Last month we launched private embeds, made search a lot faster, and improved the experience of using Observable. Now, you can securely share private embeds, and search for content within your team or the Community to get more accurate results — 10x faster. Plus, new Enterprise features help larger teams better organize their work and the Data Table cell is easier to use.
Let’s explore what these new features mean for your workflow:
Share private notebooks with secure, private embeds
Data visualization is most impactful when it goes from your browser to teammates in a way that can foster discussions and create shared understanding. Observable makes it easy for you to embed notebooks and supports a variety of embed types, including iFrame, JavaScript, and React. We’re continuing to improve this feature by making it simpler and more secure.
First, to increase the security of private notebook embeds, we’ve created notebook keys. A Notebook Key only has access to a specific version of a single notebook and the resources, such as database connections and secrets, used by the notebook. This key type is more granular than our existing API keys, which are scoped to the workspace rather than a specific notebook. To create a notebook key, you will use our new one-click interface, which simplifies and accelerates the embed creation process. In this interface you’ll also notice that you can set a key expiration date, allowing you to create short-lived keys.
Previously, iFrame embeds couldn’t access workspace secrets and databases, which prevented some teams from using embeds. Now, if you have a Pro or Enterprise workspace and use iFrame notebook embeds, those embeds can access the workspace secrets and databases that are referenced within the notebook. This makes notebook embeds accessible for more teams. Lastly, for Enterprise workspaces, we’ve developed the option to remove the Powered by Observable attribution in iFrame embeds.
This new functionality opens up an array of potential use cases. For instance, you can now add charts demonstrating KPIs, such as feature engagement or revenue from a specific product tier, to internal Notion pages. Embed visualizations in internal apps to keep your whole team on the same page. Or, use data visualizations to support visual storytelling in reports.
Learn more about these updates, how to embed Observable notebooks, and tips for troubleshooting embeds, in our docs.
Find what you’re looking for 10x faster
Discovering content on Observable, whether within your team workspace or within our Community, starts with the search bar. So, when we noticed search was slowing our users down, we knew we had to address it. Now, search returns more accurate results faster. Not just a little faster. 10x faster.
Manage team access and organize notebooks with Groups
To successfully collaborate in Observable, team members need to have access to the correct notebooks. Sharing notebooks with teams in your organization is now easier with Groups.
This feature, available for Enterprise workspaces, allows you to define a group in Observable, such as a project team or a department. Once added to a group, users can share notebooks with their group or other individuals in a workspace. As users are added to your Observable workspace, simply add them to the right groups and all the correct notebooks will automatically be shared with them.
Select and filter Data Table cell values without writing conditions
By using the Data Table cell, you can, as the name suggests, quickly take your data from a data source and put it into a table. If you are familiar with the Data Table cell, then you likely know that it allows you to filter your data. With this update, there’s a faster and easier way to select and filter values. Simply click on a cell in the table and you’ll receive a menu of filter options relative to the data type of the column.
Using the cell value filter improves your workflow in two ways. First, it saves time that you’d otherwise spend writing the conditions manually. Second, it’s more precise than using the column header’s Summary Charts.
Since we are talking about the Data Table cell, don’t forget that our recent Chart cell feature makes it much, much easier to build data visualizations based on the data you’ve selected in the Data Table cell. If you haven’t yet tried Chart cell, what are you waiting for? Log into your account and see for yourself how fast you can go from data to visualization.
Need a refresh of what you can do with the Data Table cell? The docs are right this way.
Conclusion
We have a lot of other exciting updates on deck for next month. To stay informed as features roll out, visit our release notes. As a reminder, we are always looking forward to hearing feedback from users, so please share your thoughts on the feedback repo.