Secoda MCP Server

Learn how to use the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to enable AI agents to securely access and interact with your Secoda data catalog, run SQL queries, and explore data lineage.

What is Model Context Protocol?

MCP is a protocol that enables AI tools and applications to connect with Secoda's data catalog and services in a secure, standardized way. It provides a structured method for AI models to:

• Search and retrieve data assets (tables, columns, dashboards, documentation)

• Execute SQL queries against your connected data warehouses

• Access data lineage and relationships between entities

• Retrieve business glossary terms and definitions

• Access Secoda documentation and knowledge articles

How MCP Works

Secoda hosts the MCP server as part of your workspace that provides access to your data catalog through a secure, authenticated interface.

When an AI tool or application needs to access Secoda data:

1. The tool connects to Secoda's MCP server endpoints

2. Authentication verifies the user's workspace and AI permissions

3. The tool can then access relevant Secoda data and functionality

4. All operations respect your existing data governance and access controls

Benefits of Using MCP

• Secure Access: All data access is authenticated and respects workspace permissions

• Live Data Queries: Execute SQL queries directly against your data warehouses

• Comprehensive Catalog Access: Search across all your data assets and documentation

• Data Lineage: Understand upstream and downstream dependencies

• Standardized Interface: Consistent interaction pattern across different AI tools

Available Tools

The Secoda MCP server provides the following tools:

Tool	Description
search_data_assets	Search for tables, columns, charts, and dashboards
search	General search across all Secoda resources including documentation
run_sql	Execute SQL queries against your connected data warehouses
retrieve_entity	Get detailed information about a specific data entity
entity_lineage	Explore upstream and downstream data dependencies
glossary	Access business terms and definitions from your glossary
get_secoda_docs	Retrieve Secoda documentation and knowledge articles
chart	Work with charts and visualizations

Setting things up

Connection issues: MCP is still evolving. If you experience connection issues, try restarting your AI client or contact your Secoda administrator to verify MCP is enabled for your workspace.

Here's how you can configure popular AI tools to work with Secoda's MCP server:

Claude.ai

Team, Enterprise

1. Go to your settings at https://claude.ai/settings/profile

2. Under the Integrations section click on Add more

3. Use your Secoda MCP server URL: https://app.secoda.co/ai/mcp

4. Authenticate with your Secoda credentials when prompted

Free, Pro

1. Open the file ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add the following and restart the Claude desktop app:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "secoda": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://app.secoda.co/ai/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor

1. Open Cursor Settings (CMD/CTRL + Shift + J)

2. Go to the MCP section

3. Click on Add new global MCP server

4. Add the following configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "secoda": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://app.secoda.co/ai/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

1. Open Windsurf settings (CMD/CTRL + ,)

2. Go to the Cascade section

3. Press the Add Server button then Add custom server

4. Add the following configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "secoda": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://app.secoda.co/ai/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

VS Code

1. Hit CMD/CTRL + Shift + P and search for > MCP: Add Server...

2. Select Command (stdio)

3. Enter npx mcp-remote https://app.secoda.co/ai/mcp as the command

4. Enter Secoda as the Server ID

5. Hit CMD/CTRL + Shift + P and search for > MCP: List Servers

6. Start Secoda's MCP server

Others

Many other tools now support MCP servers. You can configure them to use Secoda's MCP server with the following settings:

• Command: npx

• Arguments: -y mcp-remote https://app.secoda.co/ai/mcp

• Environment: None

Example Usage

Once connected, you can interact with your Secoda data through natural language:

Data Discovery

• "Find all tables related to customer data"

• "Show me the schema for the sales_summary table"

• "What dashboards use revenue metrics?"

SQL Queries

• "Show me total sales for the last quarter"

• "What's the average order value by region?"

• "Count active users in the past 30 days"

Data Lineage

• "What feeds into the customer_metrics table?"

• "What would be affected if I change the orders table?"

• "Show me the lineage for the revenue calculation"

Business Context

• "What does 'Monthly Recurring Revenue' mean in our glossary?"

• "Find documentation about our data quality processes"

• "What's the definition of an active user?"

Prerequisites

• A Secoda workspace with AI features enabled

• An MCP-compatible AI assistant, e.g., Claude

FAQ

Why am I getting authentication errors? Ensure you have the correct permissions in your Secoda workspace and that MCP is enabled by your administrator.

I'm seeing connection timeouts MCP connections can be sensitive to network conditions. Try restarting your AI client or check with your network administrator about proxy settings.