Powerdrill MCP Server

An MCP server that provides tools to interact with Powerdrill datasets, enabling smart AI data analysis and insights.

Local serverstdioPython

What is the Powerdrill MCP server?

If you want an AI assistant working directly with Powerdrill, the powerdrill mcp server is the bridge. An MCP server that provides tools to interact with Powerdrill datasets, enabling smart AI data analysis and insights.

What Powerdrill does

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides tools to interact with Powerdrill datasets, authenticated with Powerdrill User ID and Project API Key.

Key capabilities

  • Authenticate with Powerdrill using User ID and Project API Key
  • List available datasets in your Powerdrill account
  • Get detailed information about specific datasets
  • Create and run jobs on datasets with natural language questions
  • Integration with Claude Desktop and other MCP-compatible clients

Tools it exposes

Once connected, the assistant can call these 7 tools directly:

  • mcp_powerdrill_list_datasets — Parameters: - limit (optional): Maximum number of datasets to return
  • mcp_powerdrill_get_dataset_overview — Gets detailed overview information about a specific dataset
  • mcp_powerdrill_create_job — Creates a job to analyze data with natural language questions
  • mcp_powerdrill_create_session — Parameters: - name (required): The session name, which can be up to 128 characters in length - output_language (optional, default: "AUTO"): The language in
  • mcp_powerdrill_list_data_sources — Parameters: - datasetId (required): The ID of the dataset to list data sources from - pageNumber (optional, default: 1): The page number to start listing -
  • mcp_powerdrill_list_sessions — Parameters: - pageNumber (optional): The page number to start listing (default: 1) - pageSize (optional): The number of items on a single page (default: 10) -
  • mcp_powerdrill_create_dataset — Parameters: - name (required): The dataset name, which can be up to 128 characters in length - description (optional): The dataset description, which can be up

Installing the powerdrill mcp server

The server is distributed via npm as @smithery/cli, so most clients can run it without a manual build step. Add it to your MCP client's configuration and restart the client to pick it up — the copy-paste configs for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are on this page.

Configuration

Before the server will start you need to supply 2 environment variables: POWERDRILL_USER_ID, POWERDRILL_PROJECT_API_KEY. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than committing them.

Requirements

To use this MCP server, you'll need a Powerdrill account with valid API credentials (User ID and API Key). Here's how to obtain them: 1. Sign up for a Powerdrill Team account if you haven't already 2. Navigate to your account settings 3. Look for the API section where you'll find your: - User ID: A unique identifier for your account - API Key: Your authentication token for API access

Where it fits

Developer-tool servers are usually the first ones people connect, because they turn "help me with this code" into an assistant that can actually read the repo and act on it. Powerdrill sits in that group, and the shape of its toolset — mcp_powerdrill_list_datasets, mcp_powerdrill_get_dataset_overview, mcp_powerdrill_create_job among others — tells you what it is really for. Worth comparing against the other developer tools servers in this directory before you commit to one, since several overlap in scope but differ sharply in setup cost and permissions.

Practical notes

  • This server runs locally, so it operates with whatever access your machine and its credentials already have. Scope that deliberately rather than by default.
  • It will not start until its required credentials are present, so set those before wondering why the tools never appear.
  • With 7 tools exposed, expect a noticeable bump in prompt size — disable it in projects that never use Powerdrill.
  • Written in Python.
  • MCP clients ask for confirmation before each tool call by default. Keep that on while you learn what the powerdrill mcp server actually does with your data.
  • Every entry in this directory is reviewed by hand before it goes live, and details are checked against the project's own documentation.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
mcp_powerdrill_list_datasetsParameters: - limit (optional): Maximum number of datasets to return
mcp_powerdrill_get_dataset_overviewGets detailed overview information about a specific dataset.
mcp_powerdrill_create_jobCreates a job to analyze data with natural language questions.
mcp_powerdrill_create_sessionParameters: - name (required): The session name, which can be up to 128 characters in length - output_language (optional, default: "AUTO"): The language in which the output is generated. Options include: "AUTO", "EN", "E
mcp_powerdrill_list_data_sourcesParameters: - datasetId (required): The ID of the dataset to list data sources from - pageNumber (optional, default: 1): The page number to start listing - pageSize (optional, default: 10): The number of items on a singl
mcp_powerdrill_list_sessionsParameters: - pageNumber (optional): The page number to start listing (default: 1) - pageSize (optional): The number of items on a single page (default: 10) - search (optional): Search for sessions by name
mcp_powerdrill_create_datasetParameters: - name (required): The dataset name, which can be up to 128 characters in length - description (optional): The dataset description, which can be up to 128 characters in length

How to install the Powerdrill MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "powerdrill": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@smithery/cli"],
      "env": {
        "POWERDRILL_USER_ID": "your-value",
        "POWERDRILL_PROJECT_API_KEY": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

To use this MCP server, you'll need a Powerdrill account with valid API credentials (User ID and API Key). Here's how to obtain them: 1. Sign up for a Powerdrill Team account if you haven't already 2. Navigate to your account settings 3. Look for the API section where you'll find your: - User ID: A unique identifier for your account - API Key: Your authentication token for API access

VariableDescriptionRequired
POWERDRILL_USER_IDConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
POWERDRILL_PROJECT_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Powerdrill to mcp powerdrill list datasets.
  • Use Powerdrill to mcp powerdrill get dataset overview.
  • Use Powerdrill to mcp powerdrill create job.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Powerdrill to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 7 tools (mcp_powerdrill_list_datasets, mcp_powerdrill_get_dataset_overview, mcp_powerdrill_create_job, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Powerdrill directly.