FAQ
Short answers to common questions about Orcabase: what it is, connecting and exporting your data, the AI agent, sharing, teams and pricing.
The basics
What is Orcabase?
An AI-native data platform for founders: all your business data in one place, with an AI agent that understands it. See How Orcabase works.
Do I need to know SQL?
No. Ask the Data Agent in plain words, build dashboards by pointing and clicking, and explore metrics without code. SQL is there for anyone who wants it.
How do I get access?
By invitation. When your company joins, we set up your organization and send you an invite link; after that, you invite your team. See Quickstart.
What does it cost?
Plans are priced by team size, with every feature on every plan. See Pricing.
Your data
Which data can I connect?
PostgreSQL and BigQuery directly; Google Sheets and MySQL through built-in syncs; hundreds of apps through Fivetran; and CSV, Parquet or JSON files. See Connect your data.
Does Orcabase copy my database?
No. Connected databases are queried live, where they are. Orcabase keeps only the latest result of each saved query, up to 5,000 rows, so dashboards open quickly. Synced and uploaded data is copied, into a warehouse Orcabase hosts for you.
Can Orcabase change my data?
Not if you connect with a read-only login, which we recommend. Orcabase then can’t change anything, whoever writes the query. See Security.
I don’t have a database. Can I still use Orcabase?
Yes. Orcabase can host one for you, and you can fill it with synced spreadsheets and uploaded files. See Hosted by Orcabase.
Can I get my data out?
Yes. Connected databases never leave your hands. Hosted Postgres servers come with connection strings, so standard tools can copy everything out, and we’ll export anything else on request.
The agent and AI
Which AI models does the agent use?
Your admin chooses: models from Orcabase AI, or hundreds through your own OpenRouter or Vercel AI Gateway key. See Set up the agent.
What does the AI provider see?
Your question, how your data is organized, and small samples of results (never more than 30 rows). Never passwords or keys. See AI privacy and usage.
Can the agent break anything?
It can only create things: queries, dashboards, data models and draft metrics. It can’t edit or delete anything, and only a person can certify a metric.
Why doesn’t the agent’s answer match my spreadsheet?
Usually because the two define the number differently. Define it once as a certified metric, and the agent will use that definition, and say so.
Can I use Orcabase from Claude or ChatGPT?
Yes, through MCP, with the same tools and guardrails as the built-in agent. See Connect AI.
Sharing and teams
Can people outside my company see a dashboard?
Yes, with a public link: read-only, no account needed, and you can turn it off anytime. See Share a dashboard.
Can I keep a dashboard private from some teammates?
Not yet. Everything in an organization is visible to all its members. Agent chats are the exception: they’re private to their author.
Do dashboards refresh automatically?
Not yet. Dashboards show each query’s last saved result; use Run all queries to update them.
Something unclear or missing? Troubleshooting covers the common errors, or message us.