# Use Emolysis over MCP

> A preview of signing in, adding emo mcp to an editor or coding agent that supports MCP, using it on local files, then connecting a platform.

If you already work in an editor or coding agent that supports the Model Context Protocol, you do not need to switch tools to use Emolysis. This tutorial adds the Emolysis [MCP server](https://emolysis.com/integrations/mcp), `emo mcp`, to that tool.

## What you need

- An editor or coding agent that supports MCP servers over standard input and output.
- The `emo` command line on your path; it comes with the desktop app.
- An Emolysis account; the Free plan is one. Every use of Emolysis, local files included, needs one.

## Step 1: Check the engine

Run `emo doctor` in a terminal. It checks the engine, DuckDB and the credential store, and reports anything missing.

## Step 2: Sign in

Run `emo login`. It opens your browser, where you sign in with your GitHub, Microsoft or Google account; the MCP server uses that sign-in. If you skip this, or your sign-in expires, a tool returns a short code and a link instead of a result: open the link, sign in and confirm the code, then ask the agent to retry.

## Step 3: Add the server

Add Emolysis to your tool's MCP configuration. Most tools take an entry like this one, but check yours for the exact file: `{ "mcpServers": { "emolysis": { "command": "emo", "args": ["mcp"] } } }`.

Restart the tool. It starts `emo mcp` as a local process; nothing listens on a network port. Ready-made configs and skills for common tools are in the public emolysis/integrations repository on GitHub.

## Step 4: See the tools

Your tool should now list the Emolysis tools. Each one is an engine command, named with underscores: `query_run`, `template_list`, `template_render`, `template_test`, `dialect_transpile` and so on. Their input schemas describe the parameters.

## Step 5: Try it on local files

Signed in, the server works on local files on DuckDB alone, with no platform connected. Put a CSV or Parquet file in your project and ask your coding agent something like: "Using Emolysis, show the schema of data/orders.parquet and total amount by month." It calls the query tool and returns the result. Then try: "Using Emolysis, list the templates for the Aggregation / gold shape."

## Step 6: Connect a platform

Ask: "Using Emolysis, connect Databricks." The connect flow opens Databricks' own sign-in in your browser; you then pick a workspace and compute. Setup buttons on the web dashboard that write the MCP configuration for common tools are planned.

## Step 7: Use the skills

The integrations include skills for common requests, so you can type them directly:

- `/dashboard "your question"` to build a dashboard from a question.
- `/pipeline shape from source to target` to fill and test a template.
- `/explain pipeline`, and `/migrate table to platform` (planned).

## A note on data

Your coding agent sends tool results to its own model provider, under that provider's terms. Tool results can include schemas, query results and sample values. Point it at data you are comfortable sharing that way. See [what the model provider sees](https://emolysis.com/faq/what-does-the-model-provider-see).

## If the tools do not appear

Check that `emo` is on the path your tool uses and that the entry runs `emo mcp`, then restart the tool. Run `emo doctor` to check the engine itself; each failed check says what to fix. The [MCP server docs](https://emolysis.com/docs/mcp-server) and [troubleshooting](https://emolysis.com/docs/troubleshooting) list common problems.

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Page: https://emolysis.com/tutorials/use-emolysis-over-mcp. Emolysis is a product of Bandpey GmbH, Munich, Germany. It is in private development, and nothing is released yet.