# Connect Your Data: Files, Databases and Data Warehouses

> Upload files or connect databases and data warehouses. Ask about each source or combine their results, and see how each one is read, how current it is and what setup needs.

HTML version: https://supaboard.ai/product/data-connections

Connect your data. Ask the bigger questions.

Upload files or connect your databases and warehouses. Ask questions about each source, or combine their results to understand what’s happening across your business.

## Three ways in. A wider view of your business.

Upload a file you already have, connect an operational database, or work with the tables in your warehouse.

- [Upload files](https://supaboard.ai/product/file-uploads) (Loaded when you attach): Turn an export, a spreadsheet or a document into something you can ask questions about.
- [Databases](https://supaboard.ai/product/databases) (Queried when you ask): Explore operational data with read-only queries, directly against your connected database.
- [Data warehouses](https://supaboard.ai/product/data-warehouses) (Your existing tables): Make the tables your data team maintains easier for your wider team to work with.

## Some questions need more than one source.

Your forecast lives in a spreadsheet. Actual revenue lives in your warehouse. Bring both into the analysis to see where the gap is.

Ask a question that spans your uploaded file and connected data. Supaboard queries the relevant sources and brings the results together in one analysis.

**Example / September revenue** (sample data, matching month and revenue definition): forecast.csv + Revenue.

"How did we do against plan?" Forecast $120k, Actual $112k. $8k below plan: Actual revenue was 6.7% below the forecast.

[See how AI Analyst works](https://supaboard.ai/product/ask-analysts)

## How each source connects and stays current.

Uploads stay as you attached them. Connected databases and warehouses are queried when you ask.

| Source | How it’s read | How current it is | What you need |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Uploaded file](https://supaboard.ai/product/file-uploads) | Spreadsheets queried in Sheets; other files read in the conversation | As of the version you attached | A supported file |
| [Database](https://supaboard.ai/product/databases) | Direct, read-only queries | The database at query time | Connection details and network access |
| [Warehouse](https://supaboard.ai/product/data-warehouses) | Queries on your warehouse compute | The tables at query time | An account with the intended read access |

A new query can only be as current as its source. If your warehouse pipeline runs nightly, the answer reflects the data that has reached those tables.

## Connect the data. Choose who can use it.

### At the source: Start with the right permissions.

Use a database or warehouse account with only the access you intend to share. Supaboard checks queries and refuses writes.

### In Supaboard: Give each agent its scope.

An agent is the AI analyst set up for your team’s data and business context. Choose the sources and tables each agent can use, and who can use that agent. Existing data-source access restrictions still apply. [Explore agents](https://supaboard.ai/product/agents)

## FAQ

### Can I start without a database?

Yes. Add a supported file to a conversation and ask about its contents. You only need a connected source if your question also needs data from it.

### Does Supaboard copy my whole database?

Direct database and warehouse connections run queries against your source. Supaboard does not create a full replica to keep in sync. Returned results are saved with the conversation.

### Can I use multiple sources in one analysis?

Yes. Your agent needs access to the connected sources, and a file must be attached to the conversation or, for a spreadsheet, already part of the agent’s data. Supaboard can query the sources separately and combine their results.

### Do I need someone technical to set up a connection?

For a database or warehouse, someone who manages the source usually provides the credentials, permissions and network access. Once it is connected, your team can ask questions in plain English.

## Start with the data you already have.

Upload a file or connect your first database or warehouse.

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