Build a Read-Only Analytics Tool Before Giving Your Agent Actions

Short summary

A design guide for shipping analytics agents safely by starting with a narrow read-only tool slice before granting any write authority. It specifies typed request/response contracts, server-side tenant derivation, enum-mapped SQL, cache key design, and required UI states for loading, stale data, and failures. Only after the read path is observable and authorized should teams consider separate write tools with previews and explicit approvals.

• •Ship a narrow read-only analytics tool first with typed contracts and server-side authorization
• •Map metric enums to pre-reviewed SQL; never accept model-generated SQL
• •Require UI states for stale data, no data, forbidden, and timeout before adding write actions

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.