> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nodaldata.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# FAQ

> Common questions about Nodal, the context layer, and the hosted MCP endpoint.

<Info>Starter page — grow this as real questions come in.</Info>

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Does Nodal need access to my database?">
    No. Nodal never connects to your database — in the open-source repo or the hosted MCP server.
    Your agent queries your warehouse through your own read-only connector; Nodal serves the
    **context** (definitions and canonical queries), not your data. See
    [what Nodal can access](/mcp/data-access).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What does the hosted MCP server need, then?">
    Read-only GitHub access to your analytics-context repo, and — only if you choose — read-only
    access to your dbt project repo for lineage. Nothing else.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is the context format proprietary?">
    No. The Analytics Context Format (ACF) is open (Apache-2.0), and the eval harness also reads
    dbt models/docs and plain markdown. You can self-host and never talk to us.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I share Nodal with my team?">
    Provision once in the admin, then hand out a single
    [`.mcp.json` file](/mcp/share-with-your-team) pointing at
    `https://analyst.nodaldata.io/mcp`. Teammates authenticate via OAuth on first use.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I run Nodal in my own cloud/VPC?">
    For data-residency or security requirements, contact sales at
    [info@nodaldata.io](mailto:info@nodaldata.io).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>