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Use this path when you already have a warehouse or DuckDB file. If you want to learn the commands first, the quickstart creates a local demo.

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1. Choose the connector

The skill wrapper selects the connector extra from your project’s configuration. For a standalone CLI, install the matching extra as described in Installation. Each connector page names its authentication sources and configuration keys. Keep credentials in the connector’s credential store or environment, rather than pasting them into a chat or committing them to .dex/config.yml.

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2. Verify the connection

For an existing DuckDB file, pass its path directly:
For a configured project:
Check the reported connector, target, and capabilities before profiling. A working dbt profile alone does not always select Dex’s connector; use the configuration and discovery rules on your connector’s page.
dex config get shows effective settings and where they came from. dex config set first returns a diff; reissue it with --confirm only after reviewing that diff. See the configuration commands.

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3. Decide scope and spending limits

Start with the databases or datasets relevant to your task. Connector settings establish the source allowlist; --scope can narrow it for an individual command. A dev build destination is separate from the source scope. On a metered warehouse, read the estimate before approving work. Budget units vary by connector. The person running the session chooses the per-command and daily limits; an agent must not invent them. See cost controls for the confirmation flow and what belongs in each ceiling. Hosted dbt Cloud semantic queries have a different boundary and are outside Dex’s cost guard.

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4. Start with an inventory

Use that shortlist to decide what to profile, or ask your agent to explore the warehouse. A successful connection proves access; it does not prove the tables’ grain or the joins between them.