Qlik MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects AI assistants like Claude to your Qlik Cloud and Qlik Sense Enterprise environments. This enables natural language interactions with your analytics platform.

Own your AI. Create your own way to interact with your data.

Features

• 34 MCP Tools across 12 categories
• Dual Platform Support - Qlik Cloud and Qlik Sense Enterprise (On-Premise)
• Natural Language Analytics - Ask questions about your data in plain English
• Full Lifecycle Management - Apps, reloads, users, spaces, and more
• AI/ML Integration - AutoML experiments, Qlik Answers assistants
• Enterprise Governance - Users, roles, permissions, compliance

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Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ - Download from nodejs.org
• Claude Desktop - Download from claude.ai/download
• Qlik Cloud tenant OR Qlik Sense Enterprise server

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Step 1: Download the MCP Server

Windows (Recommended)

1. Download the ZIP file from GitHub:

   • Go to: https://github.com/undsoul/qlik-claude-mcp
   • Click green "Code" button → "Download ZIP"

2. *Extract to C:* (recommended for simple paths):

   • Right-click the downloaded ZIP → Extract All
   • Extract to: C:\
   • You should now have: C:\qlik-claude-mcp-main\

3. Open PowerShell and install dependencies:

   cd C:\qlik-claude-mcp-main
   npm install
   

macOS / Linux

git clone https://github.com/undsoul/qlik-claude-mcp.git
cd qlik-claude-mcp
npm install

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Step 2: Install Claude Desktop

1. Download Claude Desktop from claude.ai/download
2. Install and sign in with your Anthropic account

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Step 3: Get Your Qlik API Key

For Qlik Cloud:

1. Log in to your Qlik Cloud tenant
2. Click your profile icon (top right) → Profile settings
3. Go to API keys section
4. Click Generate new key
5. Copy and save the API key (you won't see it again!)

For Qlik Sense Enterprise (On-Premise):

1. Open QMC → Start → Certificates
2. Add a machine name (e.g., MCP-Client)
3. Click Export certificates
4. Important settings:
   • Certificate file format: Choose PEM format (not Windows format)
   • Check Include secret key
5. Export and save the files:
   • client.pem - Client certificate
   • client_key.pem - Private key
6. Note the paths where you saved these files

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Step 4: Configure Claude Desktop

Open Config File (Easiest Way)

1. Open Claude Desktop
2. Click Settings (gear icon) or File menu
3. Click "Edit Config" or "Settings" → "Developer" → "Edit Config"
4. This opens claude_desktop_config.json in your default text editor
5. Paste the configuration below and Save (Ctrl+S)

Config file location:

• Windows: C:\Users\{YourName}\AppData\Roaming\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

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Qlik Cloud Examples

Windows:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "qlik-mcp-os": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/qlik-claude-mcp-main/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://your-tenant.eu.qlikcloud.com",
        "QLIK_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

macOS:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "qlik-mcp-os": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/yourname/qlik-claude-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://your-tenant.us.qlikcloud.com",
        "QLIK_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Qlik Sense Enterprise (On-Premise) Examples

Step 1: Export Certificates from QMC

1. Open Qlik Management Console (QMC)
2. Go to Certificates under Configure System
3. Click Export certificates
4. Enter machine name (e.g., your server hostname)
5. Check Include secret key
6. Export format: Platform independent PEM-format
7. Click Export - saves to: C:\ProgramData\Qlik\Sense\Repository\Exported Certificates\<machinename>\

The folder will contain:

• client.pem - Client certificate
• client_key.pem - Client private key
• root.pem - Root CA certificate

Step 2: Configure Claude Desktop

Windows:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "qlik-onprem": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/qlik-claude-mcp-main/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://qlik-server.company.com",
        "QLIK_DEPLOYMENT": "on-premise",
        "QLIK_CERT_PATH": "C:/ProgramData/Qlik/Sense/Repository/Exported Certificates/YourServer",
        "QLIK_USER_DIRECTORY": "COMPANY",
        "QLIK_USER_ID": "administrator"
      }
    }
  }
}

macOS/Linux:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "qlik-onprem": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/yourname/qlik-claude-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://qlik-server.company.com",
        "QLIK_DEPLOYMENT": "on-premise",
        "QLIK_CERT_PATH": "/path/to/exported-certificates",
        "QLIK_USER_DIRECTORY": "DOMAIN",
        "QLIK_USER_ID": "administrator"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note:

• QLIK_CERT_PATH is the folder containing client.pem, client_key.pem, and root.pem
• QLIK_USER_DIRECTORY and QLIK_USER_ID specify which user to act as (e.g., DOMAIN\administrator)
• The user must have appropriate access rights in QMC

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Multi-Tenant & Hybrid Configurations

You can configure multiple MCP servers in the same config file to connect to different Qlik environments simultaneously. This supports:

• Multiple Qlik Cloud tenants (e.g., Dev, Test, Prod)
• Multiple On-Premise servers
• Hybrid setups (Cloud + On-Premise together)

Example: Two Cloud Tenants + One On-Premise:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "qlik-cloud-dev": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/qlik-claude-mcp-main/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://dev-tenant.eu.qlikcloud.com",
        "QLIK_API_KEY": "dev-api-key-here"
      }
    },
    "qlik-cloud-prod": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/qlik-claude-mcp-main/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://prod-tenant.eu.qlikcloud.com",
        "QLIK_API_KEY": "prod-api-key-here"
      }
    },
    "qlik-onprem": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/qlik-claude-mcp-main/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://qlik-server.company.com",
        "QLIK_DEPLOYMENT": "on-premise",
        "QLIK_CERT_PATH": "C:/ProgramData/Qlik/Sense/Repository/Exported Certificates/MyServer",
        "QLIK_USER_DIRECTORY": "COMPANY",
        "QLIK_USER_ID": "administrator"
      }
    }
  }
}

Each server appears as a separate MCP connection in Claude Desktop. You can specify which environment to use when asking questions:

• "Using qlik-cloud-dev, list all apps"
• "On qlik-onprem, trigger reload for Sales Dashboard"

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Step 5: Build the MCP Server

After saving your config, go back to PowerShell (Windows) or Terminal (macOS) and run:

Windows

npm run build

macOS / Linux

npm run build

Verify build succeeded - you should see dist/index.js created.

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Step 6: Restart Claude Desktop

1. Quit Claude Desktop completely (not just close the window)
   • macOS: Right-click Claude in menu bar → Quit
   • Windows: Right-click Claude in system tray → Exit
2. Reopen Claude Desktop
3. Start a new conversation and try: "Check my Qlik health"

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Verify It's Working

In Claude Desktop, type:

Check my Qlik environment health

You should see Claude use the qlik_health_check tool and return your tenant status.

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Tool Capabilities (33 Tools)

1. Search Tools (1)

Unified search across all resources.

Tool	Description	Platforms
qlik_search	Search apps, datasets, automations, and more	Cloud, On-Prem

Example prompts:

• "Search for apps containing 'Sales'"
• "Find all datasets in the Finance space"
• "List apps modified in the last week"

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2. Governance Tools (5)

Manage users, tenants, and licenses.

Tool	Description	Platforms
qlik_health_check	Check server status and connectivity	Cloud, On-Prem
qlik_get_tenant_info	Get tenant/server information	Cloud, On-Prem
qlik_search_users	Search users by name or email	Cloud, On-Prem
qlik_get_user_info	Get detailed user information	Cloud, On-Prem
qlik_get_license_info	Get license and seat allocation	Cloud, On-Prem

Example prompts:

• "Check the health of my Qlik environment"
• "Search for users with 'admin' in their name"
• "Show me the license information"

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3. Reload Tools (3)

Manage app reloads.

Tool	Description	Platforms
qlik_trigger_app_reload	Trigger an app reload	Cloud, On-Prem
qlik_get_reload_status	Check reload task status	Cloud, On-Prem
qlik_cancel_reload	Cancel a running reload	Cloud, On-Prem

Example prompts:

• "Reload the Sales Dashboard app"
• "What's the status of reload task abc123?"
• "Cancel the current reload"

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4. Catalog Tools (1)

Browse spaces and streams.

Tool	Description	Platforms
qlik_get_spaces_catalog	List all spaces with details	Cloud (Spaces), On-Prem (Streams)

Example prompts:

• "List all spaces in my tenant"
• "Show me the catalog of available spaces"

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5. Lineage Tools (1) - Cloud Only

Track data lineage.

Tool	Description	Platforms
qlik_get_lineage	Get data lineage for a resource	Cloud

Example prompts:

• "Show me the data lineage for dataset xyz"

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6. Data Tools (5)

Interact with data and selections.

Tool	Description	Platforms
qlik_get_dataset_details	Get dataset/data connection details	Cloud, On-Prem
qlik_apply_selections	Apply field selections	Cloud, On-Prem
qlik_clear_selections	Clear all selections	Cloud, On-Prem
qlik_get_current_selections	Get active selections	Cloud, On-Prem
qlik_get_available_fields	List all fields in an app	Cloud, On-Prem

Example prompts:

• "What fields are available in app xyz?"
• "Select 'USA' in the Country field"
• "Clear all selections in the app"

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7. Misc Tools (2)

Natural language and reload info.

Tool	Description	Platforms
qlik_insight_advisor	Ask natural language questions	Cloud, On-Prem
qlik_get_reload_info	Get reload history for an app	Cloud, On-Prem

Example prompts:

• "Ask Sales app: What were total sales last year?"
• "Show me the reload history for app xyz"

Note: On-premise qlik_insight_advisor requires Insight Advisor Chat license enabled in QMC.

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8. App Tools (1)

Create, update apps and manage data connections.

Tool	Description	Platforms
qlik_generate_app	Create or update a Qlik app with script and data connections	Cloud, On-Prem

Example prompts:

• "Create a new app called Sales Report"
• "Update the load script for app xyz"

Cloud Workflow

On Qlik Cloud, qlik_generate_app uses REST APIs to create apps and trigger reloads asynchronously.

Cloud Example Prompts:

What you say	What happens
"Create a Qlik app with sample sales data"	Creates app with inline LOAD script
"Create a new app called 'Dashboard' and load this data..."	Creates app in personal space
"Update the load script for app abc-123"	Updates existing app's script

Typical Cloud Workflow:

1. Create app with inline data:

   "Create a Qlik app called 'Sales Analysis' with sample data
   for products, regions, and sales amounts"
   

2. Create app using existing dataset:

   "Create a Qlik app that loads from the 'Sales.qvd' dataset
   in my Data space"
   

3. Update existing app:

   "Update app abc-123 with a new load script that adds
   a calculated field for profit margin"
   

Cloud Data Connection Note: On Cloud, data connections are managed via the Qlik Cloud hub or Spaces. Use qlik_search with types: ["dataconnection"] to find existing connections, then reference them in your load script using LIB CONNECT TO.

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On-Premise Workflow (Engine API)

On Qlik Sense Enterprise, the tool uses the Engine API via WebSocket (port 4747) with certificate authentication:

1. Create App - Global.CreateApp()
2. Create Data Connection (optional) - Doc.CreateConnection()
3. Set Load Script - Doc.SetScript()
4. Execute Reload - Doc.DoReload()
5. Save App - Doc.DoSave()

On-Premise Example Prompts:

What you say	What happens
"List available ODBC data sources on the server"	Lists all DSNs configured on the Qlik server
"Show me the data connections in app abc-123"	Lists all connections in the specified app
"Create a Qlik app with sample sales data"	Creates app with inline LOAD script
"Create an app that loads data from C:\Data\sales.csv"	Creates folder connection + app
"Create an app connected to SQL Server DSN 'MySQLServer'"	Creates ODBC connection + app

Typical On-Premise Workflow:

1. Discover data sources:

   "What ODBC data sources are available on the Qlik server?"
   

2. Explore existing app connections:

   "List the data connections in the Sales Dashboard app"
   

3. Create app with data:

   "Create a new Qlik app called 'Customer Analysis' that connects to
   the folder C:\QlikData and loads customers.csv"
   

Discovery Parameters:

// List available ODBC data sources on the server
{ "listOdbcDsns": true }

// List connections in an existing app
{ "appId": "abc-123", "listConnections": true }

On-Premise Data Connection Examples:

Folder Connection:

{
  "appName": "SalesReport",
  "dataConnection": {
    "connectionName": "SalesData",
    "connectionType": "folder",
    "connectionString": "C:\\Data\\Sales\\"
  },
  "loadScript": "LOAD * FROM [lib://SalesData/sales.csv] (txt, codepage is 1252, embedded labels, delimiter is ',', msq);"
}

ODBC Connection:

{
  "appName": "SQLReport",
  "dataConnection": {
    "connectionName": "SQLServer",
    "connectionType": "ODBC",
    "connectionString": "DSN=MyDSN",
    "username": "user",
    "password": "pass"
  },
  "loadScript": "LIB CONNECT TO 'SQLServer';\nSQL SELECT * FROM Sales;"
}

Note: On-premise uses Engine API (port 4747) with certificate auth. Ensure certificates are properly exported from QMC.

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9. Automation Tools (4) - Cloud Only

Manage automations.

Tool	Description	Platforms
qlik_automation_list	List all automations	Cloud
qlik_automation_get_details	Get automation details	Cloud
qlik_automation_run	Execute an automation	Cloud
qlik_automation_list_runs	List automation runs	Cloud

Example prompts:

• "List all automations"
• "Run the daily ETL automation"
• "Show me the run history for automation xyz"

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10. Alerts Tools (4) - Cloud Only

Data alerting and notifications.

Tool	Description	Platforms
qlik_alert_list	List all data alerts	Cloud
qlik_alert_get	Get alert details	Cloud
qlik_alert_trigger	Manually trigger an alert	Cloud
qlik_alert_delete	Delete an alert	Cloud

Example prompts:

• "List all data alerts"
• "Show me the details of alert xyz"
• "Trigger the inventory alert"

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11. Qlik Answers Tools (3) - Cloud Only

AI assistants with Q&A capabilities.

Tool	Description	Platforms
qlik_answers_list_assistants	List AI assistants	Cloud
qlik_answers_get_assistant	Get assistant details	Cloud
qlik_answers_ask_question	Ask a question to an assistant	Cloud

Example prompts:

• "List all Qlik Answers assistants"
• "Show me the details of the Sales Assistant"
• "Ask the Sales Assistant: What were our top products last quarter?"

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12. AutoML Tools (4) - Cloud Only

Machine learning experiments and deployments.

Tool	Description	Platforms
qlik_automl_get_experiments	List all experiments	Cloud
qlik_automl_get_experiment	Get experiment details	Cloud
qlik_automl_list_deployments	List deployments	Cloud
qlik_automl_get_deployment	Get deployment details	Cloud

Example prompts:

• "List all AutoML experiments"
• "Show me the deployments"
• "Get details for experiment xyz"

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Usage Examples

Basic Queries

You: "Check the health of my Qlik Cloud tenant"
Claude: [Uses qlik_health_check] Your tenant is healthy...

You: "List all spaces"
Claude: [Uses qlik_get_spaces_catalog] Found 57 spaces...

You: "Search for users named John"
Claude: [Uses qlik_search_users] Found 3 users matching 'John'...

Data Analysis

You: "Analyze the data model for my Sales Dashboard app"
Claude: [Uses qlik_analyze_data_model] The app has 5 tables,
       45 fields, with 1.2M rows in the main fact table...

You: "Select USA in the Country field, then show me the current selections"
Claude: [Uses qlik_apply_selections, qlik_get_current_selections]
       Selection applied. Current selections: Country = USA

Reload Management

You: "Show me all currently running reloads"
Claude: [Uses qlik_monitor_active_reloads] 2 reloads in progress...

You: "Reload the Finance Dashboard"
Claude: [Uses qlik_trigger_app_reload] Reload started. Task ID: xyz...

You: "Check the reload history for that app"
Claude: [Uses qlik_get_app_reload_history] Last 5 reloads shown...

AI/ML Features

You: "List all Qlik Answers assistants"
Claude: [Uses qlik_answers_list_assistants] Found 3 assistants...

You: "Ask the Sales Assistant: What were our top products last quarter?"
Claude: [Uses qlik_answers_ask_question] Based on the data,
       your top 5 products were...

You: "List AutoML experiments"
Claude: [Uses qlik_automl_get_experiments] Found 2 experiments...

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Platform Support

Qlik Cloud

All 34 tools are available on Qlik Cloud.

Qlik Sense Enterprise (On-Premise)

17 tools work on-premise. Cloud-only features return informative messages:

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "This feature is only available on Qlik Cloud",
  "platform": "on-premise",
  "suggestion": "Alternative approach for on-premise..."
}

Cloud-Only Features (16 tools)

• Qlik Answers (2 tools)
• AutoML (4 tools)
• Data Alerts (4 tools)
• Automation (4 tools)
• Lineage (1 tool)
• Dataset Details (1 tool)

On-Premise Equivalents

Cloud Feature	On-Premise Alternative
Spaces	Streams (via QRS /qrs/stream)
Items API	QRS App API (/qrs/app)
Cloud Reloads	QRS Reload Tasks (/qrs/reloadtask)
Insight Advisor	NL Query API (/api/v1/nl/query)
App Create/Script	Engine API (Global.CreateApp, Doc.SetScript, Doc.DoReload)
Data Connections	Engine API (Doc.CreateConnection, Doc.GetConnections)
ODBC Discovery	Engine API (Global.GetOdbcDsns)

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Testing

Quick Smoke Test

export QLIK_TENANT_URL=https://your-tenant.qlikcloud.com
export QLIK_API_KEY=your-api-key
node test-cloud-quick.cjs

Full Handler Test

node test-mcp-handlers.mjs

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Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Description
QLIK_TENANT_URL	Yes	Qlik Cloud URL or Qlik Sense Enterprise server URL
QLIK_DEPLOYMENT	No	cloud (default) or on-premise

For Qlik Cloud:

Variable	Required	Description
QLIK_API_KEY	Yes	API key from Qlik Cloud hub

For Qlik Sense Enterprise (On-Premise):

Variable	Required	Description
QLIK_CERT_PATH	Yes	Folder containing client.pem, client_key.pem, root.pem
QLIK_USER_DIRECTORY	Yes	Windows domain (e.g., COMPANY)
QLIK_USER_ID	Yes	Username to act as (e.g., admin)
QLIK_VIRTUAL_PROXY	No	Virtual proxy prefix (if configured)

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Troubleshooting

"Tool not found" Error

Ensure the MCP server is running and Claude Desktop was restarted after configuration.

Authentication Errors

Qlik Cloud:

• Verify your API key is valid and not expired
• Ensure the API key has appropriate permissions

Qlik Sense Enterprise (On-Premise):

• Verify certificate paths are correct and files exist
• Ensure certificates were exported with the private key
• Check that the certificate hasn't expired
• Verify the machine name in the certificate matches your setup

"Cloud-only feature" Message

Some tools are only available on Qlik Cloud. The error message will suggest alternatives.

Connection Timeout

Check network connectivity to your Qlik server. Ensure firewalls allow the connection.

Empty MCP Server / Tools Not Showing

If Claude Desktop shows empty MCP server with no tools:

1. Check if dist/ folder exists:

   dir C:\qlik-claude-mcp-main\dist\
   

   If not, run npm run build first.

2. Check MCP server logs:

   type "$env:APPDATA\Claude\logs\mcp-server-qlik-mcp-os.log"
   

3. Fully restart Claude Desktop:

   • Close Claude Desktop
   • Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc)
   • Find "Claude" and click End Task
   • Reopen Claude Desktop

4. Verify config file location:

   type "$env:APPDATA\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json"
   

Server Hangs or Slow Response

If the server hangs or responds slowly, use optimized config with memory settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "qlik-mcp-os": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "--max-old-space-size=4096",
        "C:\\qlik-claude-mcp-main\\dist\\index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://your-tenant.qlikcloud.com",
        "QLIK_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
        "NODE_ENV": "production"
      }
    }
  }
}

"Cannot find module" Error

This means npm run build was not executed:

cd C:\qlik-claude-mcp-main
npm install
npm run build

Then restart Claude Desktop.

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Architecture

┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐
│  Claude Desktop │────▶│   MCP Server    │────▶│   Qlik Cloud    │
│                 │     │                 │     │   (REST APIs)   │
│  Natural Lang   │◀────│  33 Tools       │◀────│                 │
│  Interface      │     │  12 Categories  │     ├─────────────────┤
└─────────────────┘     └─────────────────┘     │ Qlik Sense Ent. │
                                                │ (QRS + Engine)  │
                                                └─────────────────┘

Cloud: REST APIs (/api/v1/*) with API key authentication

On-Premise:

• QRS API (port 4242) - Management operations
• Engine API (port 4747) - App creation, scripts, data connections via WebSocket

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Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Run tests: npm test
5. Submit a pull request

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License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.

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Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Documentation: See /docs folder
• Qlik Community: community.qlik.com

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