description: "Salesforce Data Cloud Retrieve phase. Use this skill when the user runs Data Cloud SQL, async queries, vector search, search-index workflows, or metadata introspection for Data Cloud objects. TRIGGER when: user runs Data Cloud SQL, describe, async queries, vector search, search-index workflows, or metadata introspection for Data Cloud objects. DO NOT TRIGGER when: the task is standard CRM SOQL (use platform-soql-query), segment creation or calculated insight design (use data360-segment), or STDM/session tracing/parquet analysis (use agentforce-observe)."
compatibility: "Requires an external community sf data360 CLI plugin and a Data Cloud-enabled org"
Use this skill when the user needs **query, search, and metadata introspection** for Data Cloud: sync SQL, paginated SQL, async query workflows, table describe, vector search, hybrid search, or search index operations.
## When This Skill Owns the Task
Use `data360-query` when the work involves:
-`sf data360 query *`
-`sf data360 search-index *`
-`sf data360 metadata *`
-`sf data360 profile *` or `sf data360 insight *` inspection
- understanding Data Cloud SQL results or query shape
Delegate elsewhere when the user is:
- writing standard CRM SOQL only → [platform-soql-query](../platform-soql-query/SKILL.md)
- designing segment or calculated insight assets → [data360-segment](../data360-segment/SKILL.md)
- whether the user needs quick count, medium result set, large export, schema inspection, or semantic search
- table/index name if known
- whether the task is read-only SQL or search-index lifecycle management
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## Core Operating Rules
- Treat Data Cloud SQL as its own query language, not SOQL.
- Run the shared readiness classifier before relying on query/search surfaces: `node ../data360-orchestrate/scripts/diagnose-org.mjs -o <org> --phase retrieve --json`.
- Use describe before guessing columns.
- Prefer `sqlv2` or async query flows for larger result sets.
- Use vector search or hybrid search only when the search index lifecycle is healthy.
- Keep STDM/parquet/session-tracing workflows out of this skill family.