Using Cortex Code CLI with Snowflake Postgres¶

The Cortex Code CLI Postgres skill lets you ask natural-language questions about a Postgres database and have Cortex Code generate and run SQL for you. It is designed for debugging, schema exploration, and lightweight analytics without needing to hand-write every query.

For installation, connection setup, and general Cortex Code CLI usage, see Cortex Code CLI.

This Postgres-specific skill:

• Helps create and manage Snowflake Postgres instances.
• Translates natural-language questions into Postgres SQL.
• Executes the generated SQL against a configured Postgres instance.
• Returns a short, readable summary plus optional raw results.
• Can set up pg_lake for object storage and data movement between Postgres and Snowflake via Snowflake stages or S3 buckets.

Managing connections¶

The skill stores connections using PostgreSQL’s native ~/.pg_service.conf and ~/.pgpass files, making them compatible with all standard PostgreSQL clients (psql, pgAdmin, DBeaver, etc.). When you ask Cortex Code to create an instance or reset credentials, the connection is saved automatically via pg_connect.py.

Running queries¶

Once a connection is saved, Cortex Code can run psql commands against your instances directly from chat. Passwords are resolved automatically from ~/.pgpass. You can use natural-language prompts:

• “Show me all tables on my_instance”
• “Run a SELECT on the orders table to get the last 10 rows”
• “What indexes exist on the users table?”

Cortex Code translates these into psql commands, checks that the instance is ready (auto-resuming if suspended), executes the query, and presents the results.

You:          How many orders were placed this month?
Cortex Code:  Running: psql "service=my_instance" -c \
         "SELECT count(*) FROM orders
          WHERE created >= date_trunc('month', current_date);"

         count
        -------
           142

Cortex Code does not execute write operations (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, DROP, TRUNCATE) unless you explicitly ask. Write operations require confirmation before proceeding.

Postgres health checks¶

pg_doctor is a read-only diagnostic tool that runs health checks against a Postgres instance with a 30-second statement timeout.

After presenting results, Cortex Code explains flagged checks and offers to investigate further. Any remediation actions (VACUUM, REINDEX, etc.) require explicit confirmation before execution.

Setting up pg_lake¶

pg_lake is a PostgreSQL extension that enables object storage and S3 data movement on Snowflake Postgres instances. For details on the extension itself, see Moving data between Snowflake Postgres and Snowflake.

The Cortex Code skill assists the multi-system setup (Snowflake SQL, AWS IAM, Postgres SQL) for both Snowflake stages and S3 buckets managed outside Snowflake. You can ask Cortex Code to walk you through the setup interactively:

• “Set up pg_lake on my_instance with s3://my-bucket/data/”
• “Configure pg_lake with a Snowflake managed stage on my_instance”

Approval gates¶

Cortex Code requires confirmation before executing operations that are billable, destructive, or security-sensitive.

Read-only operations (SHOW, DESCRIBE, health checks, SELECT queries) do not require approval.