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Klips: Introduction to data sources

Data sources power the visualizations on your dashboard. They connect your chosen files, databases, applications, and services to Klipfolio Klips.

To get the most out of Klips, think about what source or service you want to get data from, the subset of data you want to bring in, and how you want to visualize that data.

Whether you choose pre-built Klips from the Klip Gallery or build your own visualizations in the Klip Editor, you'll need to set up data sources first.

This article introduces you to data sources and answers the following questions:

Note: This article describes the Klipfolio Klips experience for new customers who haven’t created any data sources yet.

What data sources are supported in Klips?

Klipfolio Klips includes hundreds of pre-built connectors for many popular services. See our list of integrations.

If we don’t have the pre-built connector you’re looking for there are lots of custom options available.

We support data sources from:

We accept the following file formats from all sources: .xlsx, .csv, .json, and .xml.

How do I connect to my data in Klipfolio?

When you're building a Klip, the first thing you need to do is connect to your data by creating a data source.

You can connect from:

Connecting to your data from your Klips homepage

To connect to your data from your Klips homepage:

  1. In the left navigation sidebar, click Data Sources > Create a New Data Source.

If you don’t see the above option, go to the bottom of the left navigation sidebar and click your Account Name > Data Sources instead.

  1. On the Where is your data? page, either find your Service in the list or choose from the Additional options list.
  2. Follow the prompts to set up your connection (this process will be different for each service).

Your new data source is added to your list of data sources.

If you need help connecting, see the Connecting your Data section in the Klipfolio Help Centre.

Note: You can access your created data sources later by clicking the Data Sources heading in the left navigation sidebar.

Connecting to your data from your Klip dashboard

You can connect to your data from your Klip dashboard when you add Klips from the Klip Gallery. When you select a pre-built Klip it's automatically added in sample data mode. Your next step is to connect your own unique data.

There are two ways to update your dashboard to display your own data:

  • Update all of the dashboard’s Klips by clicking Connect Your Data at the top of your dashboard and following the prompts.
  • Update one individual Klip by clicking on the Sample Data banner (it says "Connect Your Data" when you hover over it) on a Klip and following the prompts.

Don’t see the Connect your Data button on your dashboard? There are two possible reasons:

  • Your pre-built Klips are already connected to a data source.
  • You built a Klip in the Klip Editor, in which case you can click Edit... in the Klip's 3-dot menu to connect your data from the Klip Editor.

Connecting to your data from the Klip Editor

If you are ready to start building Klips, you can connect to your data directly in the Klip Editor.

Note: You must have at least one component in your Klip before you can connect to your data (add a data source).

To connect to your data from the Klip Editor:

    1. At the bottom of the page in the Data tab, click +Add Data Source.
    2. In the Add a Data Source popup window, follow the prompts to set up your connection. This process will be different for each service.

Your new data source is ready to work with in the Klip Editor and added to your list of data sources.

If you need help connecting, see the Connecting your Data section in the Klipfolio Help Centre.

What do your data sources look like in Klipfolio?

Klipfolio retrieves data in two formats: tree-structured data (JSON or XML) and tabular data (for example, CSV).

Regardless of the data format, the result is a raw data source. You can model a raw data source to create a streamlined, simplified modelled data source.

Refer to the following table for more detailed information.

Note: If you're using the Klip Gallery, you won't see any raw data unless you make changes to your Klip.

Tree-structured data

In tree-structured data, you navigate through the data in an expand and collapse format, typically a JSON or XML file type.

Here are just a few examples of the many data sources that return data in a tree-structured format:

Learn about JSON and XML data sources.

Tabular data

Tabular data is broken down into columns and rows, typically a CSV or Excel file type.

Here are just a few examples of the many data sources that return data in a tabular format:

 

Modelled data source

After data is brought into Klipfolio in one of the formats above, you can model your data source. This enables you to simplify and restructure your data before building a Klip. Updating a modelled data source updates all Klips that use that data source. Note that some data sources, such as Facebook, return modelled data automatically.

 

Note: Some service connectors give you the option to choose whether you want to retrieve data in tabular or tree-structured format. For example, the Salesforce connector lets you choose between JSON and CSV format.

I have my data - What's next?

Now that you have brought in your data, it's time to start building!  See the following related articles to learn more about creating and editing pre-built and custom Klips:

To learn more about data sources, check out these articles:

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