You ask a Pigment AI Agent a question that should be straightforward—only for it to respond that it can’t access the data and suggests checking your settings.
In most cases, the issue isn’t the question you asked. It’s that the Agent doesn’t have visibility into the underlying data.
Our AI Agents—including the Analyst Agent, Custom Agent, and MCP Server—are only as smart as the data they’re allowed to see. If AI Data Access is turned off for a Metric, that data is essentially invisible to them.
The "Master Switch" for Data Governance
Think of the AI Data Access setting as your data governance control center. We built this to give you granular control over what information is queryable by AI-powered features.
As we roll out new capabilities—like MCP, web search, and deeper external integrations—some queries might be processed just outside Pigment’s internal boundaries. This setting allows you to keep truly sensitive data (like individual compensation) strictly under lock and key, while letting the AI work its magic on everything else.
Our Pro Tip: For the vast majority of your Metrics, there’s no reason to restrict access. We recommend enabling AI Data Access broadly and only disabling it for your most sensitive data points.
How to Flip the Switch
You can update your access settings in under a minute. Here’s how:
- For a Single Metric: Head to the Metric's Settings → General tab → toggle on AI Data Access.
- For a Bulk Update: Go to All Blocks → Metrics tab → select all relevant Metrics and update them at once.
- Check Your Permissions: You’ll need "Configure AI Agents" and "Configure Blocks" permissions to make these changes.
Want a visual walkthrough? Check out this 5-minute Academy video that covers these best practices in detail.
A Couple of Quick Clarifications
- It’s about querying, not editing: This setting only affects how AI Agents pull data for answers. It doesn’t affect block structures, configuration edits, or view modifications.
- The Modeler Agent is exempt: This specific setting doesn't affect the Modeler Agent, so your building workflow remains unchanged.
Still have questions about your data governance setup? Drop a comment below—we’re here to help you get the most out of Pigment AI.