Alteryx MCP Server Toolsets

Alteryx MCP Server toolsets are groups of MCP tools that connect Alteryx One capabilities to AI agents. Each toolset represents a category of actions an agent can use, such as analyzing datasets or running workflows and analytic apps.

Requirements

Requirement	Details
Agent Studio Access	You need access to Agent Studio to set up assets for AI use.
Agent Studio and Alteryx MCP Server Capabilities	The Agent Studio and Alteryx MCP Server capabilities are granted by default to the Full User role for Enterprise and Professional Editions. Admins can grant or remove access with custom roles.
Asset Privileges	You need sufficient privileges on an asset to set it up for AI use.
Runtime Permissions	Setting up an asset for AI use does not grant access. The authenticated user must already have permission to use the asset.

How Toolsets Work

Toolsets determine which categories of MCP tools are available to an AI app or MCP client. A connected client can use only the toolsets included in the connection URL and only the assets available to the authenticated user.

Tool names include prefixes that identify the toolset:

Toolset	Prefix
Insights	`insights__`
Apps	`apps__`
Knowledge	`knowledge__`
Formula Service	`formulaService__`
Assets	`assets__`
Datasets	`datasets__`
Designer	`designer__`

To limit which toolsets are available for a connection, go to Connect an AI App to the Alteryx MCP Server.

Insights Toolset

Use the Insights toolset to let AI agents find datasets, inspect dataset structure, and run analyses against those datasets.

An agent typically uses the Insights toolset to complete these actions:

Find the right dataset.
Profile available measures and dimensions.
Run an analysis.
Return results to the user.

Insights tools can return a natural language answer, a chart image link, and an Auto Insights search link. These are the current Insights MCP tools:

Source links from Insights tools only work when the Auto Insights capability is assigned to your role. Without it, a response can show a link, but it won't lead anywhere.

Tool	Purpose
`list_datasets`	Lists datasets available to the authenticated user through the Insights toolset.
`list_measures`	Lists measures for a dataset.
`list_segments`	Lists the segments available in a dataset, including sample filter values.
`search_for_filter`	Searches for filter values that can be used in an analysis.
`calculate_change`	Calculates changes in a measure over time or between periods.
`calculate_totals`	Calculates total values for selected measures.
`calculate_trend`	Calculates trend behavior for selected measures. Returns a source link back to the underlying data, but the link doesn't include forecast-verification detail.
`calculate_correlation`	Calculates correlations between measures.
`show_outliers`	Shows outliers or anomalous values.
`calculate_goal_variance`	Calculates variance against a goal, where goals are supported.
`resolve_date_period`	Resolves a natural-language date period into a usable analysis period.
`show_total_outliers`	Shows total-level outliers, where supported.
`get_dataset_rows`	Retrieves individual data rows from a dataset. Does not currently return a source link.

Apps Toolset

Use the Apps toolset to run workflows and analytic apps from connected MCP clients. The available tools are dynamic because they depend on which workflows and analytic apps the authenticated user can access.

Use Register as a shortcut on the Set Up Assets page when you want a supported AI client to recognize a workflow or analytic app directly by name. If Register as a shortcut is off, the AI client can still run the workflow or analytic app after finding it through search.

Supported Asset Types

Asset Type	Support
Designer Desktop Workflows	Supported. Workflows run as configured.
Designer Cloud Workflows	Supported. Workflows run as configured.
Live Query Workflows	Supported, but outputs are not returned to the agent.
Designer Desktop Analytic Apps	Supported. Analytic apps can expose parameters through interface tools.

Workflows and Analytic Apps

Asset	MCP Behavior
Workflow	Runs as configured. Workflows are not parameterized through MCP.
Analytic app	Can accept parameters based on interface tool names.

To design analytic apps for MCP use, go to Build Analytic Apps for MCP Tools.

What Affects Available App Tools

The tools available through the Apps toolset can vary based on:

Which workflows and analytic apps the authenticated user can access.
Whether Register as a shortcut is on for a workflow or analytic app.
Whether the connection URL limits available toolsets.
Whether the app is an analytic app with named interface tools or a workflow that runs as configured.

Outputs

The Apps toolset can return supported workflow and analytic app outputs to the agent.

Output Type	Support
`.csv`	Supported.
`apps_results.csv`	This specific filename converts a CSV to JSON for AI-facing results.
`.yxdb`	Not supported.
Image outputs	Not supported.
Live Query workflow outputs	Not returned to the agent.

Structured output returned as JSON is limited to 1000 rows by default.

Knowledge Toolset

Use the Knowledge toolset to let AI agents search Alteryx knowledge sources for relevant product information.

Knowledge sources include Alteryx Help documentation and Knowledge Base content.

Tool	Purpose
`search_knowledge_sources`	Searches Alteryx knowledge sources for relevant documentation chunks.
`list_knowledge_sources`	Lists current knowledge sources, including Help and Knowledge Base sources.

Formula Service Toolset

Use the Formula Service toolset to validate and parse formulas against available fields.

Tool	Purpose
`validate_formula`	Validates and parses a formula given the available fields.

Assets Toolset

Use the Assets toolset to let AI agents search for Alteryx One assets that you are allowed to access. Agents can use this toolset to discover an asset and retrieve information about it before acting on the asset through another toolset.

Tool	Purpose
`search_alteryx_assets`	Searches cataloged Alteryx One asset types, such as workflows, datasets, macros, connections, plans, schedules, and folders. Supports free-text queries, entity-type restrictions, field filters, sorting, and pagination.

The Assets toolset also provides an optional reference resource, alteryx-search-catalog, that lists searchable entity types and their valid filter and sort fields. MCP clients that support resources can read this catalog to build more precise asset searches. Clients that don't support resources can still use the Assets toolset because the search tool validates fields and returns valid options in error messages.

Datasets Toolset

Use the Datasets toolset to let AI agents preview datasets, retrieve schema information, and create new empty datasets.

Tool	Purpose
`preview_dataset`	Retrieves a live preview and schema for a given dataset ID. You can specify a limit to control the number of preview rows returned.
`create_empty_dataset`	Creates a new empty dataset from a file or relational source.

Designer Toolset

The Designer toolset lets AI agents create, update, run, and inspect Designer workflows stored in your Alteryx One workspace Library. Input and output configurations are limited to Alteryx One datasets because Designer workflows run in a cloud environment.

Tool	Purpose
`get_available_tools`	Retrieves the current list of Designer tools available for workflow configuration.
`get_tool_configuration_schema`	Retrieves the configuration schema and anchor metadata for a tool or plugin.
`get_condensed_workflow`	Retrieves a condensed view of a workflow.
`create_workflow`	Creates an empty Designer workflow in your Alteryx One workspace Library.
`add_tool`	Adds a supported Designer tool to a workflow.
`edit_tool`	Updates an existing Designer tool in a workflow.
`add_custom_tool_with_xml`	Adds a custom tool or plugin using raw configuration XML.
`edit_custom_tool_with_xml`	Replaces raw configuration XML for an existing custom tool or plugin.
`remove_tool`	Removes a tool and its connections.
`replace_tool_connections`	Replaces all connections for a tool.
`run_workflow`	Runs a Designer workflow and waits until it completes or timeout.
`get_metadata`	Retrieves metadata for selected tools.
`refresh_metadata`	Refreshes and retrieves metadata for selected tools. Reruns orchestration when cached metadata is missing.
`get_data_at_anchor`	Retrieves sample data for an output anchor from a successful run.

Permissions

You can set up assets for AI use only when they have sufficient privileges on the asset. Agents authenticate on behalf of the user, so agents can access only assets that the authenticated user can access.

Toolset	Permission Behavior
Insights	You can access only datasets that have Use For Generating Insights turned on and that you are allowed to use.
Apps	You can access only workflows and analytic apps that you are allowed to use. Register as a shortcut controls whether the AI client can recognize the asset directly by name.
Knowledge	You can search available Alteryx knowledge sources through the Knowledge toolset.
Formula Service	You can validate and parse formulas through the Formula Service toolset.
Assets	You can search assets only when you have access to them.
Datasets	You can preview and create datasets only when you have access to them.
Designer	You can work only with Designer workflows when you have access to them.
All toolsets	Setting up an asset for AI use does not grant additional access.

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