Use DocKit GUI connect to Database Server

DocKit as a NoSQL GUI client, it supports multiple databases, including Elasticsearch, OpenSearch, DynamoDB, and more to come. This document outlines how to connect to a database server using DocKit.

Install and Open DocKit

you can find detailed instructions on how to install and open DocKit in the installation guide.

Connect to Elasticsearch Server

After opening DocKit, click the + New connection button to add a new connection, then you can input the Elasticsearch server information, including the connection name, host, port, and authentication information.

Basic Connection Fields

Field	Required	Description
Name	Yes	Connection display name (e.g., "Production ES")
Host	Yes	Server URL with protocol (http:// or https://)
Port	Yes	Server port (default: 9200)
Index Name	No	Specific index if user has limited permissions

Authentication Methods

DocKit supports two authentication methods for Elasticsearch:

Basic Authentication

Select Basic tab and enter:

• Username: Elasticsearch username
• Password: User password

Best for:

• Self-hosted Elasticsearch
• Development environments
• Simple auth setups

API Key Authentication

Select API Key tab and enter:

• API Key: Elasticsearch API key (paste the full key)

Best for:

• Elasticsearch Cloud deployments
• Production environments
• Rotating credentials without changing passwords

Creating an API Key in Elasticsearch:

POST /_security/api_key
{
  "name": "dockit-client",
  "role_descriptors": {
    "dockit-role": {
      "index": [
        { "names": ["*"], "privileges": ["read", "write"] }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Response contains the API key to paste into DocKit.

SSL Certificate Verification

DocKit verifies SSL certificates by default for https:// connections.

Toggle SSL verification:

• Click the 🔒 (lock) icon next to the host field
• 🔒 Locked = SSL verification enabled (recommended)
• 🔓 Unlocked = SSL verification disabled

When to disable SSL:

• Self-signed certificates in development
• Internal certificates not in public CA chains
• Testing environments only

Warning: Never disable SSL verification for production connections — it exposes credentials to interception.

Query Parameters

Add custom query parameters appended to all requests:

Example	Use Case
pretty=true	Format JSON responses
timeout=30s	Set request timeout
preference=_local	Route requests to local node

Format: key=value pairs separated by &

Connect to OpenSearch Server

OpenSearch connections work identically to Elasticsearch. Use:

• Host: http://your-opensearch:9200
• Port: 9200 (default)
• Same authentication options (Basic, API Key)

DocKit auto-detects OpenSearch vs Elasticsearch from cluster info.

Connect to DynamoDB

Choose DynamoDB as database type and configure:

AWS DynamoDB (Production)

Field	Description
Region	AWS region (e.g., us-east-1)
Access Key ID	AWS access key
Secret Access Key	AWS secret key

Credentials can be:

• IAM user credentials: Long-term keys
• Temporary credentials: From STS AssumeRole
• Environment credentials: Use .env or AWS config

DynamoDB Local (Development)

Connect to local DynamoDB for offline development:

Field	Value
Endpoint	http://localhost:8000
Region	Any value (e.g., us-east-1)
Access Key	Any value (e.g., local)
Secret Key	Any value (e.g., local)

See Query DynamoDB Locally Guide for setup instructions.

Test Connection

Click Test Connection to verify connectivity before saving.

Requirements:

• view_index_metadata permission minimum
• Specify index name if user lacks * index access

Common errors:

Error	Solution
Connection refused	Check host/port, verify server running
Unauthorized	Verify credentials, check API key validity
SSL handshake failed	Enable SSL verification or fix certificate
Index not found	Specify valid index name

Save Connection

Click Confirm to save the connection. Connections are:

• Encrypted and stored locally
• Available in sidebar for quick access
• Persistent across app restarts

Managing Multiple Connections

DocKit supports multiple saved connections:

• Sorting: Click column headers to sort by name, type, date
• Filtering: Search by name in the connection panel
• Quick switch: Click any connection in sidebar
• Edit: Right-click → Edit to modify settings
• Delete: Right-click → Delete to remove

Connection Security Best Practices

1. Use API keys in production — Rotate easily, audit usage
2. Enable SSL — Never disable in production
3. Least privilege — Grant only required index permissions
4. Separate connections — Different credentials for dev/staging/production
5. Rotate credentials — Regularly update keys and passwords

Next Steps

• Elasticsearch Cluster Management — Monitor indices and nodes
• Import & Export — Move data in and out
• Query History — Access past queries