Database Manual / Reference / mongosh Methods / Databases

db.getCollectionInfos() (mongosh method)

Definition

db.getCollectionInfos(filter, options)

Returns an array of documents that contain collection or view information, such as name and options, for the current database. The results depend on the user's privilege. For details, see Required Access.

The db.getCollectionInfos() helper wraps the listCollections command.

Syntax

The db.getCollectionInfos() method has the following parameters:

Parameter Type Description

Parameter	Type	Description
`filter`	document	Optional. A query predicate to filter the list of collections. You can specify a query predicate on any of the fields returned by `db.getCollectionInfos()`.
`options`	document	Optional. A document that specifies additional options for the command. For a list of available options, see Options.

filter

document

Optional. A query predicate to filter the list of collections.

You can specify a query predicate on any of the fields returned by db.getCollectionInfos().

options

document

Optional. A document that specifies additional options for the command. For a list of available options, see Options.

Options

You can specify the following options in the options document of a db.getCollectionInfos() command:

Option Type Description

Option	Type	Description
`nameOnly`	boolean	Optional. A flag to indicate whether the command returns just the name and type (`view`, `collection`, or `timeseries`) or returns both the name and other information. The default value is `false`. When `nameOnly` is `true`, your `filter` expression can only filter based on a collection's name and type. No other fields are available. For an example, see Return Only Collection Names.
`authorizedCollections`	boolean	Optional. When set to `true` and used with `nameOnly: true`, allows a user without the required privilege (such as the `listCollections` action on the database) to run `db.getCollectionInfos()` when access control is enforced. When both `authorizedCollections` and `nameOnly` options are set to true, the command returns only those collections for which the user has privileges. For example: If a user has the `find` action on specific collections, the command returns only those collections. If a user has any permission action on the database resource, the command lists all collections in the database. The default value is `false`, meaning the user must have `listCollections` action on the database to run the command. For a user who has `listCollections` action on the database, this option has no effect since the user has privileges to list the collections in the database. When used without `nameOnly: true`, this option has no effect.

nameOnly

boolean

Optional. A flag to indicate whether the command returns just the name and type (view, collection, or timeseries) or returns both the name and other information.

The default value is false.

When nameOnly is true, your filter expression can only filter based on a collection's name and type. No other fields are available.

For an example, see Return Only Collection Names.

authorizedCollections

boolean

Optional. When set to true and used with nameOnly: true, allows a user without the required privilege (such as the listCollections action on the database) to run db.getCollectionInfos() when access control is enforced.

When both authorizedCollections and nameOnly options are set to true, the command returns only those collections for which the user has privileges. For example:

If a user has the find action on specific collections, the command returns only those collections.
If a user has any permission action on the database resource, the command lists all collections in the database.

The default value is false, meaning the user must have listCollections action on the database to run the command.

For a user who has listCollections action on the database, this option has no effect since the user has privileges to list the collections in the database.

When used without nameOnly: true, this option has no effect.

Compatibility

This method is available in deployments hosted in the following environments:

MongoDB Atlas: The fully managed service for MongoDB deployments in the cloud

Note

This command is supported in all MongoDB Atlas clusters. For information on Atlas support for all commands, see Unsupported Commands.

MongoDB Enterprise: The subscription-based, self-managed version of MongoDB
MongoDB Community: The source-available, free-to-use, and self-managed version of MongoDB

Required Access

The listCollections command and its wrapper db.getCollectionInfos() require the listCollections action when access control is enforced. Users must have privileges that grant the listCollections action on the database to run listCollections.

For example, the following command grants the privilege to run db.getCollectionInfos() against the test database:

{ resource: { db: "test", collection: "" }, actions: [ "listCollections" ] }

The built-in role read provides the privilege to run listCollections for a specific database.

Users without the required read privilege can run listCollections when authorizedCollections and nameOnly are both set to true. In this case, the command returns the names and types for collection(s) where the user has privileges.

For example, consider a user with a role that grants the following find privilege:

{ resource: { db: "sales", collection: "currentQuarter" }, actions: [ "find" ] }

The user can run listCollections if authorizedCollections and nameOnly are both set to true.

db.runCommand(
   {
       listCollections: 1.0,
       authorizedCollections: true,
       nameOnly: true
   }
)

The operation returns the name and type of the currentQuarter collection.

However, the following operations return an error if the user does not have the required access authorization:

db.runCommand(
   {
       listCollections: 1.0,
       authorizedCollections: true
   }
)

db.runCommand(
   {
       listCollections: 1.0,
       nameOnly: true
   }
)

`show collections`

The mongosh method show collections is similar to:

db.runCommand(
   {
       listCollections: 1.0,
       authorizedCollections: true,
       nameOnly: true
   }
)

For users with the required access, show collections lists the non-system collections for the database.
For users without the required access, show collections lists only the collections for which the users has privileges.

Behavior

Client Disconnection

If the client that issued db.getCollectionInfos() disconnects before the operation completes, MongoDB marks db.getCollectionInfos() for termination using killOp.

Replica Set Member State Restriction

To run on a replica set member, listCollections operations require the member to be in PRIMARY or SECONDARY state. If the member is in another state, such as STARTUP2, the operation errors.

Examples

Return Information for All Collections in a Database

The following returns information for all collections in the example database:

use example
db.getCollectionInfos()

   [
      {
         "name" : "employees",
         "type" : "collection",
         "options" : {
            "flags" : 1,
            "validator" : {
               "$or" : [
                  {
                     "phone" : {
                        "$exists" : true
                     }
                  },
                  {
                     "email" : {
                        "$exists" : true
                     }
                  }
               ]
            }
         },
         "info" : {
            "readOnly" : false,
            "uuid" : UUID("222e18ca-4a10-4a42-a8fe-c39255cc4c55")
         },
         "idIndex" : {
            "v" : 2,
            "key" : {
               "_id" : 1
            },
            "name" : "_id_",
            "ns" : "example.employees"
         }
      },
      {
         "name" : "products",
         "type" : "collection",
         "options" : {
            "flags" : 1
         },
         "info" : {
            "readOnly" : false,
            "uuid" : UUID("1bc898b2-3b91-45e4-9d8b-0be462d5a157")
         },
         "idIndex" : {
            "v" : 2,
            "key" : {
               "_id" : 1
            },
            "name" : "_id_",
            "ns" : "example.products"
         }
      },
      {
         "name" : "mylogs",
         "type" : "collection",
         "options" : {
            "capped" : true,
            "size" : 256
         },
         "info" : {
            "readOnly" : true,
            "uuid" : UUID("8e62116d-b6a0-490a-808c-258ccb7ea947")
         },
         "idIndex" : {
            "v" : 2,
            "key" : {
               "_id" : 1
            },
            "name" : "_id_",
            "ns" : "example.mylogs"
         }
      }
   ]

Return Only Collection Names

To return only the names of collections in the current database, specify the nameOnly: true option. For example:

use example
db.getCollectionInfos( {}, { nameOnly: true } )

[
  { name: 'products', type: 'collection' },
  { name: 'weather', type: 'timeseries' },
  { name: 'system.buckets.weather', type: 'collection' },
  { name: 'system.views', type: 'collection' },
  { name: 'sales', type: 'collection' }
]

Return Information for a Specific Collection

To request collection information for a specific collection, specify the collection name in the filter document. The following example returns an array with a single document that details the collection information for the employees collection in the example database.

use example
db.getCollectionInfos( { name: "employees" } )

[
   {
      "name" : "employees",
      "type" : "collection",
      "options" : {
         "flags" : 1,
         "validator" : {
            "$or" : [
               {
                  "phone" : {
                     "$exists" : true
                  }
               },
               {
                  "email" : {
                     "$exists" : true
                  }
               }
            ]
         }
      },
      "info" : {
         "readOnly" : false,
         "uuid" : UUID("222e18ca-4a10-4a42-a8fe-c39255cc4c55")
      },
      "idIndex" : {
         "v" : 2,
         "key" : {
            "_id" : 1
         },
         "name" : "_id_",
         "ns" : "example.employees"
      }
   }
]

Return Information for Read-Only Collections

You can specify a filter on any of the fields returned by db.getCollectionInfos().

For example, the following command returns information for all collections in the example database where info.readOnly is true:

use example
db.getCollectionInfos( { "info.readOnly" : true } )

[
   {
      "name" : "mylogs",
      "type" : "collection",
      "options" : {
         "capped" : true,
         "size" : 256
      },
      "info" : {
         "readOnly" : true,
         "uuid" : UUID("8e62116d-b6a0-490a-808c-258ccb7ea947")
      },
      "idIndex" : {
         "v" : 2,
         "key" : {
            "_id" : 1
         },
         "name" : "_id_",
         "ns" : "example.mylogs"
      }
   }
]

Back

db.getCollection

db.getCollectionNames