REST API Administration

Source Of Truth

• Prefer current MotherDuck REST API documentation, the public OpenAPI spec at https://api.motherduck.com/docs/specs, or an explicit OpenAPI spec supplied by the user.
• For token scope and embed behavior, cross-check the REST API docs and the Embedded Dives docs because they include operational constraints not obvious from the raw schema.
• If the MotherDuck MCP ask_docs_question feature is available, use it to check whether public REST API guidance has changed.
• Treat endpoint availability, preview status, token fields, and role requirements as current only when backed by the supplied spec or current docs.

Default Posture

• Treat the REST API as the control plane; SQL and data-plane queries go through a database connection, not the REST API.
• Use https://api.motherduck.com as the base URL unless the user provides another environment.
• Authenticate with Authorization: Bearer ${MOTHERDUCK_ADMIN_TOKEN} and keep admin read-write tokens in backend-managed secrets.
• Never use read-scaling tokens for REST API administration.
• Prefer read-before-write flows for configuration changes so the current account, service account, Duckling config, or Dive metadata is known before mutation.
• Treat POST /v1/users as service-account creation unless current docs explicitly broaden the API.
• Assume active-account, Duckling configuration, service-account creation, service-account token creation, and Dive embed-session endpoints require an organization admin bearer token unless current docs say otherwise.
• Never expose generated access tokens in logs, browser code, client bundles, or committed files.
• Confirm destructive deletes with the user. Deleting a user permanently deletes that user and all of their data.
• Treat agent/account signup (motherduck new or the public signup flow) as separate from the organization Admin REST API. Never create an account because an admin token is unavailable.
• For Dive embed sessions, keep initial_state JSON-serializable and within the documented size limits; validate iframe state, navigation, and export messages in the host application.

Workflow

1. Identify whether the task is service-account provisioning, token management, Duckling sizing, active-account inspection, or Dive embedding.
2. Resolve the admin token from the existing environment and identify the target username or dive_id; ask only when a required value cannot be discovered, and never invent production identifiers.
3. Check token scope before calling token endpoints: users can create tokens for themselves, and admins can create tokens for service accounts, but admins cannot create tokens for other non-service-account members through the API.
4. For Duckling config changes, read the current config first, then update both read_write and read_scaling because the PUT payload requires both.
5. Preserve response fields that are only returned once, especially newly created token strings and embed session strings.
6. Surface API errors by status and response body; do not hide 400, 401, 403, 404, or 500 responses behind success-shaped fallbacks.
7. When the MotherDuck MCP server is connected, prefer its admin tools over raw HTTP. Call get_user_admin_guide first, or read the MCP column in references/REST_API_GUIDE.md.

For answer, review, or planning requests, inspect and report without mutating the control plane. For create or update requests, perform the requested in-scope operation and verify the response; retain confirmation for destructive deletes or broader administrative changes.

References

Read only the reference sections needed for the current task.

• Read references/REST_API_GUIDE.md for endpoint summaries, MCP tool mapping, curl examples, validation limits, and operational gotchas.

Related Skills

Load related skills only for missing capabilities; reuse established context.

• motherduck-query for SQL and data-plane query work
• motherduck-connect for connection tokens and application connection posture
• motherduck-security-governance for admin-token handling, service-account posture, and access-boundary questions
• motherduck-create-dive for designing Dives before minting embed sessions