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Model parameters

A model file specifies a database connection, defines the set of Explores that use that connection, and defines the Explores' relationships to other views. Unlike other LookML elements, a model is not declared with a specific "model" parameter. Instead, a LookML developer defines a model by creating a LookML project file that has the .model.lkml file extension. The model name is taken from the filename and must be unique across your instance, even within different projects.

A model file typically contains any explore declarations, along with a number of model-level settings.

This page links to the model-level LookML parameters. They are typically written at the top of the model file and shouldn't be nested within other parameters.

Example usage

Hold the pointer over a parameter name to see a quick description. Click a parameter to visit its reference page. When a parameter can be set to one of several specific options, the default value is listed first.

## STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS  include 
 
 : 
 "filename_or_pattern" 
## Possibly more include declarations  explore 
 
 : 
 explore_name 
 { 
  # Desired explore parameters (described on Explore Parameters 
page) } 
## Possibly more explore declarations  access_grant 
 
 : 
 access_grant_name 
 { 
  user_attribute 
 
 : 
 user_attribute_name 
  allowed_values 
 
 : [ 
 "value_1" 
 , 
 "value_2" 
 , ...] 
 } 
## Possibly more access_grant declarations  test 
 
 : 
 test_name 
 { 
  explore_source 
 
 : 
 explore_name 
 { 
    # Desired subparameters (described on  test 
 
page)
   } 
  assert 
 
 : 
 assert_statement 
 { 
  expression 
 
 : 
 Looker expression 
 ;; 
 } 
  # Possibly more assert declarations } 
## Possibly more test declarations

## DISPLAY PARAMETERS  label 
 
 : 
 "desired label" 
## FILTER PARAMETERS  case_sensitive 
 
 : 
 yes 
| no 
## QUERY PARAMETERS  connection 
 
 : 
 "connection_name" 
  datagroup 
 
 : 
 datagroup_name 
 { 
  label 
 
 : 
 "desired label" 
  description 
 
 : 
 "desired description" 
  max_cache_age 
 
 : 
 "N (minutes | hours | days)" 
  sql_trigger 
 
 : 
 SQL query ;; 
 } 
## Possibly more datagroup declarations  fiscal_month_offset 
 
 : 
 N 
  persist_for 
 
 : 
 "N (seconds | minutes | hours)" 
  persist_with 
 
 : 
 datagroup_name 
  week_start_day 
 
 : 
 monday 
| tuesday 
| wednesday 
| thursday 
| friday 
| saturday 
| sunday 
## VISUALIZATION AND FORMATTING PARAMETERS  map_layer 
 
 : 
 map_name 
 { 
  extents_json_url 
 
 : 
 "URL to JSON extents file" 
  feature_key 
 
 : 
 "Name of TopoJSON object" 
  file 
 
 : 
 "TopoJSON or GeoJSON filename" 
# or use the url subparameter
    format 
 
 : 
 topojson 
| vector_tile_region 
  label 
 
 : 
 "desired label" 
  max_zoom_level 
 
 : 
 number indicating max zoom 
  min_zoom_level 
 
 : 
 number indicating min zoom 
  projection 
 
 : 
 Preferred geographic projection 
  property_key 
 
 : 
 "TopoJSON property" 
  property_label_key 
 
 : 
 "Label for TopoJSON property" 
  url 
 
 : 
 "URL that contains map file" 
# or use the file subparameter } 
## Possibly more map layer declarations  named_value_format 
 
 : 
 desired_name 
 { 
  value_format 
 
 : 
 "excel formatting string" 
  strict_value_format 
 
 : 
 yes 
| no 
 } 
## Possibly more named value format declarations

Parameter definitions

Parameter Name

Description

Structural Parameters

access_grant

Creates an access grant that limits access of LookML structures to only those users who are assigned an approved user attribute value. This parameter has the user_attribute and allowed_values subparameters.

explore

Exposes a view in the Explore menu. For more information about Explores and their parameters, see the Explore Parameter Reference page.

include

Adds files to a model

test

Creates a data test to verify your model's logic. The project settings include an option to require data tests . When this is enabled for a project, developers on the project must run data tests before deploying their changes to production. This parameter has the explore_source and assert subparameters.

Display Parameters

label (for model)

Changes the way a model appears in the Explore menu

Filter Parameters

case_sensitive (for model)

Specifies whether filters are case-sensitive for a model

Query Parameters

connection

Changes the database connection for a model

datagroup

Creates a datagroup-caching policy for a model. This parameter has the label , description , max_cache_age , and sql_trigger subparameters.

fiscal_month_offset