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We provide options for you to embed Looker content in your host application using iframes. Each option differs in how you manage and interact with your iframe and authorize or authenticate your user. If you are not sure which option to start with, check out the suggested learning path at the end of this page.
You use the Embed SDK's convenient Javascript API to manage and interact with your iframe.
You generate a unique URL for every embed user session. This one-time-use URL creates a new Looker embed user or updates an existing one. The Embed SDK helps automate part of the URL generation.
You must authenticate or authorize the user outside of Looker, for example, through your host application's identity provider using signed embedding.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-14 UTC."],[],[],null,["# Get started with embedding Looker\n\n| **Knowledge check:** This page assumes you understand the basics of Inline Frame HTML Element \\\u003ciframe\\\u003e, window.postMessage(), and Javascript. Check out the MDN web documentation on [iframes](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/iframe) and [postmessaging](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Window/postMessage) to familiarize yourself with these concepts.\n\nWe provide options for you to embed Looker content in your host application using iframes. Each option differs in how you manage and interact with your iframe and authorize or authenticate your user. If you are not sure which option to start with, check out the [suggested learning path](#suggested_learning_path) at the end of this page.\n\nYour iframe embedding options\n-----------------------------\n\nEvery option supports theming and can embed [dashboards](/looker/docs/2512/creating-user-defined-dashboards), [LookML dashboards](/looker/docs/2512/building-lookml-dashboards), [Explores](/looker/docs/2512/creating-and-editing-explores), [Looks](/looker/docs/2512/saving-and-editing-looks), query visualizations, and [extensions](/looker/docs/2512/extension-overview).\n\n### Private embedding\n\n- You manage your iframe directly.\n- You may use window.postMessage() to interact with your iframe.\n- Your user must authenticate or authorize with Looker directly or with Looker using signed embedding with an identity provider.\n\n[Get started with private embedding](/looker/docs/2512/gs-private-embedding)\n\n### Signed embedding\n\n- You manage your iframe directly.\n- You may use window.postMessage() to interact with your iframe.\n- You generate a unique iframe src url for every embed user session. This one-time-use URL creates a new Looker embed user or updates an existing one.\n- You must authenticate or authorize the user outside of Looker, for example, through your host application's identity provider using signed embedding.\n\n[Get started with signed embedding](/looker/docs/2512/single-sign-on-embedding)\n\n### Signed embedding with Embed SDK (Recommended)\n\n- You use the Embed SDK's convenient Javascript API to **manage** and **interact** with your iframe.\n- You generate a unique URL for every embed user session. This one-time-use URL creates a new Looker embed user or updates an existing one. The Embed SDK helps automate part of the URL generation.\n- You must authenticate or authorize the user outside of Looker, for example, through your host application's identity provider using signed embedding.\n\n[Get started with signed embedding with the Embed SDK](/looker/docs/2512/embed-sdk-intro)\n\nSuggested learning path\n-----------------------\n\nWe suggest you get started in this order:\n\n[1. Get started with private embedding](/looker/docs/2512/gs-private-embedding)\n\nPrivate embedding will provide a basic understanding of Looker embedding.\n\n[2. Get started with signed embedding with Embed SDK](https://github.com/looker-open-source/embed-sdk#readme)\n\nSigned Embedding and the Embed SDK are more advanced concepts."]]
