Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://datost.com/docs/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Datost connects directly to PostgreSQL as a read-only query client. Once connected, the Slack agent introspects your schema, writes SQL, and returns answers in-thread.

​
Before you connect

Gather the following from your database administrator:
  • Host (e.g. db.example.com)
  • Port — defaults to 5432
  • Database name — defaults to postgres if left blank
  • Username and password
  • SSL mode — disable, require, verify-ca, or verify-full
We strongly recommend require or stricter for any database reachable outside a private network.

​
Create a read-only role

Datost only needs SELECT. Create a dedicated role so the agent cannot mutate data. 
CREATE ROLE datost_readonly LOGIN PASSWORD 'use-a-strong-password';

GRANT CONNECT ON DATABASE your_database TO datost_readonly;
GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA public TO datost_readonly;

GRANT SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA public TO datost_readonly;

-- Apply SELECT to any tables created later
ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES IN SCHEMA public
  GRANT SELECT ON TABLES TO datost_readonly;
Tables you never grant SELECT on stay invisible to the agent. You can further hide specific tables from the admin panel under Data sources → Table preferences.

​
Connect from the admin panel

1

Open Data Sources

In the Datost web app, go to Data sources and click Add data source.
2

Select PostgreSQL

Pick PostgreSQL from the list of warehouse types.
3

Enter connection details

Fill in host, port, database, username, password, and SSL mode. Paste a connection URL if you prefer — Datost will parse it into fields.
4

Test the connection

Click Test connection. Datost runs SELECT version() against your database and reports latency and server version.
5

Save and invite the agent

Save the data source, then choose which Slack roles can query it.

​
Public vs private databases

If your PostgreSQL instance is reachable over the public internet (with SSL and IP allow-listing), the direct connection above is all you need. For databases on a private VPC, behind a bastion, or otherwise unreachable from Datost’s servers, install the Tunnel Agent inside your network. The agent opens an outbound connection to Datost and proxies queries to your database — no inbound firewall changes required.
Do not expose a production database to the public internet just to connect Datost. Use the Tunnel Agent instead.

​
Limitations

  • Datost executes SELECT queries only. Writes, DDL, and transactions are blocked.
  • Connection pools cap at 5 concurrent connections per data source with a 15s connect timeout.
  • Queries run against your live database; budget accordingly or point Datost at a replica.
  • Tables excluded via table preferences are omitted from schema introspection and query planning.