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Connect Metabase to Cline CLI

Give Cline CLI governed access to Metabase’s 45 tools through Runlayer, with identity, policy, scanning, and audit on every call.

Set up

Add Metabase to Cline CLI in four steps

Admins approve the server once. Everyone in Cline CLI then gets it through the same governed connection.

  1. 1

    Approve Metabase in Runlayer

    Add Metabase from the catalog and choose who can use it and which of its tools are allowed.

  2. 2

    Connect Cline CLI to Runlayer

    Users add the Runlayer Plugin to Cline CLI by following Runlayer’s setup guide. Cline CLI reaches Metabase’s 45 tools through the Runlayer Plugin’s search and execute tools instead of listing each one.

    Cline CLI setup guide
  3. 3

    Sign in to Metabase

    Sign in the way Metabase requires. Runlayer holds the credentials so they stay out of the client’s configuration.

  4. 4

    Use Metabase from Cline CLI

    Metabase’s approved tools appear in Cline CLI. Every call is checked against policy and recorded.

Tools

45 Metabase tools in Cline CLI

Runlayer policy decides which of these Cline CLI users can call. 25 read data only and 6 can change or delete data.

  • Construct query

    Construct a Metabase query from a structured program with source and operations.

  • Create dashboard

    Create a dashboard in Metabase.

  • Create question

    Save a query as a named question in Metabase.

  • Execute query

    Execute a previously constructed query and return the results with column metadata, row count, and execution time.

  • Get metric

    Get details about a metric including its queryable dimensions.

  • Get metric field values

    Get sample values and statistics for a field in a metric.

  • Get table

    Get details about a table including its fields, related tables, and metrics.

  • Get table field values

    Get sample values and statistics for a field in a table.

See all 45 Metabase tools

Control

What Runlayer can see and stop in Cline CLI

Some controls apply to every client at the gateway. Others depend on what Cline CLI exposes to Runlayer.

  • Gateway policy (available)

    Every Metabase call from Cline CLI passes through Runlayer, where your policies can allow, alert, mask, or block it.

  • Audit trail (available)

    Each call is recorded with the user, Cline CLI as the client, the tool, and the policy and scanner decisions.

  • Client hooks (available)

    Capture supported prompts, reasoning, local and MCP tool calls, responses, and scanner decisions in real time.

  • Stop a call before it runs (available)

    Runlayer can deny a tool call before Cline CLI runs it.

  • Block output after it runs (not available)

    Cline CLI ignores Runlayer after a tool runs, so Runlayer cannot block its output. The gateway still applies policy to the call.

  • Redact output in place (not available)

    Runlayer cannot mask tool output in Cline CLI. The gateway still applies policy to the call.

In Cline CLI

  • If Runlayer’s hook times out or crashes, Cline CLI lets the tool call through.
  • This covers the Cline CLI, not the Cline extension for VS Code.

Frequently asked questions

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