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Contribution Types

To facilitate the development of extensions, we define a set of well-defined contribution types that extensions can implement. These contribution types serve as the building blocks for extensions, allowing them to interact with the host application and provide new functionality.

Frontend​

Frontend contribution types allow extensions to extend Superset's user interface with new views, commands, and menu items.

Views​

Extensions can add new views or panels to the host application, such as custom SQL Lab panels, dashboards, or other UI components. Each view is registered with a unique ID and can be activated or deactivated as needed. Contribution areas are uniquely identified (e.g., sqllab.panels for SQL Lab panels), enabling seamless integration into specific parts of the application.

"views": {
  "sqllab.panels": [
    {
      "id": "dataset_references.main",
      "name": "Table references"
    }
  ]
},

Commands​

Extensions can define custom commands that can be executed within the host application, such as context-aware actions or menu options. Each command can specify properties like a unique command identifier, an icon, a title, and a description. These commands can be invoked by users through menus, keyboard shortcuts, or other UI elements, enabling extensions to add rich, interactive functionality to Superset.

"commands": [
  {
    "command": "extension1.copy_query",
    "icon": "CopyOutlined",
    "title": "Copy Query",
    "description": "Copy the current query to clipboard"
  },
]

Extensions can contribute new menu items or context menus to the host application, providing users with additional actions and options. Each menu item can specify properties such as the target view, the command to execute, its placement (primary, secondary, or context), and conditions for when it should be displayed. Menu contribution areas are uniquely identified (e.g., sqllab.editor for the SQL Lab editor), allowing extensions to seamlessly integrate their functionality into specific menus and workflows within Superset.

"menus": {
  "sqllab.editor": {
    "primary": [
      {
        "view": "builtin.editor",
        "command": "extension1.copy_query"
      }
    ],
    "secondary": [
      {
        "view": "builtin.editor",
        "command": "extension1.prettify"
      }
    ],
    "context": [
      {
        "view": "builtin.editor",
        "command": "extension1.clear"
      },
      {
        "view": "builtin.editor",
     "command": "extension1.refresh"
      }
    ]
  },
}

Backend​

Backend contribution types allow extensions to extend Superset's server-side capabilities with new API endpoints, MCP tools, and MCP prompts.

REST API Endpoints​

Extensions can register custom REST API endpoints under the /api/v1/extensions/ namespace. This dedicated namespace prevents conflicts with built-in endpoints and provides a clear separation between core and extension functionality.

"backend": {
  "entryPoints": ["my_extension.entrypoint"],
  "files": ["backend/src/my_extension/**/*.py"]
}

The entry point module registers the API with Superset:

from superset_core.api.rest_api import add_extension_api
from .api import MyExtensionAPI

add_extension_api(MyExtensionAPI)

MCP Tools and Prompts​

Extensions can contribute Model Context Protocol (MCP) tools and prompts that AI agents can discover and use. See MCP Integration for detailed documentation.