Nexus

Nexus is a local CLI tool that connects AI agents to sensitive spreadsheets and databases without uploading data to the cloud.

What is Nexus?

Nexus is a command-line application that reads tabular data from spreadsheets (Excel, CSV, Google Sheets) and databases (SQLite, DuckDB, FileMaker) on your local machine and exposes a semantic tool interface for AI agents. Built by Scott Shapiro and published as @pixeldesigns/nexus, it runs entirely on your computer — no upload, no cloud dependency. The agent calls Nexus tools (e.g. find_stale_customers(), top_opportunities()) and receives only the results, never the raw rows.

Key Features

• Local execution — Runs on your machine via Homebrew, npm, or GitHub clone; files never leave your control.
• Agent-native MCP tools — Instead of raw SQL queries, Nexus auto-generates semantically named tools (e.g. low_confidence_decisions()) that match your actual data schema.
• Non-destructive editing — Works like Git for spreadsheets: views, branches, snapshots, and annotations are stored separately from a read-only master file.
• Selective publishing — Per-derivation you decide what results leave your machine; PII auto-redacted, full audit log maintained.
• Universal input — One CLI command per format: nexus connect yourfile.xlsx, nexus connect yourfile.csv, plus built-in connectors for Google Sheets, SQLite, DuckDB, and FileMaker.
• Focused working sets — Save collections of specific rows, filters, and views for projects, audits, or account lists without altering the source file.
• No signup required — Install and run immediately; no account creation or cloud registration.

Who is it for?

• Data analysts who need to query proprietary spreadsheets without moving them to a cloud AI tool.
• Legal and compliance teams who enforce NDAs and data retention policies — Nexus keeps sensitive data on-premise.
• Product managers who want AI-powered insights from customer lists or pipeline sheets while preserving data privacy.
• Developers building custom AI agents that need safe, read-only access to internal structured data.

What can you do with Nexus?

• Analyze financial models locally — Connect an Excel workbook and ask your AI agent for variance explanations, trend summaries, or “what-if” scenarios without uploading the file.
• Query customer lists without exposure — Your agent calls tools like find_stale_customers() and gets only the aggregated result, never the raw row-level data.
• Audit internal datasets — Save a filtered working set of rows, annotate with AI-generated insights, and share only the derived view (with PII redacted) — the source stays read-only.

How does Nexus work?

1. Install Nexus via Homebrew (brew install scottshapiro142/nexus/nexuscli), npm (npx @pixeldesigns/nexus), or by cloning from GitHub.
2. Connect your data source with nexus connect yoursheet.xlsx (supports CSV, Excel, Google Sheets, SQLite, DuckDB, FileMaker).
3. Run nexus serve to expose the semantic MCP tool interface. Your AI agent can now call tools like top_opportunities() — the agent never accesses the raw data, only the filtered results you’ve configured.

Pricing

Freemium. The core CLI is free to use with no signup required; paid plans provide advanced features like larger working sets, custom tool definitions, and priority support (details on the install page).

FAQ

Does Nexus upload my data to any cloud?

No. Nexus runs entirely on your local machine. The source files stay read-only on your computer; the AI agent communicates via local tools and never sees the raw rows.

What file formats and databases are supported?

Nexus supports Excel (.xlsx), CSV, Google Sheets, SQLite, DuckDB, and FileMaker. Additional formats are added per release — the current version is v0.3.3.