Explore MotherDuck Data

Use this skill when you need to discover what databases, tables, and columns exist in a MotherDuck account; preview and sample data; understand schemas and data types; find shared databases; or search the data catalog.

Prerequisites

• An established MotherDuck connection (or an active MotherDuck MCP server)

Default Posture

• Explore top-down: databases, then tables/views, then columns, then statistics, then sample rows.
• Use fully qualified table names once more than one database is attached.
• Check shared databases before concluding that data is unavailable.
• Use the MotherDuck MCP tools (list_databases, list_tables, list_columns, search_catalog) when available because they return structured results faster than ad hoc SQL.
• Return a concise schema map with table grain, join keys, date columns, and likely measures before moving into modeling or dashboard work.

Workflow

1. List databases in scope.
2. List tables and views in the target database.
3. Inspect columns, types, nullability, and comments before writing queries.
4. Run SUMMARIZE on important tables to understand ranges, cardinality, and null rates.
5. Preview rows, capture grain and join assumptions, and only then move into analytical SQL or modeling work.

Open Next

• Read references/EXPLORATION_PLAYBOOK.md for the full SQL workflow, share discovery patterns, MCP tool guidance, and common exploration mistakes

Related Skills

• motherduck-connect for session setup and authentication
• motherduck-query for analytical SQL after the schema is understood
• motherduck-duckdb-sql for DuckDB syntax patterns during exploration
• motherduck-share-data for creating and consuming shares once shared datasets become part of the workflow