The assistant is grounded in your current model and connection (topics, views, relationships, and field-level access controls), not arbitrary SQL against your warehouse. To improve answers across Omni AI, see Optimize models for Omni AI.
Requirements
To use the Model IDE assistant, you need:- Query assistant enabled in Settings > AI for your organization
- Permission to open and edit models in the Model IDE for your connection (see modeling permissions)
Open the assistant
- Open a model in the Model IDE.
- In the IDE rail, click Show AI assistant (sparkles icon) to open the chat panel.
- Type in the prompt box. Your conversation stays in the panel while you switch files, save, or change modeling modes.
Example prompts
You can ask in plain language. You do not need to paste YAML unless you want to point at something specific.Modeling modes
The panel includes a mode menu so you control how proposed model changes are applied. Your selected mode persists between sessions.| Mode | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sandbox | Proposes all changes at once. You review and accept or reject before anything is written. | Exploring ideas, pressure-testing updates, and reviewing larger changes before they enter the model. |
| Review | Writes changes, then pauses for your approval before continuing. | Step-by-step collaboration when you want close oversight as changes are made. |
| Auto | Applies changes immediately, including branch creation, without pausing. | Fast iteration when you’re already working on a branch. |
If you edit the shared model, your workflow may require a branch before the assistant can write changes. Create a branch from the IDE when prompted, then continue the conversation.
Next steps
- Model IDE — Files, branching, and validation
- Branch Mode — Isolate model edits before promotion
- Content validator — Catch issues across workbooks and dashboards
- AI settings — Org-wide AI controls
Troubleshooting
I don’t see the sparkles / Show AI assistant control. Confirm Query assistant is on in Settings > AI and that your role can access the Model IDE for the connection. The assistant won’t apply edits. On the shared model you may need a branch first. Create a branch in the IDE, then ask again. Answers feel generic. Add richer descriptions, AI context on views and topics, and sample queries so Omni’s AI has more to work with across the product.Getting help
If you’re stuck and can’t remember how to do something in Omni, just ask Blobby. Questions like “How do I do [thing]?” will prompt Blobby to search the official Omni docs and provide you with an answer, all without leaving your Omni workflow. You can also directly tell Blobby to search the docs when researching the answer to your question.Working in an embedded context? If you have the Hide Omni watermark setting enabled to provide a fully white-labeled experience, the AI doc search feature will respect it. Omni doc links will not be returned in chat, even if explicitly requested.