Listings in Snowflake are a fundamental component of the Data Sharing and Marketplace ecosystem. A listing is essentially a package of data products that a provider creates to share or sell data with consumers through the Snowflake Marketplace or private data exchanges.
There are two main types of…Listings in Snowflake are a fundamental component of the Data Sharing and Marketplace ecosystem. A listing is essentially a package of data products that a provider creates to share or sell data with consumers through the Snowflake Marketplace or private data exchanges.
There are two main types of listings in Snowflake:
1. **Standard Listings**: These are free data shares that providers make available to consumers. They enable organizations to share data across different Snowflake accounts seamlessly, allowing consumers to access the shared data in real-time using their own compute resources.
2. **Personalized Listings**: These listings allow providers to offer customized data products tailored to specific consumer needs. Providers can set access controls and customize what data each consumer can view.
3. **Paid Listings**: Through the Snowflake Marketplace, providers can monetize their data by creating paid listings where consumers pay for access to premium datasets.
Key characteristics of Listings include:
- **No Data Movement**: When data is shared through listings, no actual data copying occurs. Consumers query the data from the provider's account, ensuring data remains current and eliminating storage duplication costs.
- **Secure Access**: Providers maintain full control over their data, determining who can access it and what portions are visible. Access can be revoked at any time.
- **Cross-Region and Cross-Cloud Sharing**: Listings support sharing data across different cloud providers and regions, though replication may be required for cross-region scenarios.
- **Discoverability**: Listings in the Snowflake Marketplace are discoverable by potential consumers, making it easier for data providers to reach their target audience.
- **Governance**: Providers can track usage and manage access through Snowflake's built-in governance features.
For the SnowPro Core exam, understanding how listings facilitate secure data sharing between organizations while maintaining data protection and access control is essential knowledge.
Listings in Snowflake: Complete Guide for SnowPro Core Certification
What are Listings?
Listings are the primary mechanism in Snowflake Marketplace and Data Exchange that allows data providers to share their data products with consumers. A listing is essentially a packaged offering that contains one or more shares, along with metadata describing the data, terms of use, and business information.
Why are Listings Important?
Listings are crucial for several reasons:
• Data Monetization: Providers can monetize their data assets by creating listings on the Snowflake Marketplace • Data Discovery: Consumers can discover and access valuable third-party data through a centralized marketplace • Simplified Data Sharing: Listings streamline the process of sharing data between organizations • Governance: Listings include terms and conditions, ensuring proper data governance • No Data Movement: Consumers access live data through listings, eliminating ETL processes
How Listings Work
1. Provider Creates a Share: The data provider first creates a share containing databases, schemas, tables, views, or secure UDFs
2. Create the Listing: The provider creates a listing in the Provider Studio, attaching the share to it
3. Add Metadata: Provider adds title, description, sample queries, data dictionary, and business terms
4. Publish: The listing is published to Snowflake Marketplace (public) or a Private Data Exchange (restricted audience)
5. Consumer Access: Consumers browse listings, request access, and once approved, get the shared data as a database in their account
Types of Listings
• Free Listings: No cost to consumers; used for public datasets or marketing purposes • Paid Listings: Require payment; pricing can be per-query, subscription-based, or custom • Personalized Listings: Custom listings for specific consumers in a Private Data Exchange
Key Components of a Listing
• Share: The underlying data being offered • Title and Description: Marketing information about the data • Data Dictionary: Documentation of tables and columns • Sample Queries: Example SQL to help consumers get started • Terms of Service: Legal agreements governing data usage • Region Availability: Which Snowflake regions the listing is available in
Listing Visibility Options
• Snowflake Marketplace: Publicly visible to all Snowflake customers • Private Data Exchange: Visible only to invited members of a specific exchange • Direct Share: One-to-one sharing with specific accounts (not technically a listing)
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Listings
Key Concepts to Remember:
1. Listings are built on top of shares - understand this relationship
2. The Snowflake Marketplace is for public listings; Private Data Exchanges are for restricted audiences
3. Consumers receive shared data as a read-only database in their account
4. Data is not copied - consumers query live data from the provider's account
5. Cross-region sharing requires data replication by the provider
Common Exam Scenarios:
• Questions about the difference between Marketplace and Private Data Exchange • Understanding who pays for compute (the consumer queries using their own warehouse) • Knowing that providers can revoke access at any time • Understanding that listings can contain secure views and secure UDFs for data masking
Watch Out For:
• Trick questions implying data is copied to consumer accounts - it is not • Questions about cross-cloud sharing - this requires replication setup • Confusion between shares and listings - shares are the data; listings are the published offering
Practice Question Approach:
When you see questions about data sharing, first identify whether it involves internal sharing (shares) or external publishing (listings/marketplace). This distinction often leads to the correct answer.