> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. > For a complete documentation index, see https://help.sigmacomputing.com/llms.txt. > For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://help.sigmacomputing.com/_mcp/server. # Connect to MotherDuck (Beta) > Connect to MotherDuck in Sigma. Set up secure server connections and review supported features, requirements, and limitations. This documentation describes one or more private beta features that are in development. Beta features are subject to quick, iterative changes; therefore the current user experience in the Sigma service can differ from the information provided in this page. This page should not be considered official published documentation until Sigma removes this notice and the beta flag on the corresponding feature(s) in the Sigma service. For the full beta feature disclaimer, see [Beta features](/docs/sigma-product-releases#beta-features). If you are interested in joining a limited test group and enabling this feature in your Sigma organization, [contact Support](/docs/sigma-support) or reach out to your Account Executive. Sigma supports secure connections to [MotherDuck](https://motherduck.com). This document explains how to [connect your Sigma organization](#create-a-motherduck-connection) to your MotherDuck database, and describes relevant feature [limitations](#limitations). ## User requirements * You must be assigned the Admin [account type](/docs/account-type-and-license-overview) or an account type with the **Manage connections** feature permission enabled. * You must have a MotherDuck account and database, along with a MotherDuck [Read Scaling access token](https://motherduck.com/docs/key-tasks/authenticating-and-connecting-to-motherduck/read-scaling/) to authenticate. ## Limitations The following limitations apply to MotherDuck connections: * Input tables and write-back functionality are not supported, including CSV uploads, use of input tables, and running Python code. * Materialization and warehouse views are not supported. * Export to cloud storage is not supported. * SSH tunnel connections are not supported. * OAuth authentication is not supported. * Using sample connections is not supported. * User attributes for role and warehouse switching are not supported. * The following functions are not supported: * Geography ## Create a MotherDuck connection 1. Click the user icon at the top right of your screen. The user icon is usually composed of your initials. 2. In the drop-down menu, select **Add connection**. The **Add new connection** page appears. 3. In the **Connection Details** section, specify the following: | | | | :------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Name** | Enter a Name for the new connection. Sigma displays this name in the connection list. | | **Type** | Select MotherDuck. | 4. In the **Connection credentials** section, specify the following: | | | | :-------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Host** | The address of your MotherDuck [Postgres endpoint](https://motherduck.com/docs/key-tasks/authenticating-and-connecting-to-motherduck/postgres-endpoint), for example `pg.us-east-1-aws.motherduck.com`. You can find this value in the MotherDuck UI under **Settings > Integrations > Postgres endpoint**. | | **Port** | The port through which Sigma should connect to MotherDuck. The default is `5432`. | | **User** | The username configured for your MotherDuck Postgres endpoint connection. | | **Token** | Your MotherDuck [Read Scaling access token](https://motherduck.com/docs/key-tasks/authenticating-and-connecting-to-motherduck/read-scaling/) (read-only). To generate one, in the MotherDuck UI, click your organization name in the top left, select **Settings**, then select **+ Create token** and choose the **Read Scaling** token type. | | **Role** | (Optional) To specify a role to be used for this connection, enter a value for **Role**. If no role is provided, the user's default role in Snowflake is used. To dynamically set the role based on a user attribute value assigned in Sigma, turn on the **Set by user attribute** toggle for the **Role** field. See [Dynamically assign roles used by a connection](/docs/dynamically-assign-roles-used-by-a-connection). | 5. In the **Connection features** section, specify the following: | | | | | :--------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | | **Connection timeout** | The time before timeout (or cancellation), in seconds, that Sigma waits for the query to return results. The default is 120, or 2 minutes. The maximum is 600, or 10 minutes. | | | **Use friendly names** | Turn the toggle on or off. Friendly names make column names from the data source more readable. For example, a database column ORDER\_NUMBER or OrderNumber appears as Order Number. | | 6. Select **Create**. 7. Once your connection has been created, select **Browse Connection**. You can then select **Add permission** to grant data access for users in your organization. See [Data access overview](/docs/data-permissions-overview).