Pointing an AI assistant at a database is not the same as making it useful. Here are the prompt patterns that make EQQ + Claude actually work day-to-day.

Pattern 1: Ground in the tool list first to eliminate hallucinated query names

The Use Queries list shows every query name, description, and tip your prompts can reference directly.
The Use Queries list shows every query name, description, and tip your prompts can reference directly.

Start conversations with “list the EQQ queries available to you”. Claude calls list_queries and gets a concrete menu. The rest of the conversation references those names - you avoid hallucinated query names.

Pattern 2: Let the model ask for parameters so your prompts stay short and reusable

Instead of filling every parameter in your prompt, say “run the invoice-by-region query; ask me what inputs you need”. Claude will fetch the parameter schema and ask only what is missing.

Pattern 3: Combine EQQ data retrieval with the model's code tools to get charts without a BI tool

“Run the daily revenue query for the last 90 days, then compute week-over-week growth and plot a chart.” EQQ hands back raw numbers; Claude's Python tool does the math; you get a chart.

Pattern 4: One question, one export — get a summarized JSON file in a single prompt

For scheduled summaries, use export_query directly: “export the month-end close query to JSON and summarize the three biggest movers.”

Prompt patterns that waste tokens and frustrate users

  • Asking Claude to “write a SQL query to answer X.” It can, but you lose the governance. Prefer a pre-built query.
  • Running the same expensive query in a loop. Call it once, let Claude process the result set.