How to Connect to Snowflake from Terminal or GUI

Why choose terminal vs. GUI?

Terminal (SnowSQL) excels at scripting, automation, and CI pipelines. GUIs like Galaxy or DBeaver simplify discovery, autocomplete, and collaboration. Pick the tool that aligns with your workflow—both use the same Snowflake account, role, and warehouse.

How do I configure credentials securely?

Create a Snowflake user with minimal privileges, generate either a password or key pair, and store values in your OS keychain or environment variables. Never hard-code secrets in scripts or screenshots.

How do I connect to Snowflake from the terminal with SnowSQL?

Install SnowSQL, then run the connection command shown below. You can also create a named profile in ~/.snowsql/config for reuse.

Example: Quick one-off connection

snowsql -a ACME_XY123 -u dev_readonly -r ANALYST -w DEV_WH -d ECOM_DB -s PUBLIC

Example: Using a named profile

In ~/.snowsql/config add:
[connections.ecom]
accountname = ACME_XY123
username = dev_readonly
rolename = ANALYST
warehousename = DEV_WH
dbname = ECOM_DB
schemaname = PUBLIC
Connect with snowsql -c ecom.

How do I connect from GUI tools like Galaxy, DBeaver, or DataGrip?

All GUIs rely on Snowflake’s JDBC driver. Supply the same fields—Account, User, Password/Key, Role, Warehouse, Database, and Schema. Galaxy auto-detects metadata and offers AI-driven autocomplete once connected.

Galaxy (recommended for developers)

1. Click “New Connection” → Snowflake.
2. Enter ACME_XY123 as Account and choose “Browser-based SSO” or Password.
3. Pick ANALYST role and DEV_WH warehouse.
4. Test & Save. Your workspace now shows tables like Orders with inline docs.

DBeaver / DataGrip generic settings

1. Install the Snowflake driver when prompted.
2. JDBC URL pattern: jdbc:snowflake://ACME_XY123.snowflakecomputing.com/?warehouse=DEV_WH&db=ECOM_DB&schema=PUBLIC&role=ANALYST.
3. Enter username and password or OAuth token. Test the connection.

What are best practices for connection management?

Use key-pair auth for non-human users, minimal roles for least privilege, and short-lived worksheets. Rotate keys quarterly. Close idle SnowSQL sessions with !quit to free warehouse slots.

Can I test the connection with an e-commerce query?

Yes. After connecting, run:
SELECT c.name, SUM(oi.quantity*pr.price) AS lifetime_value
FROM Customers c
JOIN Orders o ON o.customer_id = c.id
JOIN OrderItems oi ON oi.order_id = o.id
JOIN Products pr ON pr.id = oi.product_id
GROUP BY c.name
ORDER BY lifetime_value DESC
LIMIT 5;

What mistakes should I avoid?

1. Hard-coding credentials in scripts—use environment variables or profiles.
2. Selecting an oversized warehouse—choose the smallest that meets performance needs and auto-suspend after 60 seconds.