---

name: client-and-data description: "Guides Metaflow Client API queries, run/artifact pathspecs, namespaces, metadata providers, datastores, logs, tags, S3 datatools, and IncludeFile data access." disable-model-invocation: true metadata: disco-role: operating license: Apache 2.0

Client and Data

Use this sub-skill when a task is about inspecting completed Metaflow runs, reading artifacts, switching namespaces or metadata providers, querying tags/logs, using datastores, or accessing S3-style data with Metaflow utilities.

Quick Route

• Read references/client-api.md for Flow, Run, Step, Task, DataArtifact, pathspecs, namespaces, and metadata control.
• Read references/data-and-datastores.md for local/S3/Azure/GS/spin datastores, S3, and IncludeFile data behavior.
• Read references/configuration.md for public, non-secret METAFLOW_* configuration surfaces.
• Read references/troubleshooting.md for MetaflowNotFound, namespace mismatch, S3 access, logs, and local datastore confusion.
• Run scripts/client_query_smoke.py to create a tiny local run and query an artifact through the Client API.

Minimal Query Pattern

from metaflow import Run, namespace

namespace(None)  # disable namespace filtering when intentionally inspecting all local runs
run = Run("MyFlow/123")
print(run["end"].task.data.my_artifact)

Use metadata(...) only when you intentionally switch between local, service, or spin metadata sources.

Boundaries

• Flow syntax and local run commands belong in ../flow-authoring/SKILL.md.
• Cards belong in ../cards-and-observability/SKILL.md.
• Cloud deployment prerequisites belong in ../deployment-orchestration/SKILL.md.