Migrate from other tools

Moving to ZLens from Looker, Metabase, Tableau, Hex or a folder of SQL scripts starts with the SQL behind your reports.

Bring the SQL over

1. Export or copy the SQL of the reports you want to keep into .sql files, one query per file (or several queries in one file).

2. Import them:

   zlens import sql ./legacy-sql --domain finance --owner you@example.com
   

   zlens migrate raw-sql --input ./legacy-sql does the same thing.

3. Review the drafts and certify the ones that are right. You can also do the import in the workbench. See Import SQL.

Each query becomes a draft block with a name, description, grain and outputs drafted by AI, a preview of its rows, and a default test. Nothing is certified until a person certifies it.

What zlens migrate <tool> does today

zlens migrate looker, metabase, tableau and dbt do not read your exports yet. They print the approach for that tool and an example of the block it would produce. Use the import above for real content.

Check the result

zlens validate .

zlens validate reports unresolved references in the imported blocks.

Upgrade older ZLens or DQL files

These migrate commands work on your own project files:

Command	Does
zlens migrate format --check	Lists .dql and .dqlnb files that are not in the canonical format. Run without --check to rewrite them.
zlens migrate layout --to domain-first --dry-run	Previews moving older folders into the domains/ layout.
zlens migrate parameters --check	Audits older block parameters.
zlens migrate modeling --to dbt-first --dry-run	Previews adopting dbt-first modeling. Use --apply to write.
zlens migrate datalex --input <manifest.json> --dry-run	Converts DataLex business semantics into dbt-first overlays.