Create MotherDuck Dives

Use this skill when the user needs a persistent, shareable Dive rather than a one-off chart or a full customer-facing analytics application.

Source Of Truth

• Prefer current MotherDuck Dive docs first.
• If MotherDuck MCP is available, call get_dive_guide before generating, saving, or updating a Dive.
• Keep theming, local-preview, code-management, and embedding guidance aligned with the current Dive docs.

Default Posture

• Validate the underlying SQL and schema first with motherduck-explore and motherduck-query.
• Keep Dive queries fully qualified and SQL-heavy; let React handle presentation, not data reshaping.
• When a Dive uses shared databases in REQUIRED_DATABASES, always suffix the alias (e.g. _share) so it cannot collide with an existing database name. Never set alias to conflict with an existing database name.
• Start from a named theme direction such as Corporate Dashboard, Tufte Minimal, or FT Salmon instead of vague visual prompts.
• Prefer one query per visual section rather than one giant cross-purpose query.
• Preview locally before saving when the environment supports it.
• Treat embedded Dives as the first-choice path when a product needs a live read-only Dive surface. Move to motherduck-build-cfa-app when the app needs custom backend contracts, writes, non-Dive routing, or richer authorization.
• For existing Dives, prefer reading version metadata before overwriting content; MCP list_dives returns current_version, and read_dive can fetch historical versions.

Workflow

1. Explore the live schema and validate the core SQL first.
2. Decide the Dive story, sections, and interaction model.
3. Call get_dive_guide if MCP is available.
4. Build and preview the Dive locally when possible.
5. Save or update the Dive only after the live queries, theme, and loading states are correct.
6. If teammates need access, make sure the underlying data is shared appropriately.

Open Next

• references/DIVE_DESIGN_GUIDE.md for useSQLQuery mechanics, theming prompts, chart-selection rules, loading/error states, layout patterns, and common Dive implementation gotchas

Related Skills

• motherduck-explore for discovering the real tables, views, and dimensions before visualizing them
• motherduck-query for validating the SQL each Dive section will run
• motherduck-build-dashboard when the work is really a multi-section dashboard composition problem
• motherduck-build-cfa-app when the requirement is a fuller product surface with per-customer isolation or backend policy control