# Managing Steampipe

> Use when working with Steampipe — steampipe cloud infrastructure query engine management. Covers plugin installation, mod management, SQL-based resource querying, dashboard inspection, benchmark execution, compliance reporting, and connection configuration. Use when querying cloud resources with SQL, running compliance benchmarks, inspecting multi-cloud infrastructure, or building Steampipe dashboards.

- Skill: `cloudthinker-ai/managing-steampipe` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add cloudthinker-ai/managing-steampipe`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/cloudthinker-ai/managing-steampipe/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: DevOps & Infra
- Author: cloudthinker-ai (https://skillmd.com/u/cloudthinker-ai)
- Updated: 2026-09-08
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/cloudthinker-ai/managing-steampipe

---


# Steampipe Management Skill

Manage and inspect Steampipe plugins, connections, queries, benchmarks, and dashboards.

## MANDATORY: Discovery-First Pattern

**Always check installed plugins and connections before running queries.**

### Phase 1: Discovery

```bash
#!/bin/bash

echo "=== Steampipe Version ==="
steampipe --version 2>/dev/null

echo ""
echo "=== Installed Plugins ==="
steampipe plugin list 2>/dev/null | head -15

echo ""
echo "=== Connections ==="
steampipe query "select name, type, plugin from steampipe_connection" --output csv 2>/dev/null | head -15

echo ""
echo "=== Installed Mods ==="
ls -d ~/.steampipe/mods/*/ 2>/dev/null | sed 's|.*mods/||;s|/$||' | head -10
steampipe mod list 2>/dev/null | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Available Tables ==="
steampipe query ".tables" 2>/dev/null | head -20
```

### Phase 2: Analysis

```bash
#!/bin/bash

PLUGIN="${1:-aws}"

echo "=== Plugin Tables ==="
steampipe query ".tables $PLUGIN" 2>/dev/null | head -20

echo ""
echo "=== Resource Count Sample ==="
case "$PLUGIN" in
    aws)
        steampipe query "select region, count(*) as count from aws_ec2_instance group by region order by count desc limit 10" --output table 2>/dev/null
        ;;
    azure)
        steampipe query "select resource_group, count(*) as count from azure_compute_virtual_machine group by resource_group order by count desc limit 10" --output table 2>/dev/null
        ;;
    gcp)
        steampipe query "select project, count(*) as count from gcp_compute_instance group by project order by count desc limit 10" --output table 2>/dev/null
        ;;
esac

echo ""
echo "=== Benchmark Check ==="
steampipe check benchmark.cis_v150 --output brief 2>/dev/null | tail -15 || echo "No CIS benchmark mod installed"

echo ""
echo "=== Dashboard Status ==="
steampipe dashboard --status 2>/dev/null | head -10 || echo "Dashboard not running"
```

## Output Format

```
STEAMPIPE STATUS
Version: <version> | Plugins: <count> | Connections: <count>
Tables Available: <count>
Plugin: <name> v<version> | Tables: <count>
Benchmark: <name> - <passed>/<total> controls passing
Dashboard: <running|stopped> on <port>
Issues: <any plugin errors, stale connections, or failed benchmarks>
```

## Safety Rules

- **Steampipe queries are read-only** -- they cannot modify cloud resources
- **Be mindful of API costs** -- some queries can trigger many API calls across all regions
- **Use `limit` clauses** on large tables to avoid excessive API usage
- **Review connection credentials** -- ensure least-privilege access for query connections

## Anti-Hallucination Rules

1. **NEVER assume resource names** — always discover via CLI/API in Phase 1 before referencing in Phase 2.
2. **NEVER fabricate metric names or dimensions** — verify against the service documentation or `--help` output.
3. **NEVER mix CLI commands between service versions** — confirm which version/API you are targeting.
4. **ALWAYS use the discovery → verify → analyze chain** — every resource referenced must have been discovered first.
5. **ALWAYS handle empty results gracefully** — an empty response is valid data, not an error to retry.

## Counter-Rationalizations

| Shortcut | Counter | Why |
|----------|---------|-----|
| "I'll skip discovery and check known resources" | Always run Phase 1 discovery first | Resource names change, new resources appear — assumed names cause errors |
| "The user only asked for a quick check" | Follow the full discovery → analysis flow | Quick checks miss critical issues; structured analysis catches silent failures |
| "Default configuration is probably fine" | Audit configuration explicitly | Defaults often leave logging, security, and optimization features disabled |
| "Metrics aren't needed for this" | Always check relevant metrics when available | API/CLI responses show current state; metrics reveal trends and intermittent issues |
| "I don't have access to that" | Try the command and report the actual error | Assumed permission failures prevent useful investigation; actual errors are informative |

## Common Pitfalls

- **Plugin version mismatch**: Update plugins regularly -- old plugins may not support new resource types
- **Connection configuration**: Missing or incorrect credentials cause query errors -- check `~/.steampipe/config/`
- **Query performance**: Cross-region queries on large accounts can be slow -- use `where region =` filters
- **Cache behavior**: Steampipe caches results for 5 minutes by default -- use `STEAMPIPE_CACHE=false` for real-time data
- **Mod dependencies**: Benchmarks require specific plugins -- install required plugins before running mods
- **Rate limiting**: Parallel queries across many accounts can hit cloud provider API rate limits
- **Table schema changes**: Plugin updates can change column names -- review after upgrading