gcp Google Cloud release notes ·

Looker Rolls Out MFA, GA Features, and AI-Powered Analytics Previews

aigcpgapreviewanalystgcp-looker
feature patch announcement

Looker is rolling out several new features and enhancements, with key updates now generally available and others entering preview for its original instances. Among the GA features are multi-factor authentication for login, a custom calendar, localization support for dimension groups, an Expression Assistant, and an Enhanced search function. Additionally, the platform introduces a Modern User Interface and Verified Queries in preview, enhancing user experience and integrating with Gemini Enterprise for richer data agent responses including charts. These updates affect Looker admins, developers using LookML, and data analysts, improving security, usability, and AI-powered analytics capabilities within the platform.

Features (10)
  • Looker

    Looker admins now have the ability to configure a Looker instance to require multi-factor authentication (MFA) whenever a user tries to log in by using an email and a password . This feature is enabled by default.

  • Looker

    The custom calendar feature is now generally available.

  • Looker

    Localization is now supported for the dimension_group parameter. You can localize the timeframes, intervals, or custom timeframes generated by a dimension group by providing translations in your locale strings files. For more details, see Localizing dimension groups . Note: This item was added on August 5, 2026.

  • Looker

    The Expression Assistant is now generally available.

  • Looker

    The Enhanced search feature is now generally available.

  • Looker

    Looker Continuous Integration (CI) now supports email alerts. When you create or edit a CI suite, you can enable the Enable email alerts toggle to specify email recipients and select which run statuses will trigger emails ( Failed , Error , Passed , or Cancelled ). For more information, see Set up alerting .

  • Looker

    The LookML Projects page has been updated with a more performant tabbed layout, which features three tabs: Models and Projects , Pending Projects , and Marketplace Projects .

  • Looker

    The New Looker Explore and Merge Query Experience preview feature is now enabled by default. Note: This release note was added on August 21, 2026.

  • Looker

    Now available in preview, the new Modern User Interface feature enables modernized layouts and design alongside new configuration settings for visualizations and dashboards. When this preview feature is enabled, users can apply a Modern visualization theme that features updated typography and modern, accessible color palettes for improved data legibility. Additionally, a new Modern dashboard style provides a high-density, streamlined design that optimizes data viewing and aligns with Google's latest design standards.

  • Looker

    Now available in preview, verified queries (also referred to as golden queries ) are predefined pairs of natural language questions and their exact, corresponding Looker Explore queries that act as verified standards of truth to teach your Explore data agent how to handle complex business requests without guessing. To enable verified queries, a Looker admin must turn on the Verified Queries setting on the Gemini in Looker admin page. The Conversational Analytics setting must also be enabled for verified queries to be used.

Enhancements (2)
  • Looker

    When you chat in Gemini Enterprise with data agents that you create in Looker , agent responses now include charts and visualizations.

  • Looker

    The Insight Assistant now displays the process the assistant uses to generate the response, showing key details in your data that it used to generate the response, and listing the fields from your Explore that it used.

Notes (1)
  • Looker

    From July 27 through July 30, 2026, the following features will be automatically enabled for Looker (original) instances running Looker 26.12.

Read the original announcement →

https://docs.cloud.google.com/release-notes#July_30_2026

Related releases