Embedded Analytics in Sigma Computing

What is Embedded Analytics?

Embedded analytics refers to the integration of data visualisations and business intelligence (BI) features within other applications, rather than using a separate BI tool. With Sigma's embedding options, we can directly integrate analytics into our company's internal portals, customer-facing applications, or operational workflows.

Embedding analytics into our application provides several benefits -

• Simplified User Experience – Users get real-time insights without leaving the platform they are working in.
• Increased Engagement – Interactive reports and dashboards encourage data-driven decision-making.
• Custom Branding & Experience – Maintain a consistent look and feel within our application.
• Enhanced Security & Governance – Control access through secure authentication methods.

Sigma’s approach to embedding truly stands out. Whether you're looking to enhance user experience, provide real-time insights, or customise access controls, Sigma offers a wide range of embedding options tailored to different business needs.

Embedding Methods in Sigma

Sigma provides two main embedding options: Public Embedding and Secure Embedding. Let's explore both with real-world use cases.

Public Embedding

Public embedding is the simplest way to share analytics. It allows you to display content openly, without requiring authentication. If you’ve ever needed to showcase a live dashboard on an office screen or provide real-time metrics on a public webpage, this method is perfect.

Example use case:

• Displaying live sales trends on an office TV screen
• Sharing public reports on a company website
  

Implementation:

• Create a dashboard in Sigma.
• Click Share > Embed and select Public Embed.
• Copy the generated iframe or URL and insert it into your webpage or display screen.

Secure Embedding

Secure embedding (previously known as "user-backed embedding") provides fine-grained control over who can see what. It ensures that data access is restricted based on the host application’s user authentication system. This method uses a signed URL generated via Sigma’s embed API, allowing for dynamic, user-specific access.

From experience, this is the method most businesses prefer because it allows for personalized analytics without exposing sensitive data.

Example use case:

• Embedding analytics in a customer portal where each user sees only their own data
• Providing role-based dashboards within an internal enterprise tool

Implementation:

• Generate a secure token on our server.
• Use the Sigma Embed API to create a signed URL.
• Embed the URL in your application using an iframe or JavaScript.
  
  

  

  
  

Advanced Data Security in Embeds

When implementing secure embeds, Sigma provides advanced security controls:

• Column-Level Security – Restrict visibility of specific columns.
• Row-Level Security – Display only the relevant rows based on user permissions.
• Dynamic Connection & Role Switching – Users see data based on their assigned roles.
•  OAuth Integration – Enable seamless authentication using your existing identity provider.
  

Additional Embedding Configurations

Sigma offers additional features to enhance the embedded analytics experience:

• JavaScript Actions & Events – Add interactivity and respond to user actions.
• Responsive Design – Ensure dashboards adjust to different screen sizes.
• Version Tagging & Localization – Control versions and support multi-language embeds.
• Bookmarks & Saved Views – Allow users to save custom views of reports.

Key Takeaways

Embedded analytics in Sigma provides a simple way to integrate powerful BI capabilities into your applications. Whether you need public embedding for general dashboards or secure embedding for user-specific insights, Sigma offers flexible solutions to enhance your product's data experience.

By using Sigma's embedding capabilities, businesses can drive better engagement, improve data accessibility, and ensure secure, real-time decision-making for their users.