FAQ
What is FM Fathom, in one paragraph?
A tool for understanding FileMaker solutions. You upload a solution's Save as XML export (and optionally its server logs), and FM Fathom turns it into a browsable catalog, dependency graphs, audits, production reports, and something no other FileMaker tool has: an AI you can ask about all of it in plain English.
How do I get access?
The beta is invitation-only. There's no self-serve signup yet; keep an eye on the roadmap for what's opening up.
Which FileMaker versions are supported?
FM Fathom reads exports from FileMaker Pro 2024, 2025, and 2026. Exports from 2023 or earlier are rejected with a clear message; open the file in a newer FileMaker Pro and export from there. Details: Export your solution as XML.
Is this built on the DDR?
No. FM Fathom reads FileMaker's Save as XML export, a complete serialization of the file's actual structure. The Database Design Report is an older, lossier analysis export, and the incumbent tools are built around it; ours is not.
Do you see my data?
Your records, never; they aren't in the XML export at all, per Claris's documentation. Server logs, only if you upload them, and they're operational metadata (what ran, when, how long), not row data. The whole story: Your data.
Can the AI change my file?
No. All 24 MCP tools are read-only. The composing tools generate paste-ready snippets grounded in your schema, and pasting is a thing you do, deliberately, in FileMaker. FM Fathom never writes to your solution.
Do I need an AI subscription to use FM Fathom?
No. The whole portal (catalog, graphs, compare, production insight, the board) works with no AI configured. The AI layer is there when you want it: bring your own API key for the built-in assistant, or connect your own Claude account.
Does it handle multi-file solutions?
Yes. One export per FileMaker file, uploaded under one client, and FM Fathom links them into one system with cross-file references resolved.
Who else sees what I upload?
Everyone granted access to that client, and nobody else. There's no per-user visibility inside a client, so treat client access as the sharing boundary. The FM Fathom team looks only with the per-bug-report consent you control. See Clients and files.
What happens when I upload a new version?
A new XML upload replaces that file's parsed data (your board and discussions carry forward). To study two versions side by side instead, upload them as two files and use version comparison. Logs are different: they accumulate.
Can uploads be automated?
Yes. Your FileMaker Server can export the XML and send it to FM Fathom on a schedule, so what you see is never stale. The Automate button on a file's workspace card gives you ready-to-run commands with your host and key filled in. See Automate uploads.
Is there a desktop app?
FM Fathom runs in the browser. A macOS app is in alpha testing: the same product with your data staying entirely on your machine, including the option of a local AI model so even the conversation never leaves. If that's the version you're waiting for, watch the roadmap.
What does it cost?
Pricing isn't set during the private beta. Beta testers use it free.