
Real auto-completion
Robo 3T provides real auto-completion for both shell commands and JavaScript code. This feature helps you write faster and more accurate queries and scripts, as well as discover new commands and functions. You can also use keyboard shortcuts to navigate through the suggestions and insert them into your code.
Support for MongoDB 4.0
Robo 3T supports the latest version of MongoDB, which is 4.0 at the time of writing this article. This means that you can use Robo 3T to connect to MongoDB Atlas, the cloud-based service for MongoDB, as well as to local or remote MongoDB instances. You can also use Robo 3T to work with new features in MongoDB 4.0, such as multi-document transactions, change streams, and aggregation enhancements.
How to download and install Robo 3T
Downloading Robo 3T
To download Robo 3T, you need to visit its official website at [ and click on the download button for your operating system. You can choose between Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux versions. The download file size is around 20 MB.
Installing Robo 3T
To install Robo 3T, you need to follow these steps:
For Windows users: Run the downloaded executable file and follow the instructions on the screen. You can choose the installation directory and whether to create a desktop shortcut or not.
For Mac OS X users: Open the downloaded DMG file and drag the Robo 3T app to the Applications folder.
For Linux users: Extract the downloaded TAR.GZ file and run the Robo 3T binary file from the bin folder.
After installing Robo 3T, you can launch it from your desktop or applications menu. You should see a welcome screen like this:
Now you are ready to use Robo 3T to connect to your MongoDB servers and databases.
How to use Robo 3T
Creating and managing connections
To connect to a MongoDB server, you need to create a connection in Robo 3T. You can do this by clicking on the "Create" button on the welcome screen, or by selecting "File -> Connect" from the menu bar. You will see a dialog box like this:
You need to enter the following information for your connection:
Name: A friendly name for your connection, such as "Localhost" or "Atlas Cluster".
Type: The type of connection, either "Direct Connection" or "Replica Set / Sharded Cluster". The latter option is for connecting to multiple MongoDB nodes that are part of a replica set or a sharded cluster.
Address: The host name or IP address and port number of your MongoDB server. For example, "localhost:27017" or "cluster0-shard-00-00-jxeqq.mongodb.net:27017". You can also add multiple addresses separated by commas for replica set or sharded cluster connections.
Authentication: The authentication method and credentials for your MongoDB server. You can choose between "No Authentication", "Basic Authentication", or "Kerberos / LDAP Authentication". For basic authentication, you need to enter the database name, user name, and password. For Kerberos / LDAP authentication, you need to enter the service name, user name, and password.
SSL: The SSL settings for your MongoDB server. You can choose between "Use SSL protocol", "Use SSL protocol with self-signed certificate", or "Use SSL protocol with custom CA certificate". For the last option, you need to provide the path to your CA certificate file.
SSH: The SSH settings for your MongoDB server. You can use this option if you want to connect to your MongoDB server through an SSH tunnel. You need to enter the host name or IP address and port number of your SSH server, as well as the user name and password or private key file for SSH authentication.
After entering the required information for your connection, you can click on the "Test" button to check if your connection is valid and working. If everything is OK, you will see a green check mark and a message saying "Connection successful". If there is an error, you will see a red cross mark and an error message explaining the problem.
Once you have tested your connection, you can click on the "Save" button to save your connection settings. You will see your connection listed on the welcome screen, as well as in the left panel of the main window. You can double-click on your connection to open it and see its databases and collections.
Exploring and querying data
To explore and query your data in Robo 3T, you need to select a database and a collection from the left panel of the main window. You will see a tabbed interface with three tabs: Documents, Aggregation, and Shell.
The Documents tab shows you all the documents in your collection in a table format. You can sort, filter, paginate, edit, delete, or add documents using the toolbar buttons or the right-click menu. You can also view the documents in JSON format by clicking on the JSON View button.
The Aggregation tab allows you to create and run aggregation pipelines on your collection. An aggregation pipeline is a series of stages that transform and process your data in various ways. You can add, edit, delete, reorder, or run stages using the toolbar buttons or the right-click menu. You can also view the results of each stage in JSON format by clicking on the Result View button.
The Shell tab gives you access to the embedded mongo shell that we mentioned earlier. You can write and execute any mongo command or script in this tab, as well as use auto-completion, syntax highlighting, error checking, and command history features. You can also view the output of your commands or scripts in JSON format by clicking on the Output View button
Importing and exporting data
Robo 3T also allows you to import and export data from and to your collections. You can do this by selecting a collection from the left panel and clicking on the "Import" or "Export" button on the toolbar. You will see a dialog box like this:
You can choose the format of your data, either JSON or CSV, and the file path of your data source or destination. You can also specify some options for your import or export operation, such as:
Drop collection before importing: This option will delete all the existing documents in your collection before importing new ones.
Ignore empty fields: This option will skip any fields that have empty or null values in your data source.
Use header line as field names: This option will use the first line of your CSV file as the field names for your documents.
Export all fields: This option will export all the fields in your docum