Data

/motherduck-query

Execute DuckDB SQL queries against MotherDuck databases. Use when running analytics, aggregations, transformations, or any SQL operation. Covers query best practices, CTEs, window functions, QUALIFY, and performance optimization.

motherduckdb@motherduckdb

GitHub

From plugin

motherduckdb-agent-skills See the plugin

5360 skills

shell

$ npx -y skills add motherduckdb/agent-skills --skill motherduck-query --agent claude-code

How it fires

How this skill gets triggered: by you, by Claude, or both.

Fires itselfAuto-invocation. Claude auto-loads it when your prompt matches the work.
You can call itInvoke it directly when you want it.
Slash command/motherduck-query

How auto-invocation works

Context preview

The summary Claude sees to decide when to auto-load this skill.

Execute DuckDB SQL queries against MotherDuck databases. Use when running analytics, aggregations, transformations, or any SQL operation. Covers query best practices, CTEs, window functions, QUALIFY, and performance optimization.

SKILL.md

motherduck-query.SKILL.md

name: motherduck-query
description: Execute DuckDB SQL queries against MotherDuck databases. Use when running analytics, aggregations, transformations, or any SQL operation. Covers query best practices, CTEs, window functions, QUALIFY, and performance optimization.
license: MIT

Query MotherDuck

Use this skill when executing SQL queries for analytics, aggregations, transformations, or data exploration against MotherDuck databases.

Prerequisites

An established MotherDuck connection (or an active MotherDuck MCP server)
Target database and tables identified

Default Posture

Write DuckDB SQL, not PostgreSQL SQL, even when using the PG endpoint.
Always use fully qualified `"database"."schema"."table"` names.
Preserve the intended grain of every result set; state the grain before optimizing or materializing a query.
Filter early, aggregate early, and prefer serving tables or summaries for repeated reads.
Keep SQL obvious, multi-line, and explicit about grain, filters, and output shape.
Treat DDL, DML, `ATTACH`, `DETACH`, recovery commands such as `CREATE SNAPSHOT`, `ALTER DATABASE ... SET SNAPSHOT`, `UNDROP DATABASE`, and lifecycle commands such as `SHUTDOWN` as writes. Use the MotherDuck MCP `query_rw` tool when the user's change request authorizes the write. Ask for confirmation only when the action is destructive, externally visible, or outside the stated scope.
Tag long-lived integrations with `custom_user_agent` when the connection path supports it.

Workflow

1. Confirm the actual tables, columns, and grain before writing SQL. 2. Write the query in SQL first, then wrap it in Python or TypeScript only if needed. 3. Use CTEs and DuckDB-native patterns such as `GROUP BY ALL`, `QUALIFY`, and `arg_max`. 4. Check the plan, row count, and shape for pushdown, unnecessary sorts, or repeated raw rescans. 5. Materialize expensive repeated queries into serving tables or light views when warranted.