Integrate Snowflake Cortex Code with Transform MCP

Snowflake Cortex Code, also called CoCo, is Snowflake's AI coding CLI. It acts as an MCP client, so you can connect it to the hosted Transform MCP server and work with Coalesce Projects, Environments, runs, and Nodes from the same terminal session that already knows your Snowflake role and warehouse.

For token and endpoint details, see Configure Transform MCP. To build Snowflake Cortex machine learning functions into Coalesce pipelines, see the Cortex Package.

Prerequisites

You need:

• A Coalesce refresh token from the Deploy tab or COA ~/.coa/config
• Your Coalesce App host URL, the same host you sign in to
• A Snowflake user with the SNOWFLAKE.CORTEX_USER database role
• Network access to your Snowflake account
• The Cortex Code CLI on macOS, Linux, WSL, or Windows

Step 1: Install Cortex Code

Install the Cortex Code CLI if you have not already.

macOS, Linux, or WSL

curl -LsS https://ai.snowflake.com/static/cc-scripts/install.sh | sh

Windows PowerShell

irm https://ai.snowflake.com/static/cc-scripts/install.ps1 | iex

If the shell cannot find cortex after install, add ~/.snowflake/bin to your PATH, or call the binary with its absolute path.

Step 2: Configure Your Snowflake Connection

Start Cortex Code so it can walk you through an existing connection in ~/.snowflake/connections.toml or create a new one:

cortex

Confirm Snowflake authentication outside MCP before you add Transform MCP:

cortex sql "select current_role()"

Step 3: Get Your Coalesce Token

Your refresh token is the same credential COA and the REST API use.

1. Sign in to the Coalesce App.
2. Open the Deploy tab.
3. Click Generate Access Token, or copy an existing access token.

You can also read the token= value from your active COA profile in ~/.coa/config. Treat the token as a secret.

Step 4: Register Transform MCP

Cortex Code supports HTTP MCP servers. Point it at your hosted Transform MCP endpoint with a bearer token.

Option A: CLI Registration

If a Cortex Code session is open, exit it first, then run the command from your shell. Replace <your-app-host> and <your-refresh-token>:

cortex mcp add coalesce-transform "https://<your-app-host>/api/v1/mcp" --type http -H "Authorization: Bearer <your-refresh-token>"

Examples of <your-app-host>:

• US primary: app.coalescesoftware.io
• Custom subdomain: mycompany.app.eu.coalescesoftware.io

Option B: Edit mcp.json

Create or edit ~/.snowflake/cortex/mcp.json:

Cortex Code MCP configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "coalesce-transform": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://<your-app-host>/api/v1/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <your-refresh-token>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Keep Tokens Out of Plain Text

Cortex Code can migrate sensitive headers values into the OS keychain on first connection. Prefer environment variable expansion such as ${COALESCE_ACCESS_TOKEN} in mcp.json when your shell exports the token, instead of committing secrets to disk.

Confirm registration:

cortex mcp list

Then start or reconnect servers:

cortex mcp start

Step 5: Verify in a Cortex Code Session

Start a session:

cortex

Inside the session, you can open /mcp to see connection state and tool counts. Ask:

Use coalesce-transform MCP to list Coalesce Projects in this organization.

A successful response returns Projects from your organization. Because Cortex Code already has warehouse context, it can route data questions such as row counts to Snowflake and Coalesce metadata or run questions to Transform MCP.

Example Prompts

These prompts work well after the server connects:

• List Coalesce Environments in this organization.
• Show the latest failed run for Environment <environment-id>.
• List Nodes in Workspace <workspace-id> that are missing descriptions.
• Start a refresh for job <job-id> in Environment <environment-id>.

Run action tools trigger real warehouse work. Scope runs with a job ID or Node selector, or confirm a full-environment refresh. See Configure Transform MCP.

Troubleshooting

Use this table to diagnose common Cortex Code and Transform MCP connection issues.

Symptom	What to check
cortex not found	Add ~/.snowflake/bin to your PATH, or re-run the installer.
MCP server missing	Run cortex mcp list, then cortex mcp start. Restart the Cortex Code session.
401 Unauthorized	Re-copy the token from the Deploy tab. Confirm the header is Bearer <token>.
Wrong host	Use the same app host you sign in to, including single sign-on vanity subdomains.
Snowflake authentication fails	Fix the connection with cortex sql "select current_role()" before debugging MCP.
Tools not called	Ask explicitly to use the coalesce-transform MCP server to list Environments. Check /mcp for a connected status.

For more errors, see Transform MCP Troubleshooting and Snowflake's CoCo CLI MCP support docs.

What's Next?

• Integrate Claude with Transform MCP
• Integrate Cursor with Transform MCP
• Transform MCP Available Tools
• Cortex Package for Snowflake Cortex machine learning Nodes in Coalesce