Content in Looker can take the form of either a [Look](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/saving-and-editing-looks.md.txt), which is a saved snapshot of the data that results from a query, or a [dashboard](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/viewing-dashboards.md.txt), which is a collection of tiles that show visualized query results.

All navigation occurs within the [main navigation menu](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/finding-content.md.txt#using_the_main_navigation_menu). To open or hide the menu, click the **Main menu** icon.

![](https://docs.cloud.google.com/static/looker/docs/images/looker-main-menu-icon-2418.png)

You can also [search for content](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/finding-content.md.txt#searching_for_saved_content) and navigate to content [directly from your homepage](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/finding-content.md.txt#viewing_content_on_your_homepage).


## Using the main navigation menu

You can navigate to saved content from the main navigation menu. Depending on your [permissions](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/admin-panel-users-roles.md.txt#permission_sets), the main navigation menu may include the following options:

![](https://docs.cloud.google.com/static/looker/docs/images/looker-main-nav-menu-2412.png)

- **Create** button: Depending on your permissions, lets you create the following items:

  - [Dashboards](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/creating-user-defined-dashboards.md.txt#creating_a_dashboard_from_the_create_button): You must have the [`save_content` permission](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/admin-panel-users-roles.md.txt#save_content) to see this option.
  - [Boards](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/presenting-content.md.txt#creating_a_board_from_the_create_button).
  - [LookML models](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/generating-a-model.md.txt#generating_a_model_using_the_create_button): You must have the [`develop` permission](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/admin-panel-users-roles.md.txt#develop) to see this option.
  - [Connections](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/connecting-to-your-db.md.txt): You must have the [`manage_project_connections` permission](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/admin-panel-users-roles.md.txt#manage_project_connections) to see this option.

  > [!NOTE]
  > **Note:** If your permissions don't allow you to create dashboards, models, or connections, you won't see the **Create** button. You will be able to create boards through the **Boards** section of the main navigation menu.

- **Explore** : Opens the [**Explore** panel](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/creating-and-editing-explores.md.txt#explores_are_the_starting_point_for_exploration), from which you can search for, select, and view Explores.

- **Develop** : Opens the [**Develop** panel](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/accessing-project-files.md.txt#accessing_project_files_from_the_develop_panel), from which you can access LookML projects and develop in LookML.

- **Admin** : Opens the **Admin** panel, from which you can [administer Looker](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/set-up-and-administer-looker.md.txt).

- **Home** : Shows your homepage, if your Looker admin has enabled the prebuilt homepage or another homepage option. If your admin has set a board as your homepage, the name of the board appears instead of the text **Home**.

- **Overview** : Shows the organization-wide default homepage, if your admin has configured a different default homepage for you or a group that you belong to. If your admin has set a board as your organization-wide homepage, the name of the board appears instead of **Overview**.

- **Recently Viewed**: Lists your most recently viewed Looks and user-defined dashboards.

- **Favorites** : Shows a list of Looks or dashboards that you've [marked as favorites](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/finding-content.md.txt#marking_content_as_a_favorite).

- **Boards** : Lists [boards](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/finding-content.md.txt#navigating_to_content_on_boards) that you have created or added to your list of boards.

- **Folders**: Lists folders that you have access to, including the following folders:

  - **All folders**, a top-level directory with entry points to additional folders
  - Your personal folder
  - Your [default folder](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/organizing-spaces.md.txt#setting_your_default_folder), if you have configured one
  - **People**, which contains all the personal folders for other users that you have access to

  > [!NOTE]
  > **Note:** If a Looker admin has enabled the [**Default Private Personal Folders**](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/admin-panel-general-settings.md.txt#default_private_personal_folders) option on your Looker instance and you are not a Looker admin yourself, you won't see other users' personal folders in the **People** folder unless you have specifically been given access. See the [Settings](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/admin-panel-general-settings.md.txt#default_private_personal_folders) documentation page for more information on this option.

  - **Shared folders**, which contains folders, Looks, and user-created dashboards that are typically used company-wide or within departments
  - [**LookML dashboards**](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/building-lookml-dashboards.md.txt#lookml_dashboards_folder), a folder that contains dashboards that developers have created using LookML

### Navigating to content in folders

In Looker, content is saved into **folders** . A folder can include Looks, dashboards, or even subfolders. You can only see folders that you have [access to view](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/organizing-spaces.md.txt#viewing_and_managing_access_for_a_space).

Within a folder, dashboards and Looks are listed under the **Dashboards** and **Looks** headings. Folders display the following information and options for Looks and dashboards:

- **Checkbox**: Select the checkbox to move, delete, or copy an item. When you select an item, Looker displays buttons for the actions that you can take.
- **Tile, description, and metadata**: Includes a visual preview of the dashboard or Look. If a description was added to the dashboard or Look, the description is displayed under the dashboard or Look title. Metadata, or information about how many views the dashboard or Look has and who created it, is also displayed under the title.
- ![](https://docs.cloud.google.com/static/looker/docs/images/certified-content-badge-2520.png) **Certification badge** : If [content certification](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/content-certification.md.txt) is enabled on your instance, you will see a certified content badge next to the titles of certified dashboards and Looks. You can hover over the badge to view the certifier's name, the certification date and time, and any notes that were saved by the certifier.
- **Favorite** icon: Click the favorite icon to add or remove the Look or the dashboard from your favorites.
- **Dashboard or Look three-dot menu**: Provides options for configuring the content and for delivering its data.

Looks have the following additional information and options:

- **Last Updated** column: Shows when the Look was last edited.
- **Explore From Here** : A link to [explore](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/creating-and-editing-explores.md.txt#explores_are_the_starting_point_for_exploration) from that Look.
- **Model** column: Shows the name of the [model](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/lookml-terms-and-concepts.md.txt#model) that is associated with the Look.

Dashboards and Looks may also display the following information, depending on their settings:

- ![](https://docs.cloud.google.com/static/looker/docs/images/on-dashboard-gauge-2408.png) **On dashboard** icon: For Looks, the presence of the **On dashboard** dial icon indicates that the Look is used in a dashboard. Hold the pointer over over the icon to see the list of dashboards. If the Look isn't used in a dashboard, it won't have a dashboard icon.
- **Calendar** icon: The presence of the calendar icon indicates that the Look or the dashboard is scheduled for content delivery. Click the icon to open the content's **Schedule** dialog, where you can see and edit the content's delivery options. Clicking the calendar icon for a dashboard opens the legacy Scheduler.

#### Sorting lists of content

You can sort lists of subfolders, Looks, and dashboards within folders in the following ways:

- Use the **Sort by** drop-down menu in section headers to select a sort option. Sort options include the content name, the date content was [added to your list of favorites](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/finding-content.md.txt#marking_content_as_a_favorite), or, if [content certification](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/content-certification.md.txt) is enabled on your instance, which content has been certified.
- Use the **Order** ascending arrow and descending arrow at the top of the section headers to change the sort order of the content by name.

You can also sort Looks and dashboards by name by clicking the **Name** column header. Click the header multiple times to switch between ascending and descending sort order.

#### Using list view and grid view

Folders display dashboards and Looks using thumbnails that give you a preview of their appearance---without revealing the actual data. You can switch between two views within a folder:

- **List view (default)**: Dashboards and Looks are shown in a detailed list.
- **Grid view** : Dashboards and Looks are shown as thumbnails. Hold the pointer over over a thumbnail to see the following details:
  - Description and metadata
  - Checkbox for selecting the item to copy, move, or move to trash
  - ![](https://docs.cloud.google.com/static/looker/docs/images/on-dashboard-gauge-2408.png) **On dashboard** icon (for Looks)
  - **Favorites** icon
  - Three-dot options menu

Click the **Show items in a grid** icon to switch to grid view. Click the ![](https://docs.cloud.google.com/static/looker/docs/images/list-view-icon-2408.png) **Show items in a list** icon to switch back to list view.

### Navigating to content on boards

**Boards** let you organize existing dashboards and Looks without changing their locations in folders.

To view a board and its contents, you must have at least the **View** [access level for that board](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/presenting-content.md.txt#board_access_levels). If you have the **Manage Access, Edit** access level, you can [make changes to the board](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/presenting-content.md.txt), such as adding and removing content.

#### Finding a board

You can find boards in several ways:

- **Search** : Use the [search input box](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/finding-content.md.txt#searching_for_saved_content) to find boards by name.
- **Main navigation menu**:

  - The **Boards** section lists boards that you have created or that you have added to your list of boards.
  - Click the **Create or find a board** icon , and then select **Browse all boards** . Looker displays the **Find boards at your organization** window, which lists all boards that you have created or that you can access.

  You can filter to show only boards that you have created or added, and you can sort the list of boards by name, creator, creation date, or popularity.

#### Viewing the content on a board

Boards are organized into sections that users with the **Manage Access, Edit** access level can create and arrange.

![Dashboards and Looks are displayed in the Orders and Customers sections on the sample board Order Information.](https://docs.cloud.google.com/static/looker/docs/images/browse-boards-example-2206.png)

When you navigate to a board, you'll see any Looks or dashboards that have been [added to that board](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/presenting-content.md.txt#adding_content_to_a_board) and that you have access to view. The content that you can see on a board depends on the following factors:

- Your [access level for the board](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/presenting-content.md.txt#viewing_and_managing_access_to_a_board)
- Your [access levels for the folders](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/organizing-spaces.md.txt#viewing_and_managing_access_for_a_space) in which the Looks and dashboards are stored
- Your [access to the model that the Look or dashboard is based on](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/admin-panel-users-roles.md.txt#model_sets)

To open the information section of a board, click the **Board Information** icon. The information section of a board displays the following information:

- **About this board** : The number of people who have [added the board](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/presenting-content.md.txt#adding_a_board_to_your_list).
- **Description**: Board contributors can add a description that contains text and Markdown links to a board. If a description has been added to the board, that description is displayed in this section.
- **Created**: Displays information about who created the board and when the board was created.
- **Contributors** : Lists the number of contributors in parentheses. Beneath the **Contributors** heading is a list of contributors. A board's contributors include the creator of the board and users who have [made changes to the board](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/presenting-content.md.txt#arranging_content_on_a_board).

## Searching for saved content

As an alternative to browsing folders, you can use specific words or phrases to search your Looker instance for saved content.

You can use Looker's search functionality to find saved content. Powered by AI, Looker search moves beyond keyword matching to understand the conceptual meaning of your search queries. Looker's AI-powered search lets you search using business terms or analytical questions (for example, "total customer acquisition cost") and match to relevant data assets based on their titles and descriptions.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** To use AI-powered search, the **Semantic Search** option on the [**Gemini in Looker** page](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/admin-panel-platform-gil.md.txt) in the **Platform** section of the Looker admin panel must be enabled.

To perform a search, follow these steps:

1. Place your cursor in the **Start typing to search** input box in the application header. As you type, Looker will display relevant, real-time auto-suggestions. If the application window is narrow, the input box will be replaced by a **Search** icon.
2. Enter your search term and press **Enter** (for PC) or **Return** (for Mac). To search for an exact match, enclose your search term in double quotes (for example, `"Sales Funnel Dashboard"`).

Search results can include the following types of content if you have permission to view them:

- Boards
- Dashboards
- Explores
- Folders
- Looks
- LookML dashboards
- LookML files and projects

If [Gemini in Looker](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/admin-panel-platform-gil.md.txt) is enabled on your instance, search results may also include Agents and Conversations.

Looker searches content titles and descriptions, visualization titles and notes within dashboards, and dimensions and measures within Looks and Explores.

Search results are ranked based on relevance to your query and other factors like content popularity, how often you have viewed or favorited content, and whether content has been [certified](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/content-certification.md.txt).

### Refining search results

You can refine your search results using filters. Filters are available for the following content attributes:

- **Type** : Filter by content type, such as **Dashboard** or **Look**.
- **Folder**: Filter by content that's located in a specific folder or folders. You can select a parent folder to include all sub-folders in your search, or you can limit your search to a specific folder.
- **Creator**: Filter by content creator.
- **Created Date**: Filter by a specific date range when content was created.
- **Last Modified Date**: Filter by a specific date range when content was last modified.
- **Certified** : Filter for content that is [certified](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/content-certification.md.txt). This filter is available for dashboards, Looks, and Explores.

You can sort search results by **Content Title** (A-Z or Z-A) or by **Last Modified Date** (ascending or descending).

Each item in the search results list displays metadata such as content type, location, creator, creation date, and last modified date to help you choose the right content.


## Viewing content on your homepage

To navigate to your homepage, select the Looker logo in the header, or select **Home** from the main navigation menu. If your Looker admin has set a [board](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/presenting-content.md.txt) or a different Looker page (such as **Favorites** ) as your homepage, the name of the board or the page will appear instead of **Home**.

Depending on the settings that your admin has specified, you might see one of the following when you navigate to your homepage or log in to Looker:

- **Prebuilt Looker homepage**: If your admin has chosen the prebuilt Looker homepage option, your homepage displays visually representative thumbnails for dashboards and Looks. Content is organized on this page in the following sections:

  - A **Recently Viewed** tab shows content that has been most recently viewed. The **Filter by group** drop-down menu in this tab filters the recently viewed content in the following ways:

    - **Viewed by you**: Shows content that you have recently viewed.
    - If your Looker admin has [configured multiple groups](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/admin-panel-users-groups.md.txt), you can select a group from the drop-down list to show the most viewed content for that group.

    Clicking the **See all** link next to the drop-down list takes you to the **Recently Viewed** page.
  - **Favorites** shows the Looks or dashboards that you have marked as favorites by clicking their **Add to favorites** heart icons, which you can do from your homepage as well as on the folder or page that you want to favorite.

  > [!NOTE]
  > **Note:** On Looker (Google Cloud core) instances, you may see the following sections in addition to the **Recently Viewed** and **Favorites** tabs:
  > - A **Sample Dashboards** section, which displays [sample dashboards](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/looker-core-sample-project.md.txt#view_and_edit_the_sample_dashboards) from the sample LookML project. This section no longer appears if you dismiss it by clicking the **Dismiss** icon.
  > - The **BigQuery Connection** section is visible if you have the [`manage_project_connections` Looker permission](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/admin-panel-users-roles.md.txt#manage_project_connections) and the default BigQuery connection for the instance hasn't been set up already. This section no longer appears if you dismiss it by clicking the **Dismiss** icon.

  - **Discover sidebar** appears on your personalized homepage if your Looker admin has set the prebuilt Looker homepage as your homepage and you haven't previously closed it. This sidebar contains links to documentation that can help you get started using Looker and modeling with LookML. To close it, click the **Close** icon in the sidebar. Closing the **Discover** sidebar reveals the announcement sidebar, if your admin has set it up. To re-open the **Discover** sidebar, click the **Help** icon in the header and select the **Discover** option.
  - **Announcement sidebar** appears on your personalized homepage if your Looker admin has set the prebuilt Looker homepage as your homepage and [added content to the sidebar](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/making-announcements-to-your-users.md.txt#editing_the_sidebar). The sidebar may include text, links, and images from your admin. You can hold the pointer over over the sidebar to see additional information and links, if your admin has included them.
- **A Looker page** : Your admin may set your homepage to another page within Looker. For example, if your homepage has been set to the **Favorites** or **Recently Viewed** page, you will see that page when you log in to Looker. The **Home** option in the main navigation menu will also be replaced by a reference to that page.

- **A folder** : Your admin may have set your homepage to the Shared folder or to another folder in your organization. For example, if your homepage has been set to the **Shared folders** folder, you will see the **Your organization's folders** page when you log in to Looker.

- **A board** : If your admin has set a [board](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/presenting-content.md.txt) as your homepage, the name of the board appears in the main navigation menu.

- **A Markdown page (or another URL within Looker)** : An admin may set the homepage to point to a URL-based folder, boards, or another page in Looker, such as a [Markdown file](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/other-project-files#document_files) or a specific dashboard.

  If your admin has set your homepage to a URL other than a folder or board, you can navigate to your homepage by selecting the Looker icon in the header of the application.

## Next steps

You now know how to find existing dashboards and Looks that were created by someone else. Next, learn how to [view and use dashboards](https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/viewing-dashboards.md.txt).