managing-xata

name	managing-xata
description	Use when working with Xata — xata serverless database management via the xata CLI and Xata API. Covers databases, branches, tables, schema management, migrations, and search. Use when managing Xata databases or reviewing schema workflows.
connection_type	xata
preload	false

Managing Xata

Manage Xata serverless databases using the xata CLI and Xata REST API.

MANDATORY: Discovery-First Pattern

Always discover available resources before performing analysis.

Phase 1: Discovery

#!/bin/bash

echo "=== Workspaces ==="
curl -s "https://api.xata.io/workspaces" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $XATA_API_KEY" | jq -r '.workspaces[] | "\(.id)\t\(.name)\t\(.plan)\t\(.memberCount)"' | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Databases ==="
WORKSPACE="${XATA_WORKSPACE:-$(curl -s 'https://api.xata.io/workspaces' -H "Authorization: Bearer $XATA_API_KEY" | jq -r '.workspaces[0].id')}"
curl -s "https://api.xata.io/workspaces/$WORKSPACE/dbs" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $XATA_API_KEY" | jq -r '.databases[] | "\(.name)\t\(.region)\t\(.createdAt)"' | head -20

echo ""
echo "=== Database Branches ==="
for db in $(curl -s "https://api.xata.io/workspaces/$WORKSPACE/dbs" -H "Authorization: Bearer $XATA_API_KEY" | jq -r '.databases[].name'); do
    echo "--- $db ---"
    curl -s "https://$WORKSPACE.xata.sh/dbs/$db" \
        -H "Authorization: Bearer $XATA_API_KEY" | jq -r '.branches[] | "\(.name)\t\(.createdAt)"' 2>/dev/null | head -5
done

Phase 2: Analysis

#!/bin/bash

WORKSPACE="${XATA_WORKSPACE:?Set XATA_WORKSPACE}"
DB_NAME="${1:?Database name required}"
BRANCH="${2:-main}"

echo "=== Database Schema ==="
curl -s "https://$WORKSPACE.xata.sh/db/$DB_NAME:$BRANCH" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $XATA_API_KEY" | jq '{
    tables: [.schema.tables[] | {
        name: .name,
        columns: [.columns[] | {name: .name, type: .type}]
    }]
}' | head -30

echo ""
echo "=== Table List ==="
curl -s "https://$WORKSPACE.xata.sh/db/$DB_NAME:$BRANCH/tables" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $XATA_API_KEY" | jq -r '.tables[] | "\(.name)"' | head -20

echo ""
echo "=== Migration History ==="
curl -s "https://$WORKSPACE.xata.sh/db/$DB_NAME:$BRANCH/migrations/history" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $XATA_API_KEY" | jq -r '.migrations[] | "\(.id)\t\(.status)\t\(.createdAt)"' | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Branch Comparison ==="
curl -s "https://$WORKSPACE.xata.sh/db/$DB_NAME:/compare/main" \
    -H  | jq  2>/dev/null |  -15

 
 
 table  $(curl -s  -H  | jq -r  2>/dev/null); 
    count=$(curl -s  \
        -H  \
        -H  \
        -d  2>/dev/null | jq )
     
 |  -20

Output Format

DATABASE    BRANCH   REGION     TABLES   CREATED
my-app      main     us-east-1  8        2024-01-15
my-app      staging  us-east-1  8        2024-02-01

Safety Rules

• Use read-only GET API calls and SELECT queries only
• Never run DELETE, PATCH schema changes without explicit user confirmation
• Use jq for structured output parsing
• Limit output with | head -N to stay under 50 lines

Anti-Hallucination Rules

1. NEVER assume resource names — always discover via CLI/API in Phase 1 before referencing in Phase 2.
2. NEVER fabricate metric names or dimensions — verify against the service documentation or --help output.
3. NEVER mix CLI commands between service versions — confirm which version/API you are targeting.
4. ALWAYS use the discovery → verify → analyze chain — every resource referenced must have been discovered first.
5. ALWAYS handle empty results gracefully — an empty response is valid data, not an error to retry.

Counter-Rationalizations

Shortcut	Counter	Why
"I'll skip discovery and check known resources"	Always run Phase 1 discovery first	Resource names change, new resources appear — assumed names cause errors
"The user only asked for a quick check"	Follow the full discovery → analysis flow	Quick checks miss critical issues; structured analysis catches silent failures
"Default configuration is probably fine"	Audit configuration explicitly	Defaults often leave logging, security, and optimization features disabled
"Metrics aren't needed for this"	Always check relevant metrics when available	API/CLI responses show current state; metrics reveal trends and intermittent issues
"I don't have access to that"	Try the command and report the actual error	Assumed permission failures prevent useful investigation; actual errors are informative