Looker

Overview

Solid connects to Looker via the Looker API to retrieve metadata for Dashboards and Looks, helping you understand how your data flows through your organization.

What Solid Collects

• Dashboard metadata: Names, structures, and configurations
• Looks (saved reports): Report definitions and underlying queries
• LookML: Model and view definitions for lineage mapping
• Query structure: SQL queries to map fields back to source tables

Important: Solid retrieves metadata only. It does not retrieve the actual data displayed in reports or dashboards.

Access Requirements

• Permission Level: The service user needs View access to the specific folders you want Solid to inspect
• API Access: Looker API must be enabled on your instance
• Admin Access: Required to create users and generate API credentials

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Step 1: Create a Dedicated Service User

Create a user and API key through which the dashboard and report metadata can be retrieved by Solid.

Instructions

1. Follow the Looker documentation on the creation of a user dedicated for Solid's access

2. User Configuration:

   • Log into Looker with Admin privileges
   • Navigate to Admin → Users
   • Click Add Users
   • Enter an email address (e.g., [email protected])
   • Click Done

3. Understanding Access Requirements:

   • Solid retrieves the list and details of dashboards and Looks
   • The recommended access is one that gives the user View access to all the dashboards and Looks within the folders you wish Solid to inspect
   • Providing the user with View permission to these folders is sufficient

Note: You do not need to send an invite email if you are only using the account for API access. The user will authenticate exclusively through API credentials.

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Step 2: Assign Permissions and Folder Access

Solid needs to "see" your content to index it properly.

Assign a Role

Assign a role to the user that includes the following permissions:

• access_data: Allows the user to run queries and access data
• see_lookml: Allows the user to view LookML definitions
• see_looks: Allows the user to view Looks (saved reports)

Recommended: Use a standard "Viewer" role or create a custom role with these specific permissions.

Grant Folder Access

1. Go to the Browse section in Looker
2. Find the folders containing the Dashboards and Looks you want Solid to analyze
3. Right-click the folder and select Manage Access
4. Add your Solid service user
5. Grant them View permission
6. Repeat this for all relevant top-level folders

Important: Folder permissions cascade to subfolders. Granting access at the top level will include all nested content.

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Step 3: Generate API Credentials

Create an API key for the service user by following the Looker user documentation.

Instructions

1. Navigate to Admin → Users
2. Find your Solid service user and click Edit
3. Scroll down to the API Keys section
4. Click Edit Keys
5. Click New API Key
6. Copy and save both the Client ID and Client Secret immediately

WARNING: For security reasons, the Client Secret is only shown once. Store it in a secure password manager or secrets management system.

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Step 4: Deliver Credentials to Solid

Deliver the Client ID and Client Secret to Solid through a secure means approved by your organization.

Option A: Direct Entry in Solid (Recommended)

1. Log into the Solid platform
2. Navigate to Settings → Integrations → Looker
3. Enter the following information:

4. Click Test Connection

   • If the connection fails, verify:
     • Instance URL is correct and accessible
     • Client ID and Client Secret are accurate
     • The service user has access to at least one folder
     • API access is enabled on your Looker instance

5. Click Save to begin the metadata sync

Option B: Secure Transfer

If your organization's security policy requires credential transfer through a secure channel:

1. Use an approved secure file sharing method (e.g., encrypted email, secure portal)
2. Share the Client ID and Client Secret with your Solid contact
3. Include your Looker Instance URL
4. Your Solid administrator will configure the integration on your behalf

Solid will begin indexing your Looker metadata once configured.

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What Data Does Solid Collect?

Solid uses the Looker API (typically version 4.0) to perform the following:

Dashboard Discovery

Solid retrieves information using the Dashboard API:

• Lists all accessible dashboards in the permitted folders
• Dashboard titles, descriptions, and configurations
• Dashboard elements and their layout
• Tile configurations and filters
• Dashboard permissions and ownership

Look/Report Mapping

Solid retrieves information using the Look API:

• Identifies Looks (saved reports) and their definitions
• Report queries and visualizations
• Associated models and explores
• Custom fields and calculations
• Look permissions and folder locations

Lineage Extraction

Solid parses the LookML and underlying SQL to:

• Map fields back to your data warehouse tables (Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, etc.)
• Identify dimension and measure definitions
• Track derived tables and transformations
• Build end-to-end data lineage from source to dashboard

LookML Metadata

• Model definitions
• View definitions
• Explore configurations
• Join relationships
• Field definitions (dimensions, measures, filters)

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Looker API Version

Solid uses Looker API version 4.0 by default. The integration is compatible with:

• Looker 7.0 and later
• Looker (Google Cloud core) - all versions

If your Looker instance uses a different API version, contact Solid support for configuration guidance.

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Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

If you're having trouble connecting:

1. Verify the Instance URL is correct and includes the protocol (https://)
2. Check API credentials are copied correctly (no extra spaces or characters)
3. Confirm API access is enabled on your Looker instance
4. Test the credentials using Looker's API Explorer at https://your-instance.looker.com/api-docs
5. Check network accessibility - ensure Solid can reach your Looker instance

Permission Issues

If Solid can't access certain dashboards or folders:

1. Verify folder permissions - Check that the service user has View access
2. Confirm role permissions - Ensure access_data and see_lookml are granted
3. Check content access - Some dashboards may have additional access restrictions
4. Review model permissions - Ensure the user can access the underlying data models

API Credential Issues

If your API credentials stop working:

1. Check if the API key was revoked in the Looker Admin panel
2. Verify the service user is still active and not disabled
3. Regenerate credentials if necessary and update them in Solid
4. Confirm API key limits - Looker may have restrictions on the number of active API keys

Missing Data Issues

If some content is not appearing in Solid:

1. Verify folder access - The service user must have explicit View permission
2. Check content is saved - Only saved Dashboards and Looks are indexed
3. Confirm models are accessible - The user needs access to the underlying LookML models
4. Review hidden content - Hidden or archived content may not be indexed

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Security Best Practices

• Use a dedicated service account rather than a personal user account
• Store API credentials securely in a password manager or secrets management system
• Never commit credentials to version control
• Rotate API keys regularly according to your organization's security policies
• Grant minimum necessary permissions - only provide View access to required folders
• Monitor API usage through Looker's system activity logs
• Revoke unused API keys immediately when they're no longer needed
• Use HTTPS for all connections to Looker
• Enable IP allowlisting if your Looker instance supports it
• Review access logs periodically to ensure appropriate usage

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API Rate Limits

Looker enforces API rate limits to ensure system stability. Solid's integration is designed to respect these limits, but be aware:

• Standard rate limits apply to all API calls
• Large Looker environments may take longer to sync initially
• Subsequent syncs are incremental and faster
• Contact Looker support if you need to adjust rate limits for the integration

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Supported Looker Features

Solid supports metadata extraction for:

• Dashboards: All dashboard types including user-defined and LookML dashboards
• Looks: Saved reports and visualizations
• Explores: Data exploration interfaces
• Models: LookML model definitions
• Views: LookML view definitions
• Derived Tables: SQL and native derived tables
• Custom Fields: Table calculations and custom dimensions/measures

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Additional Resources

• Looker API Documentation
• Looker User Management
• Looker Dashboard API
• Looker Look API
• Looker Permissions
• LookML Documentation