// Export content from a running Metabase instance, validate with checkers, edit YAML, and import back. Use when the user wants to export, import, or run the full serdes round-trip workflow.
| name | serdes-workflow |
| description | Export content from a running Metabase instance, validate with checkers, edit YAML, and import back. Use when the user wants to export, import, or run the full serdes round-trip workflow. |
End-to-end workflow for exporting Metabase content as YAML, validating it, editing it, and importing it back.
All commands require the :ee alias since export, import, and checkers live in enterprise code.
You need MB_DB_CONNECTION_URI set to point at the target Metabase Postgres database when importing. The running dev instance's connection string is in the worktree environment (check the nREPL or startup output).
clojure -M:run:ee export /path/to/export-dir
Flags:
-c 123,456 - export only specific collection IDs-f - include field values-e - continue on errorThis writes YAML files in the serdes directory layout:
databases/<db-name>/<db-name>.yaml
databases/<db-name>/schemas/<schema>/tables/<table>/<table>.yaml
databases/<db-name>/schemas/<schema>/tables/<table>/fields/<field>.yaml
collections/<eid>_<slug>/cards/<eid>_<slug>.yaml
Always run both checkers after any modification. They skip full Metabase startup (~8s each).
clojure -M:run:ee --mode checker --checker structural --export /path/to/export-dir
Validates YAML shapes against Malli schemas. Catches typos, missing required fields, wrong types.
clojure -M:run:ee --mode checker --checker cards --export /path/to/export-dir
Validates that card queries resolve correctly against exported metadata (tables, fields, FKs). Uses Lib under the hood.
Additional cards checker flags:
--lenient - fabricate metadata on demand (when no database schema files exist)--manifest /path/to/manifest.yaml - write manifest of all referenced entities (lenient mode only)--output /path/to/results.edn - write detailed results to fileSee the serdes-yaml-edit skill for guidance on editing YAML files. The critical rule: run both checkers after every edit before proceeding.
MB_DB_CONNECTION_URI="postgres://user:pass@localhost:5432/metabase_dbname" \
clojure -M:run:ee import /path/to/export-dir -e
The -e flag continues on error. The MB_DB_CONNECTION_URI must point at the same Postgres database the running Metabase instance uses - without it, import defaults to H2 which is wrong.
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