# Ask Database

> Answer a natural-language question by writing a SELECT against the user's connected database via the QueryBear MCP. Use when the user asks "how many", "which users", "what's our", "give me a list of", or otherwise asks a question whose answer lives in their database.

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-spencerpauly-skills-repo-ask-database`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [spencerpauly](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/spencerpauly)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Databases](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/databases)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [spencerpauly](https://github.com/spencerpauly)
- **Source:** https://github.com/spencerpauly/skills-repo/tree/main/skills/ask-database
- **Website:** https://skillsovermcp.com

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-spencerpauly-skills-repo-ask-database
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Ask Database

Translate a question into SQL, run it through QueryBear's read-only gateway, and return the answer in plain language.

## When to use

- The user asks a question whose answer is stored in their database: "how many active subscriptions do we have", "which users haven't logged in in 30 days", "what's the median order value last week".
- The user pastes a SQL question or asks "can you run this query".

QueryBear is read-only — never propose this skill for INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE/DDL. Mutations will be rejected by the gateway.

## Steps

1. **Pick a connection.**
   - If the user has only one database, skip discovery and call `get_schema` and `run_query` with no `connection` argument.
   - If they have multiple and you don't know which, call `list_connections` once and ask the user to pick (or infer from context: "production" vs "staging").

2. **Read the schema once per task** with `get_schema`. Note the relevant tables and column types before writing SQL. Don't guess column names.

3. **Write a focused SELECT.**
   - Always include a `LIMIT` — usually 100 — unless the user explicitly asks for everything.
   - Aggregate when the question is a count, sum, average, or distribution.
   - Prefer one query that answers the question over five exploratory queries.

4. **Run it via `run_query`.** If QueryBear rejects the query (blocked column, blocked table, row-limit hit, timeout), surface the error message verbatim — don't paraphrase or guess around it.

5. **Translate the result back to English.** Lead with the answer. Show the underlying SQL underneath in a code block so the user can audit it. If the result is a list of more than ~10 rows, summarize patterns and offer to drill in.

## Output format

```markdown
**Answer:** 

```sql

```

| col | col |
|-----|-----|
| ... | ... |
```

## Don't

- Don't try to mutate. QueryBear blocks it; even attempting wastes a turn.
- Don't `SELECT *` on a wide table without a `LIMIT`.
- Don't guess column names. Re-read the schema if you're unsure.
- Don't return a 500-row table inline. Summarize and offer the full export.

## Reference

QueryBear MCP — read-only SQL gateway with schema introspection, query parsing, and row-limit enforcement. Tools used by this skill: `list_connections`, `get_schema`, `run_query`.

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [spencerpauly](https://github.com/spencerpauly)
- **Source:** [spencerpauly/skills-repo](https://github.com/spencerpauly/skills-repo)
- **License:** MIT
- **Homepage:** https://skillsovermcp.com

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-spencerpauly-skills-repo-ask-database
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/spencerpauly
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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