# Monte Carlo Monitor Creation

> Guides creation of Monte Carlo monitors via MCP tools, producing monitors-as-code YAML for CI/CD deployment.

- Skill: `sickn33/monte-carlo-monitor-creation` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add sickn33/monte-carlo-monitor-creation`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/sickn33/monte-carlo-monitor-creation/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: DevOps & Infra
- Author: sickn33 (https://skillmd.com/u/sickn33)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/sickn33/monte-carlo-monitor-creation

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# Monte Carlo Monitor Creation Skill

This skill teaches you to create Monte Carlo monitors correctly via MCP. Every creation tool runs in **dry-run mode** and returns monitors-as-code (MaC) YAML. No monitors are created directly -- the user applies the YAML via the Monte Carlo CLI or CI/CD.

Reference files live next to this skill file. **Use the Read tool** (not MCP resources) to access them:

- Metric monitor details: `references/metric-monitor.md` (relative to this file)
- Validation monitor details: `references/validation-monitor.md` (relative to this file)
- Custom SQL monitor details: `references/custom-sql-monitor.md` (relative to this file)
- Comparison monitor details: `references/comparison-monitor.md` (relative to this file)
- Table monitor details: `references/table-monitor.md` (relative to this file)

## When to activate this skill

Activate when the user:

- Asks to create, add, or set up a monitor (e.g. "add a monitor for...", "create a freshness check on...", "set up validation for...")
- Mentions monitoring a specific table, field, or metric
- Wants to check data quality rules or enforce data contracts
- Asks about monitoring options for a table or dataset
- Requests monitors-as-code YAML generation
- Wants to add monitoring after new transformation logic (when the prevent skill is not active)

## When NOT to activate this skill

Do not activate when the user is:

- Just querying data or exploring table contents
- Triaging or responding to active alerts (use the prevent skill's Workflow 3)
- Running impact assessments before code changes (use the prevent skill's Workflow 4)
- Asking about existing monitor configuration (use `getMonitors` directly)
- Editing or deleting existing monitors

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## Available MCP tools

All tools are available via the `monte-carlo` MCP server.

| Tool                         | Purpose                                                    |
| ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| `testConnection`             | Verify auth and connectivity before starting               |
| `search`                     | Find tables/assets by name; use `include_fields` for columns |
| `getTable`                   | Schema, stats, metadata, domain membership, capabilities   |
| `getValidationPredicates`    | List available validation rule types for a warehouse       |
| `getDomains`                 | List MC domains (only needed if table has no domain info)  |
| `createMetricMonitorMac`     | Generate metric monitor YAML (dry-run)                     |
| `createValidationMonitorMac` | Generate validation monitor YAML (dry-run)                 |
| `createComparisonMonitorMac` | Generate comparison monitor YAML (dry-run)                 |
| `createCustomSqlMonitorMac`  | Generate custom SQL monitor YAML (dry-run)                 |
| `createTableMonitorMac`      | Generate table monitor YAML (dry-run)                      |

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## Monitor types

| Type           | Tool                         | Use When                                                                                                                                |
| -------------- | ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Metric**     | `createMetricMonitorMac`     | Track statistical metrics on fields (null rates, unique counts, numeric stats) or row count changes over time. Requires a timestamp field for aggregation. |
| **Validation** | `createValidationMonitorMac` | Row-level data quality checks with conditions (e.g. "field X is never null", "status is in allowed set"). Alerts on INVALID data.       |
| **Custom SQL** | `createCustomSqlMonitorMac`  | Run arbitrary SQL returning a single number and alert on thresholds. Most flexible; use when other types don't fit.                     |
| **Comparison** | `createComparisonMonitorMac` | Compare metrics between two tables (e.g. dev vs prod, source vs target).                                                               |
| **Table**      | `createTableMonitorMac`      | Monitor groups of tables for freshness, schema changes, and volume. Uses asset selection at database/schema level.                      |

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## Procedure

Follow these steps in order. Do NOT skip steps.

### Validation Phase (Steps 1-3) -- MUST complete before any creation tool is called

The number one error pattern is agents skipping validation and calling a creation tool with guessed or incomplete parameters. **Every field in the creation call must be grounded in data retrieved during this phase.** Do not proceed to Step 4 until Steps 1-3 are fully satisfied.

#### Step 1: Understand the request

Ask yourself:
- What does the user want to monitor? (a specific table, a metric, a data quality rule, cross-table consistency, freshness/volume at schema level)
- Which monitor type fits? Use the monitor types table