Connecting Metabase to Kaivo

A step-by-step guide on how to connect Metabase to your Kaivo data

Written By Aapo Mannismäki

Last updated 10 days ago

Connecting Metabase to your Kaivo BigQuery data warehouse allows you to visualize, query, and build dashboards from your data using Metabase. This connection is established securely using Google Cloud Service Account credentials.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have administrative or database-creation permissions in your Metabase instance.

Step 1: Create service account in Kaivo

To securely connect Metabase, you first need to generate a Service Account key from your Kaivo account.

  1. Log into your Kaivo workspace.

  2. Navigate to the Service Accounts settings page.

  3. Click Create a service account to generate/create a new service account.

  4. Choose Metabase from the Data tool dropdown menu

  5. (Optional) Name your service account

  6. Download the resulting JSON keyfile contents to your local computer.

Safety Note: Keep this JSON file secure, as it grants direct access to your Kaivo BigQuery warehouse.

Step 2: Add a New Database in Metabase

  1. Log into your Metabase instance.

  2. In the bottom-left corner of the screen, click Add data (or navigate to Metabase Admin settings → Databases).

  3. Select Add a database.

Step 3: Configure the Connection Settings

Fill out the database configuration form using the following details:

  • Database type: Select BigQuery from the dropdown menu.

  • Display name: Enter a recognizable name for your team, such as Kaivo BigQuery.

  • Project ID: You can leave this blank. Your Kaivo service account is configured to automatically route to the correct project by default.

  • Service account JSON file: Upload or paste the contents of the JSON keyfile you downloaded from Kaivo in Step 1.

Step 4: Save and Connect

  1. Scroll to the bottom of the Metabase form and click Save.

  2. Metabase will now authenticate with the Kaivo BigQuery data warehouse.

Step 5: Verify Your Connection

To ensure your data is syncing correctly, you can run a quick test:

  1. In the top-right corner of Metabase, click New → Question.

  2. Under the Tables section, look for your newly added database (e.g., Kaivo BigQuery).

  3. You should see your datasets and tables populated and ready for querying.

If you experience any issues or your tables do not appear, please reach out to our support team using the chat widget in the bottom right corner of your Kaivo application.