Data Sources | Yarken Help

Data Sources connect AI Studio agents to saved Yarken reports. Each source defines what the agent can query, why it should use the report, and whether results must follow the requesting user's row-level permissions.

A well-configured Data Source gives the agent the right reporting data at the right level of detail while keeping access controls intact.

When to use a Data Source

Question	Appropriate source	What to check
Which vendors drove this month's spend?	Spend report	Vendor, period, spend measure
Which invoice lines explain this charge?	Spend line-items report	Invoice number, line description, amount
Which cloud service caused the increase?	Cloud spend report	Provider, service, resource or tag fields
Which contracts expire next quarter?	Contracts report	Contract dates, vendor, value

Use saved-report sources when the agent needs structured reporting data.

Use Knowledge Base when the answer depends on a policy, definition, contract clause, or other uploaded document.

Create a Data Source

Before you begin

Confirm the saved report already exists.
Check that it contains the dimensions and measures required for the questions the agent needs to answer.
Confirm you have access to Admin > AI Studio > Configure > Data Sources.
Decide whether results must follow the requesting user's row-level access.

Open Admin > AI Studio > Configure > Data Sources.
Select + Add Source.
Enter Display Name that distinguishes the source from other reports, such as Cloud Spend by Service.
Write a Description stating what data is available and when the agent should query it. For example: Use for cloud cost by provider and service. Not for invoice-level finance transactions.
Enter Category, such as spend, cloud, or contracts, to group related tools.
Under Data Source, select Select a saved report. Search available reports, select the appropriate one, then select Use this report. The selected report's dimensions and measures define what the agent can query.
Under Options, check Apply user authorisation. Keep it enabled when the agent's results must follow the signed-in user's row-level access.
Select Save.

Understand dimensions and measures

Dimensions group or filter data, such as year, month, cost centre, entity, vendor, or application. Measures provide numeric values such as spend, budget, or forecast.

Choosing a saved report determines the fields available to the Data Source. If a required field is missing, update or select a different saved report rather than assuming the agent can query it.

Set permissions correctly

With Apply user authorisation selected, results are restricted to records the requesting user is authorized to see. Do not switch it off for convenience when users have restricted access to cost centres, accounts, or entities.

When permission-scoped data is involved, test the Data Source with a representative user who has restricted access. Confirm the returned rows match that user's Yarken access.

Important: If a test returns rows the user should not see, stop rollout and review the saved report, Data Source authorization setting, and underlying access configuration before using the source.

Confirm the underlying saved report includes required columns and measures. A Data Source cannot answer questions from fields missing in the selected report.

Give the agent useful source descriptions

Weak description	Useful description
Cloud data	Query billed cloud spend by provider, service, region, and period. Use for service-level trend analysis. Do not use for contract notice dates.
All spend	Query monthly IT spend by cost centre, vendor, and category. Use for aggregated variance investigations; use line-item source for individual invoice questions.

Check a Data Source

Review the Data Source before making it available to supported AI workflows.

Open the saved Data Source and verify the chosen report, description, and authorization setting.
Check that the saved report contains the dimensions and measures needed for the expected questions. Review field Name, Kind, and Description where available.
Ask a representative question using an authorized agent. Compare its result with the saved report using the same date range and filters.
If the agent returns the wrong level of detail, refine the Data Source description or choose a better source report.

Import, export, and maintain

Use import and export when you need to move or review Data Source configuration. Always verify imported configuration before making it available to agents.

Import a Data Source

Open Admin > AI Studio > Configure > Data Sources.
Select Import and upload the supported .xlsx or .csv file.
Review the data preview and automatically mapped fields.
Select Edit Mapping if any field mapping needs correction.
Select Save field mapping for automation when that mapping should be reused by the relevant workflow.
Select Finish.

Export a Data Source

Open the actions menu on the Data Source card.
Select Export to download the configuration as CSV.

Verify imported configuration

Review the Display Name, Category, fields, dimensions, measures, linked report, and Apply user authorisation setting. Test a representative question with a user who has restricted data access.

Important: Do not assume an imported Data Source preserves the intended access policy. Verify authorization and field availability in the target environment before use.

Keep separate sources when reports serve distinct questions. Do not create multiple sources pointing to the same report with interchangeable descriptions.

Built-in Data Sources cannot be modified or deleted.

Troubleshoot

Issue	Check
Agent cannot return requested metric	Confirm metric exists in the selected saved report
Different users receive different totals	Check row-level authorization, report filters, and data access
Agent selects wrong source	Clarify each Data Source description and category
New or updated source does not answer correctly	Confirm report dimensions and measures and test with specific question
Restricted rows appear in a result	Stop rollout and verify Apply user authorisation, the saved report, and the user's underlying Yarken access

Related content