Use the sample LookML project on a Looker (Google Cloud core) instance

Looker (Google Cloud core) provides a sample LookML project that can help you achieve the following:

The sample LookML project is provided on Looker (Google Cloud core) instances of all edition types.

The sample LookML project on Looker (Google Cloud core) instances includes curated LookML models that are based on the public BigQuery dataset the Look eCommerce. This project is a good starting point for learning to build your own LookML models and modify existing models to customize the user experience.

When you create a Looker (Google Cloud core) instance, the sample LookML project is already configured on your instance as a bare repository using application default credentials (ADC) to connect to a BigQuery database managed by Google.

Before you begin: Enable the BigQuery API

Before you can modify the LookML, query the Explores, and view the sample dashboards from the sample LookML project, an admin must enable the BigQuery API for your Google Cloud project. You may need to refresh the console page to confirm that the API has been enabled.

Enable the API

View and interact with the sample LookML project

You can view the sample LookML project by navigating to the project called sample_thelook_ecommerce in the Looker IDE. The sample_thelook_ecommerce project includes four folders: 0_start_here, 1_basic_lookml, 2_intermediate_lookml, and 3_advanced_lookml. These folders include the following elements:

  • README.md files with instructions and explanations of basic, intermediate, and advanced LookML concepts
  • Predefined LookML models with a connection to the sample BigQuery connection sample_bigquery_connection
  • Predefined LookML Explores and views that you can customize

By following the instructions in the project's README.md files, you can learn to make changes to the sample LookML and see how those changes affect the Explore interface. The sample LookML project also includes pre-built dashboards that you can add to and modify to create sample analyses.

Access and edit the LookML project files

To access the LookML files within the sample LookML project, follow these steps:

  1. In the left navigation panel, select Develop to open the Develop menu.
  2. Select the sample_thelook_ecommerce project. By default, navigating to the sample project opens the START_HERE_README.md file.
  3. Read the instructions in the START_HERE_README.md files, or navigate to a different project file.
  4. If you want to start testing out changes to the LookML, enter Development Mode and follow the instructions in the README.md file.

Build queries using the sample Explores

By default, the sample LookML project has the following Explores defined:

  • 1) Basic Ecommerce
  • 2) Intermediate Ecommerce
  • 3) Intermediate Ecommerce (Valid Orders only)
  • 4) Advanced Ecommerce (Valid Orders only)

To access the sample Explores, follow these steps:

  1. In the left navigation panel, select Explore to open the Explore menu.
  2. In the Explore menu, select one of the sample Explores.

For more information about querying data with Explores, follow the instructions in the README.md files or visit Viewing and interacting with Explores in Looker.

View and edit the sample dashboards

By default, when you create your instance, the instance contains the following sample user-defined dashboards from the sample project:

  • Business Pulse - Basic visualization examples
  • Business Pulse - Intermediate visualization examples
  • Business Pulse - Advanced visualization examples

While the instance contains no other content, such as user-created Looks or dashboards, these sample dashboards appear on the pre-built homepage for the instance.

Additionally, these sample dashboards appear in the Shared folders folder (called Your organization's folder) in your instance.

To access the sample dashboards in the Shared folders folder, follow these steps:

  1. In the left navigation panel, select Folders.
  2. On the All folders page, select Shared folders.
  3. On the Your organization's folders page, select one of the sample dashboards.

You can then view and make changes to the dashboards. For more information, see Viewing dashboards and Editing user-defined dashboards.

Change user access to the project

By default, users who have any of the default Looker roles will have the All model set on your Looker (Google Cloud core) instance. Therefore, by default, all users will be able to access all the models that are defined in the sample_thelook_ecommerce project.

If you want to exclude specific users from viewing or interacting with one or more models from the project, you can create a model set that doesn't include the models in sample_thelook_ecommerce. Then, create a new role or update an existing role that is linked to the new, more limited model set.

Remove the sample LookML project

You can remove the sample project and connection from your instance. To remove the project, follow the instructions in Accessing and editing project information.

You can also delete the sample_bigquery_connection connection by following the instructions on the Connections documentation page.

What's next