Connecting to BigQuery
Querylab.io offers two ways to connect to BigQuery. Both are equally secure - choose based on your preference.
Quick Comparison
| Web App | Desktop App | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Browser-based access | Local credential storage |
| How it works | Google OAuth | Google OAuth or gcloud CLI |
| Where tokens live | Encrypted (AES-256) on our servers | Your device's OS Keychain |
| Setup time | 30 seconds | 30 seconds (OAuth) or 2-3 min (ADC) |
Both options are equally secure. Your queries always run directly from your browser/app to BigQuery - our backend never executes queries or accesses your data.
Option 1: Web App
Best for: Users who prefer browser-based access.
How it works
- Click Grant Access
- Sign in with your Google account
- Approve BigQuery permissions
- Start querying
Security details
- Tokens encrypted with AES-256 at rest on Querylab.io servers
- Queries run directly from your browser to BigQuery
- Our backend never executes your queries or sees your data
- Revoke access anytime from Google Account settings
Option 2: Desktop App
Best for: Users who prefer credentials stored locally on their device.
The Desktop app keeps all tokens in your OS Keychain - they never leave your machine. You can authenticate via Google OAuth or use existing gcloud credentials.
Option A: Google OAuth (Recommended)
- Click Grant Access
- Sign in with your Google account in the browser
- Tokens are stored in your OS Keychain
Option B: Application Default Credentials
For developers who already use gcloud CLI:
- Install Google Cloud SDK
- Run in terminal:
gcloud auth application-default login - Select Use ADC in Querylab.io
Security details
- All tokens stored in OS Keychain (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager)
- Credentials never sent to Querylab.io servers
- Queries run directly from the app to BigQuery
Playground
Not ready to connect yet? Try Playground to explore Querylab.io with sample data. No authentication required.
Questions?
Contact us at [email protected].