Cortex Code

Overview

Cortex Code is an AI-driven intelligent agent integrated into the Snowflake platform, optimized for complex data engineering, analytics, machine learning, and agent-building tasks. It uses an autonomous agent framework to interact directly with your Snowflake environment, with deep understanding of Snowflake’s Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), schemas, and best practices.

Cortex Code supports data analysis, machine learning, and data engineering workflows. It provides a consistent, context-aware interface for users performing data exploration or developing complex data pipelines.

Core experiences

Cortex Code is delivered through two interfaces: in Snowsight and as a command line interface (CLI) that runs in a local shell. This availability ensures access to AI agentic experiences wherever you work.

Cortex Code in Snowsight

The Snowsight Assistant is the persistent, web-based entry point for AI in Snowflake. It is deeply integrated into Workspaces and Snowsight Admin pages.

Key capabilities:

  • SQL and Python Notebook authoring: Generate code from natural language or explain and optimize existing queries.

  • Account administration: Take actions and answer questions about credit consumption, query performance, governance and user permissions.

  • Within Workspaces:

    • Context awareness: Cortex Code knows which SQL file or notebook you are currently viewing and uses that as background context for its answers.

    • Change review: A visual “diff view” allows you to review and accept AI-suggested changes before they are applied.

Cortex Code CLI

For power users and developers, the Cortex Code CLI provides an agentic shell for Snowflake that bridges the gap between your local development environment (for example, VS Code or Cursor) and your Snowflake account.

For details about the CLI experience, see Cortex Code CLI.

Key features of the CLI

  • Snowflake integration: The CLI connects directly to your Snowflake account using your existing authentication methods. You can execute SQL commands, view tables, validate Cortex Analyst semantic models, and manage multiple connections.

  • Local file access: Unlike the Snowsight UI, the CLI can read and write to your local repositories, making it ideal for managing dbt projects or Streamlit apps.

  • Tool orchestration: The CLI can invoke local bash commands, run git operations, and execute SQL directly against your Snowflake warehouse.

  • Agent customization: Support for agents.md files and Agent Skills allows you to define custom behaviors for the agent within specific projects.

  • Security: Full support for Snowflake role-based access control (RBAC), OS-level sandboxing, a three-tier approval system, and automatic risk assessment help ensure secure operation within your environment.

  • Built-in Snowflake skills: Cortex Code includes built-in skills that support key Snowflake workflows such as agent creation, machine learning, data engineering, and data governance.

  • Extensibility: The CLI can be extended with custom tools, skills, subagents, hooks, and profiles to fit your organization’s workflows.

  • Developer friendly: Developers, data engineers, and data scientists will find the Cortex Code CLI pleasant to work with, thanks to features like session persistence, git worktree support, a choice of compact and expanded display modes, multiple color themes, and support for vim-style keyboard navigation.

More information

For detailed setup instructions, troubleshooting, and advanced use cases, see the following topics:

Cost

Cortex Code in CLI is billed based on token consumption. Pricing and billing details (when published) are provided in the Snowflake Service Consumption Table on a token consumption basis unless otherwise specified.

Cortex Code in Snowsight is currently free of charge to use. Details on pricing and billing are planned but you will be notified before any charges are applied for this feature.

Language: English