SQL Studio is Collate’s integrated query execution environment that lets you run SQL queries directly against your configured database services. With SQL Studio, explore data, validate queries, and perform ad-hoc analysis without leaving the Collate platform.
SQL Studio provides a unified interface for executing SQL queries across multiple database services from within Collate. It eliminates the need to switch between different database clients and provides a consistent experience regardless of which database you’re querying.
Each service supports different authentication methods and has service-specific configuration options. See Admin Configuration for detailed setup instructions.
SQL Studio supports four authentication methods for most services, each designed for different use cases. Databricks and Unity Catalog use a Personal Access Token or a Service Principal instead:
Method
User Experience
Admin Setup
Use Case
Basic Auth
Manual credential entry
Minimal - just enable mode
Service accounts, key-based access
External OAuth
One-time OAuth popup
Moderate - requires OAuth app setup
OAuth-enabled services with separate IdP
Collate SSO
Seamless - no additional login
Minimal - auto-configured
Google Workspace organizations
AWS IAM
AWS credentials or assumed role
IAM permissions, plus S3 and Glue permissions for Athena
Best for: Service accounts, automated access, or when OAuth is not availableBasic Authentication lets you provide direct credentials such as Username + Password or Service Account fields.How it works:Admin Setup:
Admin selects authentication type as “Basic” in the database service configuration
Admin saves the configuration
User Connection:
Users enter their own credentials in SQL Studio
Credentials are encrypted and stored securely
Credentials remain valid until manually changed by the user
Supported services:
BigQuery (GCP Service Account fields)
Snowflake (Username + Password OR Username + Key Pair)
Trino (Username + Password)
Redshift (Username + Password)
PostgreSQL (Username + Password)
MSSQL (Username + Password)
MySQL (Username + Password)
Admin setup: Admins enable Basic Auth mode - users provide their own credentials.
Best for: Organizations that want OAuth authentication but use a different SSO provider or email & password for Collate loginExternal OAuth lets you authenticate directly with the database service provider (Google (for BigQuery), Snowflake, Starburst (for Trino)) using OAuth 2.0, separate from their Collate login.How it works:Admin Setup:
Admin fills in the OAuth configuration fields:
Client ID (required)
Client Secret (required)
Redirect URL (optional)
Scope (optional)
Admin saves the configuration
User Connection:
Users click “Connect” in SQL Studio for the configured database service
Users are redirected to the database provider’s authentication page (Google for BigQuery, Snowflake for Snowflake, Azure AD for Trino)
Users authenticate with their database provider credentials
Access token exchange happens automatically
OAuth tokens are securely stored and used for query execution
Best for: Organizations using Google OIDC for Collate loginCollate SSO uses your existing Google SSO configuration in Collate to authenticate with database services. Instead of configuring separate OAuth credentials, SQL Studio automatically uses already configured fields from Collate login.How it works:Admin Setup:
Admin selects authentication type as “Collate SSO” in the database service configuration
Fields in the UI (Client ID, Client Secret, Scope) are optional and not mandatory to fill
Once the admin saves the form, these fields are automatically prefetched from Collate’s SSO settings
Admin can then view the auto-enriched values
User Connection:
Users click “Connect” in SQL Studio for the configured database service
A popup opens for users to allow/grant permissions defined in the scope (e.g., BigQuery access)
OAuth tokens are securely fetched, stored, and automatically used for query execution
No additional credential entry required from users or admin
Tip:
SSO Support: As of now, Collate SSO flow is only supported for Google OIDC (OpenID Connect).
Supported services:
BigQuery (with Google Workspace SSO)
Admin setup: Minimal or no configuration required - OAuth credentials (Client ID, Client Secret, Scope) are automatically pulled from Collate’s SSO settings.