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Sisense

Connect Catalog to Sisense to sync dashboards, widgets, and data models. You can use Catalog-managed credentials or prepare uploads yourself using the BI Importer format. Catalog-managed Sisense sync is still maturing, so this page describes credential JSON, how to choose a correct base URL, and how Sisense objects map into Catalog.

Requirements​

You need a Sisense administrator account or another role that can authorize Catalog to read Sisense metadata with the credentials you provide.

Confirm whether your deployment is Sisense Cloud or self-hosted. The base URL you enter must match the hostname where users open Sisense in the browser, including any custom domain your organization configured.

Catalog Managed​

Use this section when Catalog stores your Sisense credentials and runs scheduled sync for your Workspace.

Integration in progress

Catalog-managed Sisense onboarding is still maturing. Use this section when Catalog operations enable credential-based sync for your tenant. For a self-contained path you fully control today, use Client Managed with BI Importer.

To connect Sisense with Catalog-managed credentials, supply:

  • Username
  • Password
  • Base URL for your Sisense instance

Enter credentials in Catalog using this JSON shape:

{
    "username": "*****",
    "password": "*****",
    "baseUrl": "https://your-company.sisense.com/"
}

Use these patterns when you choose baseUrl:

  • Sisense Cloud - Start from the URL your users open to reach Sisense. It usually looks like https://<tenant>.sisense.com/ or a vanity hostname your administrator configured. Include https:// in the URL and add a trailing slash only when Catalog's integration form shows that format.
  • Self-hosted - Use the internal or external HTTPS hostname where the Sisense web application listens, for example https://analytics.mycompany.com/. If Sisense sits behind a reverse proxy or custom port, mirror exactly what browsers use.

Replace placeholder hosts such as https://www.XXXX.com/ with a real reachable URL before saving credentials.

For your first sync, allow up to 48 hours. Catalog notifies you when the initial sync completes.

If you prefer not to share credentials with Catalog operations, continue to Client Managed.

Client Managed​

Doing a One-Time Extract​

For a trial or one-time snapshot, assemble Sisense metadata into BI Importer expected format, then upload using the channel your Catalog contact provides.

The Catalog extractor package published on PyPI includes dedicated command-line entry points for several BI platforms. There is not yet a published castor-extract-sisense command in that package. Until a Sisense-specific command ships, rely on BI Importer formatting and upload flows. You can use the shared Google Colab notebook to explore extraction patterns for other tools while you build Sisense files manually or with custom scripts.

Sisense to Catalog Translation​

Sisense element mapping

Sisense elements map to Catalog as follows:

  • Sisense dashboard - Dashboard in Catalog
  • Sisense widget - Tile in Catalog
  • Data Models - Live models, ElastiCube Models, and Hybrid models map to visualization models in Catalog

Common Issues​

If credentials fail or dashboards look incomplete in Catalog, start with these checks:

  • 401 or connection errors after saving credentials - Double-check baseUrl for typos, missing https://, or use of an internal-only hostname that Catalog cannot reach. Align with the URL analysts use in the browser.
  • Partial dashboards - Sisense security rules and user scope can hide widgets from the service account. Confirm the account sees every asset you expect in the Sisense UI.

What's Next?​

  • Browse related setup patterns on BI Tools.
  • Review file layout and columns for uploads in BI Importer.