In modern business intelligence, the ability to tailor data presentations to precise business needs is paramount. While Looker provides an extensive suite of standard charts and tables, organizations frequently encounter unique requirements such as specialized network graphs, custom geographic overlays, or highly interactive d3-based visualizations.

Looker addresses this need with its Custom Visualization Framework, which lets you run arbitrary third-party JavaScript code seamlessly within a governed BI environment. However, executing external JavaScript within an enterprise application introduces significant security challenges, primarily around Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), data exfiltration, and unauthorized DOM access.

In this deep dive, we will explore the architecture of the Custom Visualization API, the mechanics of its secure loading strategy, and best practices for safely hosting custom visualization assets.

Looker is making an important security and permissions update regarding data distribution permissions for end users. This post will cover what is changing, how it might impact your users, and how you can use the lkr CLI tool to audit your instance and prevent disruptions proactively.

This guide is designed to walk you through Looker's Cookieless Embed logic, the "gotchas," and the architecture without getting bogged down in code syntax. You can find the nitty-gritty details in Looker's official documentation and in the package. If you would like lkr.dev to work on a code sample in your backend or frontend of choice, feel free to reach out here.

If you haven't already, please see the Cookieless Embedding Guide for a high-level overview of cookieless embedding and how it's supposed to work. Most cookieless embed issues are resolved by the following:

For Looker users and developers, the challenge of creating a truly integrated, multi-tabbed dashboard experience in Looker has long been a point of focus. This post details the progression from manual workarounds to a sophisticated, native solution leveraging the Looker Extension Framework. With an easy-to-install extension, anyone can create a multi-tabbed dashboard experience in Looker, either in a presentation-style format or ad hoc using folders and boards.

See the documentation and the repository