How to use the Atlan browser extension

The Atlan browser extension provides you with metadata context directly in your supported data tools. You can use the extension in the following Chromium-based browsers — Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

Install the extension

To install the Atlan browser extension, you will first need to log into your Atlan instance. Atlan saves your Atlan domain in a cookie when you log in.

To install Atlan's browser extension:

1. You can either:
   • Find the extension in the Chrome Web Store: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/atlan/fipjfjlalpnbejlmmpfnmlkadjgaaheg
   • From the upper right of any screen in Atlan, navigate to your name and then click Profile.
     1. Click the four dots icon in the resulting dialog to get to integrations.
     2. Under Apps, for Browser extension, click Install.
2. To install the Atlan browser extension:
   • For Google Chrome, in the upper right of your screen, click Add to Chrome. When prompted for confirmation, click the Add extension button.
   • For Microsoft Edge, follow the steps in Add an extension to Microsoft Edge from the Chrome Web Store.

It is currently not possible to install the browser extension on mobile devices or tablets.

Configure the extension

Once installed, configure the Atlan browser extension to get started. Optionally, Atlan admins can preconfigure custom domains for data sources, if any.

Configure the extension as a user

To configure the browser extension, once installed:

1. If you are logged into your Atlan instance, skip to the next step. If you haven't logged into Atlan, log in to your Atlan instance when prompted.
2. In the Options page, to enter the URL of your Atlan instance:
   • If your organization uses an Atlan domain — for example, mycompany.atlan.com, the Atlan instance URL will be preselected, click Get started. (Optional) Switch to a different Atlan domain, if required.
   • If your organization uses a custom domain — for example, atlan.mycompany.com, enter the URL of your Atlan instance and then click Get started.
3. Once successful, you will see the message Updated successfully.
4. (Optional) If your data tools are hosted on custom domains, rather than the standard SaaS domain of each tool:
   
   • Click the Configure custom domain link at the bottom.
     1. In the dropdown on the left, select your data tool.
     2. In the text box on the right, enter the custom domain you use for that tool.
     3. Repeat these steps for each tool hosted on a custom domain.
     4. Click the Save button when finished.
   • If your Atlan admin has preconfigured custom domains for data sources, you will not be able to update or remove these selections. Click + Add to configure custom domains for additional data sources as required.
5. You can now close the Options tab.

The extension is now ready to use! 🎉

(Optional) Configure custom domains as an admin

To configure custom domains, from within Atlan:

1. From the left menu of any screen, click Admin.
2. Under Workspace, click Integrations.
3. Under Apps, expand the Browser extension tile.
4. In the Browser extension tile, for Set up your custom data source..., if your data tools are hosted on custom domains rather than the standard SaaS domain of each tool, click the Configure link to configure them for users in your organization.
   1. For Connector, select a supported tool for the browser extension.
   2. In the adjacent field, enter the URL of the custom domain for your data source.
   3. (Optional) Click + Add to add more.
   4. Click Save to save your configuration.
   💪 Did you know? For any supported tools that you have configured, your users will not be able to update or remove these selections. They can, however, add additional custom domains for data sources.
5. (Optional) For Download Atlan extension or share with your team, you can either install the Atlan browser extension for your own use or share the link with your users.

Usage

Access and enrich context in-flow

To access context for an asset, from within a supported tool:

1. Log into the supported tool.
2. Open any supported asset.
3. In the lower-right corner of the page, click the small Atlan icon.
   🚨 Careful! The icon to activate Atlan is not the extension icon that appears at the top of your Chrome browser. This small Atlan icon in the lower right corner of the page is the only way to access the metadata for the asset you are viewing in another tool.
4. In the sidebar that appears:
   • Click the tabs and links to view all context about the asset.
   • Make changes to any of the metadata you'd like.

Now you can understand and enrich assets without leaving your data tools themselves! 🎉

The Atlan sidebar will automatically reload as you browse your assets in a supported tool to show details about the asset you're currently viewing.

Search for metadata

To search for context for any information on any website:

1. Select the text you'd like to search on the web page you're viewing.
2. Right-click, and then select Search in Atlan 🏡.

The extension will open a new browser tab on Atlan's discovery page, with the results for that text! 🎉

Add a resource

You can link any web page as a resource to your assets in Atlan using the browser extension.

To add a web page as a resource to an asset:

1. In the top right of the web page you're viewing, click the Atlan Chrome extension.
2. In the resource clipper menu, under Link this page to an asset, select the asset to which you'd like to add the web page as a resource.
3. Click Save to confirm your selection.
4. (Optional) Once the resource has been linked successfully, click the Open in Atlan button to view the linked asset directly in Atlan.

You can now add resources to your assets in Atlan from any website! 🎉

Supported tools

Currently, the Chrome extension supports assets in the following tools:

• Amazon QuickSight: analyses, dashboards, and datasets
• Databricks: databases, schemas, views, and tables
• dbt Cloud: models and sources in the model editor and dbt docs
• Google BigQuery: datasets, schemas, views, and tables
• IBM Cognos Analytics: folders, dashboards, packages, explorations, reports, files, data sources, and modules
• Looker: dashboards, explores, and folders
• Microsoft Power BI: dashboards, reports, dataflows, and datasets
• Mode: collections, reports, queries, and charts
• Qlik Sense Cloud: apps, datasets, sheets, and spaces
• Redash: queries, dashboards, and visualizations
• Salesforce: objects
• Sigma: datasets, pages, and data elements
• Snowflake (via Snowsight schema explorer): databases, schemas, tables, views, dynamic tables, streams, and pipes
• Tableau: dashboards, data sources, workbooks, and metrics
• ThoughtSpot: liveboards, answers, and visualizations