Cortex Code Skill

This skill routes Snowflake-related operations to Cortex Code CLI, enabling coding agents to leverage specialized Snowflake expertise in headless mode.

Quick Install

Choose your coding agent:

Agent	Install method	Details
Claude Code	`npx skills add snowflake-labs/subagent-cortex-code --copy --global`	→ Claude Code
Cursor	`npx skills add snowflake-labs/subagent-cortex-code --copy --global` + copy routing rule	→ Cursor
Windsurf	`npx skills add snowflake-labs/subagent-cortex-code --copy --global`	→ Windsurf
Codex	`bash integrations/codex/install.sh` (not npx — skill hangs in sandbox)	→ Codex
VSCode / terminal	`bash integrations/cli-tool/setup.sh`	→ CLI tool

Prerequisite for all: Cortex Code CLI installed and configured.

which cortex          # must return a path
cortex connections list   # must show an active connection

Claude Code

Install the skill via npx:

npx skills add snowflake-labs/subagent-cortex-code --copy --global

npx skills add installs to ~/.agents/skills/cortex-code/. Move it into Claude Code's skills directory:

mv ~/.agents/skills/cortex-code ~/.claude/skills/cortex-code

Verify:

ls ~/.claude/skills/cortex-code/SKILL.md

Start Claude Code and mention anything Snowflake-related — the skill activates automatically.

Optional: configure security mode

cp ~/.claude/skills/cortex-code/config.yaml.example \
   ~/.claude/skills/cortex-code/config.yaml
# edit as needed — default is "prompt" (asks before executing)

See integrations/claude-code/README.md for full details.

Cursor

Step 1 — Install the skill:

npx skills add snowflake-labs/subagent-cortex-code --copy --global

This installs skills/cortex-code/ to ~/.cursor/skills-cursor/cortex-code/.

Step 2 — Activate the auto-routing rule:

mkdir -p ~/.cursor/rules
cp ~/.cursor/skills-cursor/cortex-code/cortex-snowflake-routing.mdc ~/.cursor/rules/

Step 3 — Restart Cursor.

Without the routing rule you type /cortex-code your question. With it, Cursor detects Snowflake queries automatically and invokes the skill.

Verify:

ls ~/.cursor/skills-cursor/cortex-code/SKILL.md
ls ~/.cursor/rules/cortex-snowflake-routing.mdc

See integrations/cursor/README.md for full details.

Windsurf

Install the skill via npx:

npx skills add snowflake-labs/subagent-cortex-code --copy --global

This installs skills/cortex-code/ to ~/.codeium/windsurf/skills/cortex-code/.

Verify:

ls ~/.codeium/windsurf/skills/cortex-code/SKILL.md

Restart Windsurf — Cascade auto-discovers the skill by name and description. Mention anything Snowflake-related and it activates automatically. No routing rule needed.

Optional: configure security mode

cp ~/.codeium/windsurf/skills/cortex-code/config.yaml.example \
   ~/.codeium/windsurf/skills/cortex-code/config.yaml
# edit as needed — default is "prompt" (asks before executing)

Codex

Codex uses the cortexcode-tool CLI directly — no skill directory needed.

Important: Do NOT run npx skills add for Codex. The skill-based approach hangs in Codex's sandbox because it requires interactive approval prompts. Use the CLI install below instead.

git clone https://github.com/Snowflake-Labs/subagent-cortex-code.git
cd subagent-cortex-code
bash integrations/codex/install.sh

The script:

Installs the cortexcode-tool CLI to ~/.local/bin/
Auto-detects your active Cortex connection
Writes config to ~/.local/lib/cortexcode-tool/config.yaml (auto-detected, no --config flag needed)

Verify:

cortexcode-tool --version
cortexcode-tool "How many databases do I have in Snowflake?" --envelope RO

Usage from Codex sessions:

First time — paste into a Codex session to confirm the tool is discoverable:

which cortexcode-tool
cortexcode-tool --help

Once discovered, Codex invokes cortexcode-tool for Snowflake questions automatically. Both explicit and implicit prompts work — no --envelope needed:

# Explicit
cortexcode-tool "How many databases do I have in Snowflake?"

# Implicit — Codex detects Snowflake intent and calls cortexcode-tool on its own
How many databases do I have in Snowflake?

See integrations/codex/README.md for full details.

VSCode / terminal

For VSCode task runners, Windsurf, or any terminal environment:

git clone https://github.com/Snowflake-Labs/subagent-cortex-code.git
cd subagent-cortex-code/integrations/cli-tool
bash setup.sh

Verify:

cortexcode-tool --version
cortexcode-tool "your question"

See integrations/cli-tool/README.md for full details.

Overview

The Cortex Code Integration Skill bridges coding agents and Cortex Code CLI, allowing seamless delegation of Snowflake-specific tasks while the agent handles everything else.

Key Features:

Smart Routing: LLM-based semantic routing automatically detects Snowflake operations
Security Envelopes: Configurable permission models (RO, RW, RESEARCH, DEPLOY, NONE)
Approval Modes: Three security modes (prompt/auto/envelope_only) for different trust levels
Prompt Sanitization: Automatic PII removal and injection attempt detection
Context Enrichment: Passes conversation history to Cortex for informed execution
Audit Logging: Structured JSONL logs for compliance and monitoring
Enterprise Ready: Organization policy override for centralized security management

Architecture

User Request
    ↓
[Your Coding Agent — Routing Layer]
    ↓
  Is Snowflake-related?
    ↓ YES                      ↓ NO
[Cortex Code CLI]    [Your Coding Agent]
    ↓                          ↓
Snowflake Execution       General Tasks

Routing Principle: ONLY Snowflake operations → Cortex Code. Everything else → your coding agent.

What Gets Routed to Cortex Code?

✅ Routes to Cortex:

Snowflake databases, warehouses, schemas, tables
SQL queries specifically for Snowflake
Cortex AI features (Cortex Search, Cortex Analyst, ML functions)
Snowpark, dynamic tables, streams, tasks
Data governance, data quality in Snowflake
Snowflake security, roles, policies
User explicitly mentions "Cortex" or "Snowflake"

❌ Stays with your agent:

Local file operations (reading, writing, editing local files)
General programming (Python, JavaScript, etc. not Snowflake-specific)
Non-Snowflake databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, etc.)
Web development, frontend work
Infrastructure/DevOps unrelated to Snowflake
Git operations, GitHub, version control

Security

Three Approval Modes

Mode	Security	Use Case
prompt (default)	High	Interactive sessions, production
auto	Medium	Automated workflows, CI/CD
envelope_only	Medium	Trusted environments, faster

Configure in config.yaml in the skill's install directory (for skill-based agents) or ~/.local/lib/cortexcode-tool/config.yaml (for CLI-based agents):

security:
  approval_mode: "auto"  # or "prompt" or "envelope_only"

Security Envelopes

Envelope	Use Case	Blocked Tools
RO (Read-Only)	Queries and reads	Edit, Write, destructive Bash
RW (Read-Write)	Data modifications	Destructive operations (rm -rf, sudo)
RESEARCH	Exploratory work	Write operations
DEPLOY	Full access	None
NONE	Custom blocklist	Specify via --disallowed-tools

Built-in Protections

Prompt Sanitization: Automatic removal of PII (emails, SSN, credit cards)
Credential Blocking: Prevents routing when paths like ~/.ssh/, .env are detected
Secure Caching: SHA256 integrity validation on cached capabilities
Audit Logging: Structured JSONL logs (mandatory for auto/envelope_only modes)
Organization Policy: Enterprise admins can enforce settings via ~/.snowflake/cortex/claude-skill-policy.yaml

See SECURITY.md and SECURITY_GUIDE.md for full details.

How It Works

Dynamic Skill Discovery

The integration automatically discovers Cortex Code's native capabilities at session start:

Runs cortex skill list to enumerate all available skills (32+ bundled in v1.0.42)
Reads each skill's SKILL.md from ~/.local/share/cortex/{version}/bundled_skills/
Extracts trigger patterns ("data quality", "semantic view", "DMF", etc.)
Caches results for the session with SHA256 validation
Uses discovered triggers to boost routing score for matching requests

This is future-proof: new Cortex releases with additional skills work automatically.

Headless Execution

Cortex is invoked with --bypass for non-TTY headless execution:

cortex -p "ENRICHED_PROMPT" --output-format stream-json --bypass

Security is enforced via --disallowed-tools blocklist (controlled by the chosen envelope).

Real-World Example

Scenario: Build a Cortex Agent for macroeconomic analysis

User: "Analyze FINANCE__ECONOMICS. Create a Cortex agent with Cortex Analyst
that can answer macro economic questions. Put assets in DB_STOCK."

Minutes 0-2: Explores 56 views, identifies 5 key tables (GDP, unemployment, inflation, interest rates, indicators)
Minutes 2-8: Generates semantic model, deploys to DB_STOCK.CURATED.MACRO_ECONOMICS_INDICATORS
Minutes 8-12: Creates DB_STOCK.CURATED.MACRO_ECONOMICS_ANALYST with Cortex Analyst
Minutes 12-15: Runs 5 test queries — UK 3.03%, US 2.39%, Germany 2.08%, Japan 2.08%, France 0.79%

Production-ready Cortex Agent deployed in one conversation, tested and immediately queryable.

Repo Structure

subagent-cortex-code/
├── skills/
│   └── cortex-code/           # Installable skill (npx skills add)
│       ├── SKILL.md            # Skill definition — loaded by Claude Code, Cursor, etc.
│       ├── cortex-snowflake-routing.mdc   # Cursor auto-routing rule
│       ├── config.yaml.example
│       ├── scripts/            # Routing, execution, discovery, context
│       └── security/           # Approval, audit, cache, sanitization modules
│
├── integrations/
│   ├── claude-code/            # Claude Code-specific notes and uninstall script
│   ├── cursor/                 # Cursor-specific notes and uninstall script
│   ├── codex/                  # Codex install script (cortexcode-tool + config)
│   └── cli-tool/               # cortexcode-tool Python package + setup script
│
└── shared/                     # Canonical source for scripts/ and security/
    ├── scripts/                # (copied into skills/cortex-code/ by install process)
    └── security/

Troubleshooting

Cortex CLI not found:

which cortex
# If missing: curl -LsS https://ai.snowflake.com/static/cc-scripts/install.sh | sh

No active connection:

cortex connections list
cortex connections create   # to add one

Skill not loading (Claude Code / Cursor):

ls ~/.claude/skills/cortex-code/SKILL.md                    # Claude Code
ls ~/.cursor/skills-cursor/cortex-code/SKILL.md             # Cursor
ls ~/.codeium/windsurf/skills/cortex-code/SKILL.md          # Windsurf
# If missing, re-run: npx skills add snowflake-labs/subagent-cortex-code --copy --global

Codex command hanging:

# Verify cortexcode-tool config exists and uses auto approval
cat ~/.local/lib/cortexcode-tool/config.yaml | grep approval_mode
# Should be: approval_mode: "auto"

cortexcode-tool not found (Codex / CLI):

which cortexcode-tool
# If missing: re-run the install script

References

SECURITY.md — Security policy and threat model
SECURITY_GUIDE.md — Best practices for personal/team/enterprise
integrations/claude-code/README.md — Claude Code setup
integrations/cursor/README.md — Cursor setup
integrations/codex/README.md — Codex setup
integrations/cli-tool/README.md — CLI tool setup

License

For issues: GitHub Issues

cortex-code

Cortex Code Skill

Quick Install

Claude Code

Cursor

Windsurf

Codex

VSCode / terminal

Overview

Architecture

What Gets Routed to Cortex Code?

Security

Three Approval Modes

Security Envelopes

Built-in Protections

How It Works

Dynamic Skill Discovery

Headless Execution

Real-World Example

Repo Structure

Troubleshooting

References

License

find-skills

frontend-design

github-workflow-automation

drizzle

using-git-worktrees