Pinecone Quickstart

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name: pinecone-quickstart
description: Interactive Pinecone quickstart for new developers. Choose between two paths - Database (create an integrated index, upsert data, and query using Pinecone MCP + Python) or Assistant (create a Pinecone Assistant for document Q&A). Use when a user wants to get started with Pinecone for the first time or wants a guided tour of Pinecone's tools.
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# Pinecone Quickstart

Welcome! This skill walks you through your first Pinecone experience using the tools available to you. In this quickstart,
you will learn how to do a simple form of semantic search over some example data.

## Prerequisites

Before starting either path, verify the API key works by calling `list-indexes` via the Pinecone MCP. If it succeeds, proceed. If it fails, ask the user to set their key:

- Terminal: `export PINECONE_API_KEY="your-key"`
- Or create a `.env` file in the project root: `PINECONE_API_KEY=your-key`

Then retry `list-indexes` to confirm.

## Step 0: Choose Your Path

Ask the user which path they want:

- **Database** – Build a vector search index. Best for developers who want to store and search embeddings. Uses the Pinecone MCP + a Python upsert script.
- **Assistant** – Build a document Q&A assistant. Best for users who want to upload files and ask questions with cited answers. No code required.