if_not_exists=false emits CREATE OR REPLACE, which Snowflake rejects for external_mcp API integrations

[mattsenicksigma]

Summary

With if_not_exists=false, the cortex_mcp_api_integration materialization (#34) and the create_mcp_api_integration run-operation emit CREATE OR REPLACE API INTEGRATION ... API_PROVIDER = EXTERNAL_MCP. Snowflake doesn't support OR REPLACE for this integration type, so the only documented way to rotate or reconfigure an integration fails every time:

003535 (0A000): The OR REPLACE option is not supported for external_mcp API integrations.

The run-operation defaults to if_not_exists=false, so a plain dbt run-operation create_mcp_api_integration ... against an integration that already exists also hits this error.

Repro

1. Build a cortex_mcp_api_integration model once so the integration exists.
2. Change a property (e.g. allowed_prefixes / oauth_resource_url), set if_not_exists = false, and rebuild.
3. The build fails with the error above.

Generated DDL (macros/operations/create_mcp_api_integration.sql, _mcp_api_integration_ddl):

create {% if if_not_exists %}api integration if not exists{% else %}or replace api integration{% endif %} {{ integration_name }}

Current workaround

Keep the default if_not_exists=true and add a temporary pre-hook:

pre_hook = "drop api integration if exists {{ this.identifier }}"

Suggested fix

When if_not_exists=false, emit DROP API INTEGRATION IF EXISTS <name> followed by a plain CREATE API INTEGRATION <name> (two statements) instead of CREATE OR REPLACE. Also:

• Update the docs/comments in the materialization and operation that describe if_not_exists=false as "replace-in-place" / OR REPLACE semantics.
• Call out that dropping an integration invalidates every EXTERNAL MCP SERVER that references it (those need to be recreated) and wipes users' stored OAuth tokens.
• Optionally, rename the flag to something like recreate so the drop-and-create behavior is explicit.