What is Looker?
Looker is Google’s enterprise Business Intelligence platform for data driven organizations. The service offers a unique modeling layer called LookML that centrally defines data relationships and business logic. This ensures all users receive consistent, trustworthy data without varying interpretations.
The platform connects directly to data warehouses like BigQuery without copying data. Real time queries deliver current results. Integration with Google Cloud enables seamless collaboration with other services.
Core Features
- LookML modeling language for central data logic and consistent metrics
- Interactive dashboards with drill down and filter options
- Embedded analytics API for integration into custom applications
- Native BigQuery integration without data copies
- Scheduling and alerting for automated reports
Common Use Cases
Enterprise Reporting: Central BI platform for business units with unified KPIs. Finance, sales, and marketing use the same data models and receive consistent numbers.
Embedded Analytics: Embed Looker dashboards in SaaS products. Customers get self service analytics without separate BI tools. White labeling enables seamless integration.
Data Governance: LookML defines metrics centrally and prevents different calculations. All teams work with the same definition of revenue, churn, or other business metrics.
Benefits
- Consistent data through central LookML modeling
- Real time queries directly on BigQuery without ETL
- Flexible APIs for embedded analytics and automation
- Strong governance and access control
Integration with innFactory
As a Google Cloud partner, innFactory supports you with Looker: LookML modeling, dashboard design, embedded analytics integration, BigQuery optimization, and training.
Available Tiers & Options
Standard
- Fully managed
- Scalable
- Native GCP integration
- Pricing varies by usage
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Looker?
Looker is an enterprise Business Intelligence platform by Google Cloud. It enables dashboard creation, data modeling with LookML, and embedded analytics for applications.
What is LookML?
LookML is Looker's proprietary modeling language. It defines data relationships, metrics, and business logic centrally, ensuring all users receive consistent data.
How does Looker differ from Looker Studio?
Looker is an enterprise BI platform with LookML data modeling, APIs, and embedded analytics. Looker Studio is a free reporting tool for simple dashboards without a modeling layer.
Can I embed Looker in my application?
Yes, Looker offers embedded analytics with SSO integration, white labeling, and APIs. Dashboards and visualizations can be seamlessly integrated into your products.
What does Looker cost?
Looker uses a usage based pricing model. Costs depend on number of users, query volume, and instance size. Detailed pricing is available in the Google Cloud pricing list.
