
# How to Use Collate AI

## 1. Setting Up Collate AI
- Navigate to **Settings > Applications** in the Collate platform.

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- Install Collate AI by following the on-screen instructions.

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- Configure and add filters based on criteria such as owner, schema, database, service, and more. You can also combine multiple conditions to meet your specific requirements.

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- **Scheduling**: Schedule Collate AI to run regularly, automatically generating metadata at predefined intervals (e.g., weekly).

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## 2. Using the Collate AI Chatbot
- The Collate AI chatbot icon appears on every page after installation.

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- Interact with the chatbot by typing natural language questions. For example:
  - “Show me sales data for Q1.”
  - “What is the average revenue per customer?”

- Collate AI will generate the corresponding SQL query and provide a detailed explanation of the query logic.

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- Users can refine queries by providing further instructions, and the chatbot will adjust the SQL query accordingly.

## 3. Optimizing and Fixing SQL Queries

- The **Metadata Usage** workflows will ingest the queries being run against the tables. You can see how long each query has been executed in the **Queries** tab.

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- If a query runs inefficiently, ask the chatbot to optimize it by typing: “Optimize this query.”

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- Collate AI will return a more efficient version of the SQL query, which you can then copy and execute in your database.

- If the query contains errors or isn’t functioning correctly, ask Collate AI: “Can you fix this query?” 

- Collate AI will correct the query and provide a working version.

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## 4. Reviewing Generated Metadata
- Once Collate AI generates descriptions for tables and columns, navigate to the **database view** to review the metadata.
- You can accept or reject each suggestion individually or choose to accept all suggestions in bulk.

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- Collate AI allows you to document entire datasets in a matter of minutes, significantly reducing the manual effort required to maintain metadata.

## Best Practices
- **Regular Scheduling**: Schedule Collate AI to run at regular intervals to ensure your metadata is always up-to-date, especially when dealing with frequently changing datasets.
- **Leverage the Chatbot for Query Writing**: Encourage both technical and non-technical users to use the Collate AI chatbot for SQL query generation. It simplifies complex query writing and ensures accurate results.
- **Optimize Queries Regularly**: Monitor the performance of your queries and use Collate AI to optimize them, especially when working with large datasets or queries that require complex joins and filters.
