Looker Marketplace Overview

The Looker Marketplace is a central location for finding, deploying, and managing Looker models (blocks), visualizations, applications, and actions.

This page summarizes the Looker Marketplace development process and provides an overview of the different types of Marketplace content that you can create.

Overview

Developers can contribute to the Marketplace by creating content such as blocks, visualizations, and applications. To get started, follow these high-level steps:

  1. Create your Marketplace content. Use one of the following guides to help you get started, depending on which type of content you'd like to build:
  2. Host the code for your Marketplace content on a public Git repository. (For actions, instead submit a pull request to Looker's action repository.)
  3. Submit your Marketplace content for review. See Submitting content to the Looker Marketplace for more details.

The following sections summarize the different types of Marketplace content that you can create.

Blocks

What are blocks?

Looker Blocks are pre-built pieces of LookML that Looker customers can use as a starting point for quick and flexible data modeling.

You can create a block that models a common third-party dataset, such as Google Analytics 360, or models a common analytical pattern, such as Retail Analytics.

Using blocks

Blocks are designed to be plug-and-play, as long as you have the appropriate dataset in an existing Looker connection. You can install a block from the Marketplace, customize the LookML, and begin exploring.

To develop a block for submission to the Marketplace, create a new LookML project in your Looker instance and back up the LookML in a public GitHub repository. See Developing a custom block for the Looker Marketplace for detailed instructions and guidelines.

Examples

Most blocks on the Looker Marketplace Directory can be one-click installed onto your Looker instance. For examples, see:

Getting Started

Developing a LookML block

Visualizations

What are visualizations?

In addition to Looker's default visualization library, you can create custom visualization types in JavaScript. using the Looker Visualization API, the Looker visualization testbed, or your own environment.

Using visualizations

Visualizations are designed to be plug-and-play. You can install a visualization from the Marketplace and immediately select the new visualization type when exploring, building a new dashboard, and editing a dashboard.

To develop a visualization for submission to the Marketplace, start by using the Looker Visualization API or your own Javascript environment. See Developing a visualization for the Looker Marketplace for detailed instructions and guidelines.

Examples

Most visualizations on the Looker Marketplace Directory can be one-click installed onto your Looker instance. For examples, see:

Getting started

Developing a visualization

Applications

What are applications?

Looker Applications allow you to provide highly customized and integrated experiences to your Looker instance's users.

A dedicated Looker page becomes your canvas, with a wide array of tools at your disposal, including the ability to:

  • run Javascript code
  • access the Looker APIs through a pre-authenticated client
  • leverage Looker Components for seamless UI
  • make HTTP calls from the client or through a convenient server proxy
  • authenticate with third-party services via OAuth

Using Applications

Applications are designed to be plug-and-play. You can install an application from the Marketplace and immediately begin using it.

To develop an application for submission to the marketplace, the first step is to is author a Javascript-based client-side application that uses the APIs exposed by Looker's Extension Framework. Looker's create-looker-extension command line tool can get you started with a template codebase, including the necessary build tooling to bundle your application code via webpack. See the Building a Looker extension page for detailed instructions and guidelines.

Examples

Several Looker-published applications can be one-click installed into your Looker instance from the Looker Marketplace. For examples, see:

Getting started

Building a Looker extension

Actions

What are actions?

Actions, also called integrations, deliver Looker data to third-party services. Expand on Looker's action destination library by creating an action to a new destination, such as Airtable or Azure Storage.

Using actions

Looker customers enable actions from the Admin settings - Actions page in their Looker instance, rather than by installing actions from the Marketplace.

To develop a new action, write a Javascript method that sends either one cell of a Looker data table, one Looker query, or one Looker dashboard to the destination. See the Building a custom action page for detailed instructions and guidelines.

Examples

To try out an action, enable an action from the Admin settings - Actions page in your Looker instance. Then, select the action when sending or scheduling data. For examples, see:

Getting Started

Building a custom action