Pipeline

Chain operations into a visual transformation pipeline.

Overview

The pipeline is the sidebar of cards on the left side of the screen. Each card represents one transformation step that you have applied to your data. Together, the cards form a chain of SQL operations that transform your raw file into your desired output. Collapse the sidebar with the chevron in its header when you want more room for the grid.

How It Works

Every time you apply an operation (Filter, Join, Add Column, etc.), a new card is added to the pipeline. Behind the scenes, each card generates a SQL statement. The pipeline composes all cards into a chain that feeds each step into the next. You never need to write this SQL yourself.

How the pipeline builds SQL internally
WITH step_1 AS (
  SELECT * FROM raw_data WHERE status = 'active'
),
step_2 AS (
  SELECT *, revenue * 0.1 AS tax FROM step_1
),
step_3 AS (
  SELECT * FROM step_2 ORDER BY revenue DESC LIMIT 100
)
SELECT * FROM step_3

Pipeline Card Anatomy

Each card displays:

  • Step number - a numbered badge whose colour reflects the step's status (applied, warning, or broken).
  • Summary - a brief human-readable description of what the step does.
  • Row count - how many rows the step produced.
  • Show SQL - a toggle that reveals the exact SQL that runs for this step.
  • Preview - a toggle that shows the grid as it looked at this step.

Editing the Pipeline

You can interact with pipeline cards in two ways:

ActionHowWhat Happens
EditClick the pencil icon on the cardRe-opens the operation panel with the card's current settings. Make changes and click Apply to update.
DeleteClick the trash icon and confirmRemoves the step entirely. Subsequent steps re-execute without it.

When you edit an earlier step, the pipeline automatically rebuilds from that step onward. All downstream cards re-execute with the updated data.

Natural Language Input

You can type a plain-English description of what you want into the pipeline input, and the AI will generate a SQL step for you. For example:

  • "Remove rows where revenue is negative"
  • "Add a column that calculates profit margin as revenue minus cost divided by revenue"
  • "Group by region and sum the sales column"

This requires an API key to be configured in Settings.

Tips

  • Preview the SQL at each step by clicking Show SQL on a card - this helps you understand and debug your transformations.
  • Start with Filter operations to reduce your data, then add Transform and Aggregate steps.
  • You can build complex, multi-step workflows that are easy to understand and modify.
  • See the Building a Pipeline guide for a step-by-step walkthrough.