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One of the errors you may encounter when you validate your LookML is Model <model_name> is not allowed to use connection <connection_name>.
This error means that you need to look at the LookML project settings and verify that the model has the necessary and correct permissions to reference the connections it needs.
For example, the following error indicates that the model lauren_ecommerce is not allowed to use the athena connection:
Select the Manage Projects link in the error message. This will take you to the LookML Projects page.
You can also navigate to the LookML Projects page by using the URL https://<your_looker_domain.com>/projects, or by selecting Projects from the Develop menu in the left navigation panel.
On the LookML Projects page, find the model that triggered the error. In this example, look for the lauren_ecommerce model for the l_ecommerce project. The model will be made more visible by a critical error in red:
Select the Configure button to open the Edit Model Configuration page.
Review the connections currently selected for the model in the Allowed Connections section. In this example, the error states that model 'lauren_ecommerce' is not allowed to use connection 'athena'. The connection athena is not selected in the model's Allowed Connections. The ecommerce_demo connection was selected by mistake in this case:
Check the box next to the correct connection — in this case, athena. Alternatively, you can select the All option to grant the model access to all connections, including new connections added in the future.
Adjust other connection selections as needed.
Select Save.
Navigate back to your LookML model and re-validate to verify that the model configuration error is no longer there:
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-07-22 UTC."],[],[],null,["# How to fix model configuration errors\n\nOne of the errors you may encounter when you [validate](/looker/docs/lookml-validation#validating_your_lookml) your LookML is `Model \u003cmodel_name\u003e is not allowed to use connection \u003cconnection_name\u003e`.\n\n\nThis error means that you need to look at the LookML [project settings](/looker/docs/manage-projects#projects_with_only_a_configuration) and verify that the model has the necessary and correct permissions to reference the connections it needs.\n\n\nFor example, the following error indicates that the model `lauren_ecommerce` is not allowed to use the **athena** connection:\n\n\nThere are two ways to fix the error:\n\n- Changing the connection referenced in the model file's [`connection` parameter](/looker/docs/reference/param-model-connection)\n- Editing the project's configuration settings to provide access to the connection\n\n\nThis page provides instructions for editing the project's configuration settings.\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\nEditing the model's configuration settings\n------------------------------------------\n\n\nTo edit the model's configuration settings:\n\n1. Expand the [validation error](/looker/docs/lookml-validation#lookml_errors) in the IDE.\n2. Select the **Manage Projects** link in the error message. This will take you to the LookML Projects page.\n\n \u003cbr /\u003e\n\n You can also navigate to the LookML Projects page by using the URL `https://\u003cyour_looker_domain.com\u003e/projects`, or by selecting **Projects** from the **Develop** menu in the left navigation panel.\n3. On the LookML Projects page, find the model that triggered the error. In this example, look for the `lauren_ecommerce` model for the **l_ecommerce** project. The model will be made more visible by a critical error in red:\n4. Select the **Configure** button to open the **Edit Model Configuration** page.\n5. Review the connections currently selected for the model in the **Allowed Connections** section. In this example, the error states that `model 'lauren_ecommerce' is not allowed to use connection 'athena'.` The connection **athena** is not selected in the model's **Allowed Connections** . The `ecommerce_demo` connection was selected by mistake in this case:\n\n \u003cbr /\u003e\n\n6. Check the box next to the correct connection --- in this case, **athena** . Alternatively, you can select the **All** option to grant the model access to all connections, including new connections added in the future.\n7. Adjust other connection selections as needed.\n8. Select **Save**.\n9. Navigate back to your LookML model and re-validate to verify that the model configuration error is no longer there:"]]
