You can serve your instance through a custom web domain rather than through the default domain that Looker (Google Cloud core) provides for a deployed service. If you create a custom domain with an instance that uses a public network connection, Google provides a managed, auto-renewing SSL certificate.
After your Looker (Google Cloud core) instance has been created, you can set up, view information about, or delete a custom domain for your instance. You cannot modify a custom domain directly. Instead, you must delete the existing custom domain and create a new one.
Before you begin
Before you can customize the domain of your Looker (Google Cloud core) instance, you must follow these steps:
- Using any domain registrar, purchase a new web domain if you do not already have one.
- Identify where your domain's DNS records are stored, so that you can update them.
Required roles
To get the permissions that you need to create a custom domain for a Looker (Google Cloud core) instance,
ask your administrator to grant you the
Looker Admin (roles/looker.admin) IAM role on the project the instance resides in.
For more information about granting roles, see Manage access.
This predefined role contains the permissions required to create a custom domain for a Looker (Google Cloud core) instance. To see the exact permissions that are required, expand the Required permissions section:
Required permissions
The following permissions are required to create a custom domain for a Looker (Google Cloud core) instance:
-
To create and edit a custom domain:
looker.instances.update -
To view instances and instance details:
-
looker.instances.get -
looker.instances.list
-
You might also be able to get these permissions with custom roles or other predefined roles.
Creating a custom domain
Follow these steps to customize the domain of your Looker (Google Cloud core) instance:
- On the Instances page, click on the name of the instance for which you would like to set up a custom domain.
- Select the CUSTOM DOMAIN tab.
- Select ADD A CUSTOM DOMAIN to open the Add a new custom domain panel.
- Using only letters, numbers, and dashes, enter the hostname of up to 64 characters for the web domain that you would like to use — for example:
looker.examplepetstore.com— and click CONTINUE. - Wherever your DNS records are stored, create an A record in the DNS zone for your domain. For an instance that uses a public network connection, use the Data value from the Update your DNS records section of the Add a new custom domain panel for the A record's IP address. For an instance that uses a private network connection, use the IP address of the proxy server for the A record's IP address, which is generated at the end of Step 1 in the Set up a proxy server section of the Private IP networking with Looker (Google Cloud core). DNS updates can take up to 24 hours to take effect.
- In the Add a new custom domain panel, select DONE to return to the CUSTOM DOMAIN tab. For an instance that uses a public network connection or a combination of public and private network connections, after your DNS records have been updated, select VERIFY DOMAIN. Looker (Google Cloud core) will not verify domains for instances that use private network connections.
Once your domain's DNS records are updated and your domain has been verified in the Google Cloud console, the status of the custom domain that is mapped to the instance will be updated from Unverified to Available.
The Instance URL on the Instances page will display your custom domain.
Viewing information about a custom domain
You can view information about the custom domain that is mapped to your instance on the CUSTOM DOMAIN tab:
Status: The domain's activity status, indicating the stage of domain mapping and verification:
- Updating: The domain has been verified and the domain modification is in progress.
- Available: The custom domain is ready to use.
- Unavailable: The custom domain has not been verified — a DNS record has not been created or the record's IP address doesn't match the appropriate IP address for the type of network connection that the instance is using.
- Inactive: The custom domain is provisioned to the Looker (Google Cloud core) instance but the SSL certificate is not ready.
Domain: The domain that is associated with the instance
Record Type: The type of DNS record that is associated with the domain
Data: The IP address that is associated with the domain's DNS record
Status: A more granular view of where the domain is in the provisioning and verification process
- Unverified: A DNS record has not been created or the record's IP address doesn't match the appropriate IP address for the type of network connection that the instance is using.
- Verifying: The domain verification is in progress.
- Modifying: The domain modification is in progress.
- Available: The custom domain is ready to use.
- Unavailable: The custom domain is provisioned to the Looker (Google Cloud core) instance but the SSL certificate is not ready.
Deleting a custom domain
Follow these steps to delete the domain of your Looker (Google Cloud core) instance:
- On the Instances page, click on the name of the instance for which you would like to set up a custom domain.
- Select the Custom domain tab.
- Select the trash icon next in the domain mapping.
- In the deletion pop-up, type "delete" into the text field and select CONFIRM.
Once the domain mapping is deleted, you will be directed to the Instances page in the Google Cloud console. The Instance URL on the will revert the default domain that was assigned when the Looker (Google Cloud core) instance was created.