Comma

Use Comma with Hex

Hex builds the analysis. Comma is where your team reviews it. Connecting them gives you the strongest part of each tool without duplicating either.

The division of labor

Hex does the work. SQL workbench, Python cells, chart cells, warehouse connections, AI notebook and threads agents, semantic models, published data apps. The full arc from "raw data in the warehouse" to "rendered HTML output."

Comma does the review. Takes the HTML Hex produced, renders it faithfully inside an opaque-origin sandbox, and adds anchored Google-Docs-style comments on text and table cells. Routines re-run the underlying skill on a cron and post the new HTML as a revision. The same comma_sk_… token gates the REST API and the MCP server, so a Claude or Cursor agent is a first-class contributor.

Each tool keeps the slice it's best at. Neither tool pretends to be the other.

When the pair makes sense

  • Your team has a mature Hex setup but the share-layer step ends in Slack screenshots, an email digest, or a published Hex app that stakeholders won't open.
  • Reviewers outnumber editors. Hex charges per editor; Comma doesn't paywall casual commenters per seat.
  • You want scheduled refreshes below the Team-plan price floor. Hex scheduled runs are gated to Team ($75/seat). Comma routines run on every plan — monthly on Free, daily on Pro, hourly on Team.
  • You have an agent in the loop. A Cursor or Claude Code agent runs alongside the Hex workflow and needs somewhere to post its output.

Three integration patterns

Pattern 1: Manual export → Comma report

The lightest setup. Run the Hex notebook, use Hex's "publish as app" or "export HTML" function, and paste the result into a new Comma report. Reviewers leave anchored comments. Next time you re-run the notebook, paste the new HTML in and Comma appends it as a new revision on the same report.

When to use it: One-off reports, monthly recurring reports where you don't need full automation, the first proof-of-concept.

Pattern 2: Comma routine re-runs the skill

The strongest setup. Convert your Hex notebook's logic into a Claude skill (or wrap your Hex API calls inside one). A Comma routine fires on its cadence, executes the skill, and posts the resulting HTML as a revision on the target report. The skill can still call Hex's API to pull the latest output if you want Hex to remain the build engine.

When to use it: Recurring reports with a predictable shape (daily ops digest, weekly analytics, monthly compliance). When you want the schedule, the cost cap, and the credential under one tool — Comma.

See routines documentation →.

Pattern 3: Hex job posts to Comma via API

The tightest coupling. Your Hex workflow ends with an API call to Comma's /api/v1/reports/{id}/revisions endpoint, posting the rendered HTML as the next revision. Hex orchestrates the run; Comma is the destination.

# At the end of your Hex notebook
curl -X POST https://commareports.com/api/v1/reports/$REPORT_ID/revisions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $COMMA_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: text/html" \
  --data-binary @./output.html

When to use it: You already trust Hex as your scheduler and don't want two of them. Hex fires the run; Comma is just the publication target.

What changes for reviewers

Before (Hex alone) After (Hex + Comma)
Open a Hex notebook to leave a comment Open a document link, no Hex account required
Comments live on notebook cells Comments anchored to text and table cells in the rendered HTML
Refresh requires opening Hex Same link refreshes in place via routines
Casual reviewers cost an editor seat Casual commenters don't add seat cost
Conversation lives in Slack alongside the link Conversation lives on the artifact

What stays in Hex

  • The warehouse connections and credentials.
  • The SQL, Python, and chart cells.
  • The semantic model and governed datasets.
  • The Hex AI agents — Notebook agent, Threads agent.
  • The history of how the analysis was built.

Comma doesn't try to replace any of this. The notebook stays the source of truth for the how of the analysis; Comma carries the what to the people who need to review it.

Setup, end to end

  1. Pick the report shape. A daily ops digest? A weekly analytics summary? A monthly board report? Decide the cadence first.
  2. Have a Comma account. Free is enough to test the loop end-to-end with a monthly cadence.
  3. Create the Comma report. Either upload your current Hex output, or start with a placeholder. Set access for reviewers.
  4. Choose an integration pattern. Manual to start, routine when the shape is stable, API for tight coupling.
  5. For Pattern 2: wire the routine. From the Comma report, Add routine →. Pick a skill that wraps your Hex logic (or that calls Hex's API). Set cadence and cost cap.
  6. Invite reviewers. They get a link, anchor comments where they want them, and the link refreshes in place at each cadence boundary.

Pricing for the pair

You keep paying Hex for what you use Hex for — editor seats on Professional or Team. You add Comma at $15/month (Pro) or $75/seat (Team) for the share layer. For most teams, this is materially cheaper than upgrading from Hex Professional to Hex Team just to get scheduled runs, because Comma's commenters don't count against editor seats.

See full Comma pricing →

Try the integration

The fastest way to feel the pair is on the Comma Free plan with a monthly cadence: export your latest Hex report, create a Comma report from it, invite two reviewers, and see how the surface changes. Move to Pattern 2 or 3 when the loop is worth automating.

Create your first report →

Related