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Field parameters

This page links to all of the LookML parameters that define fields.

There are several types of fields:

Dimensions represent a column in a table, or a computed value based on some sort of column manipulation or combination
Dimension Groups are only used with time-based data, and enable you to create many time-based dimensions at one time
Measures are similar to aggregate functions in SQL (for example, COUNT, SUM, AVG) and represent information about multiple rows
Filters create a filter-only field users can use to provide input to a templated filter or a conditional join
Parameters create a filter-only field users can use to provide input to a Liquid {% parameter %} tag

Example usage

Hold the pointer over a parameter name to see a quick description. Click a parameter name to jump to its reference page.

When a parameter can be set to one of several specific options, the default value is listed first.

## STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS
view: view_name {
  (dimension |dimension_group |measure |filter | parameter):field_name{
    intervals: [interval, interval, …]
    timeframes: [timeframe, timeframe, …]

    # ACTION AND LINKING PARAMETERS
    action: {
      label: "Label to Appear in Action Menu"
      url: "url"
      icon_url: "url"
      form_url: "url"
      param: {
        name:  "name string"
        value:  "value string"
      }
      # Possibly more param definitions
      form_param: {
        name:  "title"
        type: select | string | textarea
        label:  "desired label name"
        required:  yes | no
        default:  "value string"
        option: {
          name:  "name string"
          value:  "value string"
        }
        # Possibly more option definitions
      }
      # Possibly more form_param definitions
    }
    drill_fields: [field_or_set, field_or_set, ...]
    tags: ["string1", "string2", ...]
    link: {
      label: "desired label name;"
      url: "desired_url"
      icon_url: "url_of_an_image_file"
    }
    # Possibly more link definitions
    # DISPLAY PARAMETERS
    alias: [old_field_name, old_field_name, ...]
    alpha_sort: yes | no
    description: "description string"
    group_label:  "desired group label name"
    group_item_label:  "label to use under the group label in the field picker"
    hidden: yes | no
    label: "desired label name"
    label_from_parameter: parameter_name
    order_by_field: dimension_name | dimension_group_name | measure_name 
    style: classic | interval | integer | relational
    view_label: "desired label name"

    # FILTER PARAMETERS
    can_filter: yes | no
    case_sensitive: yes | no
    filters: [dimension: "filter expression", dimension: "filter expression", ...]
    skip_drill_filter: yes | no

    # FILTER SUGGESTION PARAMETERS
    allowed_value: {
      label: "desired label name"
      value: "looker filter expression"
    }
    # Possibly more allowed_value definitions
    bypass_suggest_restrictions: yes | no
    full_suggestions: yes | no
    suggest_dimension: dimension_name
    suggest_explore: explore_name
    suggest_persist_for: "N (seconds | minutes | hours)"
    suggestable: yes | no
    suggestions: ["suggestion string", "suggestion string", "…"]<

    # QUERY PARAMETERS
    allow_approximate_optimization: yes | no
    approximate: yes | no
    approximate_threshold: N
    convert_tz: yes | no
    datatype: epoch | timestamp | datetime | date | yyyymmdd
    fanout_on: repeated_record_name
    precision: N
    primary_key: yes | no
    required_access_grants: [access_grant_name, access_grant_name, ...]
    required_fields: [field_name, field_name, ...]
    sql_distinct_key: SQL expression to define repeated entities ;;

    # VALUE AND FORMATTING PARAMETERS
    case: {
      when: {
        sql: SQL condition ;;
        label: "value"
      }
      # Possibly more when statements
    }
    default_value: "desired default value"
    direction: "row | column"
    end_location_field: dimension_name
    html: HTML expression using Liquid template elements ;;
    list_field: dimension_name

    percentile: Nth percentile
    sql: SQL expression to generate the field value ;;
    sql_end: SQL expression indicating the end time of a duration ;;
    sql_latitude: SQL expression to generate a latitude ;;
    sql_longitude: SQL expression to generate a longitude ;;
    sql_start: SQL expression indicating the start time of a duration ;;
    start_location_field: dimension_name
    synonyms: [synonym1, synonym2, ...]
    tiers: [N, N, ...]
    type: dimension_field_type # For a dimension field
    type: dimension_group_type
# For a dimension_group field
    type: measure_field_type   # For a measure field
    type: filter_field_type    # For a filter field
    type: parameter_field_type # For a parameter field
    string_datatype: unicode # For a dimension field
    units: feet | kilometers | meters | miles | nautical_miles | yards
    value_format: "excel-style formatting string"
    value_format_name: format_name

    # VISUALIZATION PARAMETERS
    allow_fill: yes | no
    map_layer_name: name_of_map_layer
  }
}

Parameter definitions

D = Dimension
DG = Dimension Group
M = Measure
F = Filter
P = Parameter

Parameter Name	Valid Field Types	Description
Structural Parameters
`dimension`	D	Creates a dimension field
`dimension_group`	DG	Creates several time-based dimensions at the same time
`filter`	F	Creates a filter-only field for use in a templated filter or conditional join
`measure`	M	Creates a measure field
`parameter`	P	Creates a filter-only field users can use to provide input to a Liquid `{% parameter %}` tag
`intervals`	DG	Defines the set of duration dimensions you want in a `dimension_group` of `type: duration`
`timeframes`	DG	Defines the set of timeframe dimensions you want in a `dimension_group` of `type: time`
Action and Linking Parameters
`action`	D M	Creates a data action on a field that lets users perform tasks in other tools, directly from Looker
`drill_fields`	D DG M	Declares the list of fields that will be displayed when the measure or dimension is drilled into
`link`	D M	Creates links to other Looker and external content
`tags`	D DG M F P	Adds text that can be passed to other applications to provide data about a field
Display Parameters
`alias`	D DG M F P	Allows saved URLs with old field names to remain functional after a field is renamed
`alpha_sort`	D	Makes a `case` parameter sort its conditions alphabetically
`description`	D DG M F P	Adds a description to the field users can see when hovering the cursor over the field.
`group_label`	D DG M F	Groups fields together within a view in the field picker
`group_item_label`	D DG M F	Specifies a label to use for the field under its group label in the field picker
`hidden`	D DG M F P	Hides a field from the Explore UI
`label`	D DG M F P	Changes the way a field name appears in the field picker
`label_from_parameter`	D M	Changes the way a field name appears in a visualization based on the input to a `parameter`
`order_by_field`	D DG M	Sorts a field by the values of another field Supported for dimensions, dimension groups Supported for measures
`style`	D	Changes the way that tiers appear in the Looker UI for a dimension of `type: tier`
`view_label`	D DG M F P	Changes the fields that appear within a view in the field picker
Filter Parameters
`can_filter`	D DG M	Determines if a dimension or measure can be used as a filter
`case_sensitive`	D F	Determines if filters are case-sensitive for a dimension
`filter`	F	Creates a filter-only field for use in a templated filter
`filters`	M	Restricts a measure's calculation based on dimension limitations
`skip_drill_filter`	D	Stops a dimension from being added to the filters when a measure is drilled into
Filter Suggestion Parameters
`allowed_value`	P	Specifies the choices for a `parameter`
`bypass_suggest_restrictions`	D DG F P	Shows suggestions to users when `sql_always_where` is in use, but don't apply those limits to the suggestions
`full_suggestions`	D DG F P	Controls how Looker queries your database to provide suggestions for a field's values in the filter of an Explore. Looker can use a basic `SELECT DISTINCT` query, or Looker can use the full logic of the Explore, including joins and `sql_always_where` and `access_filter` parameters.
`suggest_dimension`	D DG M F P	Bases the suggestions for a field on the values of a different dimension
`suggest_explore`	D DG M F P	Bases the suggestions for a field on the values of a different Explore
`suggest_persist_for`	D F P	Changes the cache settings for Looker filter suggestions
`suggestable`	D DG M F P	Enables or disables suggestions for a field
`suggestions`	D F P	Declares a list of values that will be used for a field's suggestions
Query Parameters
`allow_approximate_optimization`	M	Allows distinct count approximations for measures of `type: count` or `type: count_distinct`, so that the measure can be used for aggregate awareness
`approximate`	M	Performs an approximate count for a measure of `type: count_distinct`. See the `approximate` documentation page for a list of dialects that support this parameter.
`approximate_threshold`	M	Sets the count at which BigQuery switches from an exact count distinct to an approximate count distinct
`convert_tz`	D DG M F P	Disables automatic time zone conversion for a field
`datatype`	D DG F M	Specifies the type of time data you are providing to a field
`fanout_on`	D DG M	Enables access to Google BigQuery repeated fields
`precision`	M	Specifies the number of decimal places to use when making calculations for Looker symmetric aggregates
`primary_key`	D	Declares a dimension as the primary key of a view
`required_access_grants`	D DG F M P	Limits access to the field to only users whose user attribute values match the access grants
`required_fields`	D M	Requires that additional fields are added to a query when a field is chosen
`sql_distinct_key`	M	Defines the unique entities over which a measure of `type: sum_distinct` or `type: average_distinct` will be calculated
Value and Formatting Parameters
`case`	D	Creates a discrete set of values a dimension can have determined by SQL conditions
`default_value`	F P	Specifies a default value for filter fields
`direction`	M	Determines the direction that a measure of `type: percent_of_total` or `type: running_total` is calculated when pivots are used
`end_location_field`	D	Defines the field that contains the end location for a field of `type: distance`
`html`	D DG M	Modifies the HTML output of a field using Liquid templating
`list_field`	M	Declares the dimension from which a measure of `type: list` will be calculated
`percentile`	M	Specifies the fractional value (the Nth percentile) for a measure of `type: percentile` or `type: percentile_distinct`
`sql`	D DG M F	Determines how a field will be calculated
`sql_end`	D DG	Defines the end time of a duration for a duration type dimension group or a duration type dimension
`sql_latitude`	D	Defines the latitude of a dimension of `type: location`
`sql_longitude`	D	Defines the longitude of a dimension of `type: location`
`sql_start`	D DG	Defines the begin time of a duration for a duration type dimension group or a duration type dimension
`start_location_field`	D	Defines the field that contains the start location for a field of `type: distance`
`synonyms`	D DG F M P	Specifies a list of string synonyms (words or phrases) that can be used to help large language models and app developers understand other ways that users may refer to a field
`tiers`	D	Defines the tiers for a dimension of `type: tier`
`type` (for dimension, filter, or parameter)	D F P	Specifies the type of dimension, filter, or parameter
`type` (for dimension group)	DG	Specifies the type of dimension group
`type` (for measure)	M	Specifies the type of measure
`string_datatype`	D	Specifies the unicode data type for a field of `type: string` for SQL Server or MySQL
`units`	D	Specifies the units to use for a field of `type: distance`
`value_format`	D M	Formats the output of a field using Excel style options
`value_format_name`	D M	Formats the output of a field using a built-in or custom format
Visualization Parameters
`allow_fill`	D DG	Determines if dimension filling is allowed for a dimension
`map_layer_name`	D	Specifies a mapping from a data value to a geographic region that you've defined on a built-in or custom map
Parameters to Avoid
`decimals`	D M	Removed 5.4 Replaced by `value_format`
`format`	D M	Removed 3.16 Replaced by `value_format`