---
title: "AI in Metabase overview"
description: "Overview of all the ways you can use AI with Metabase."
url: "https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/ai/overview"
version: "65"
---

# AI in Metabase overview

AI in Metabase is optional. You can use Metabase without AI at all. But if you do want to use AI to interact with Metabase, we have you covered.

Here are the different ways to use AI with Metabase:

- [Metabot](#metabot)
- [MCP server](#mcp-server)
- [Agent-driven development workflow](#agent-driven-development-workflow)

## Metabot

**Best for: daily tasks in Metabase; granular control over people's AI usage.**

Metabot is Metabase's built-in AI agent. Metabot can help you with most daily tasks around Metabase, like answering questions about your data, creating queries, generating SQL code, explaining charts, or creating Documents. If you're embedding Metabase into your product, you can get the Metabot agent through the [AI chat component](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/embedding/ai-chat.md). See a [non-exhaustive list of things Metabot can do](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/ai/metabot.md#what-metabot-can-do), as well as its [limitations](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/ai/metabot.md#current-limitations).

**Controls:** Metabot will only see what the person using it can see. Metabot also comes with additional permission controls and usage limits so that you control who can use which Metabot tools (e.g. chat vs SQL generation) and how many tokens they can spend.

**Provider**: Choose from:

- Metabase's own AI service (available as an add-on exclusively for Metabase Cloud)
- Third-party models via your own [provider credentials](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/ai/settings.md#connect-to-an-ai-provider)

**Plans**: available on all plans. You can only use Metabase's AI service on Metabase Cloud.

See [full docs for Metabot](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/ai/metabot.md) and [embedded AI chat](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/embedding/ai-chat.md).

## MCP server

**Best for: asking ad-hoc, ephemeral questions; combining data from Metabase with data from other tools.**

Connect your favorite third-party AI tool - like Claude or Codex - to the Metabase MCP server. MCP servers are designed for answering in-the-moment questions like "hey btw what's our q3 revenue?" Metabase's MCP server is also useful when combined with other MCP servers. For example, you can ask Claude a question about your customers that combines data from Metabase, your CRM, and your support ticket platform.

Compared to the built-in Metabot, the MCP server has a narrower set of tools. See [MCP server tools](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/ai/mcp-tools.md) for what it can do.

**Controls**: People log in to Metabase to use the MCP server, so the MCP server can only do what their permissions allow. Admins can [turn the MCP server off](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/ai/mcp.md#turn-on-the-mcp-server) for everyone. On [Pro and Enterprise plans](https://www.metabase.com/pricing), admins can also [choose which MCP tools each group can use](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/ai/usage-controls.md#mcp-tools-access).

**Provider**: Requests to Metabase's MCP server are handled by the provider you choose to connect to the MCP server (e.g. Claude, Cursor, etc).

**Plans**: MCP server is available on all plans.

See [full docs for MCP server](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/ai/mcp.md).

## Agent-driven development workflow

**Best for: developers creating stuff that other people will use.**

Use a coding agent like Claude Code with the Metabase CLI to create Metabase content directly in a development instance, then version that content as YAML files and pull the changes into your production Metabase.

**Controls**: Only admins can sync content to Metabase instances.

**Provider**: Everything is handled by your coding agent of choice.

**Plans**: Agent-driven workflows require a Pro/Enterprise plan.

See [full docs for agent-driven workflow](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/ai/agent-driven-development.md)