Custom plugins

SquaredUp is built on the principle that operational intelligence comes alive when all of your data is connected, accessible and explorable in one place.

While the SquaredUp catalog provides a wide range of built-in data sources, modern environments move fast and no platform can anticipate every system you rely on.

Custom plugins solve that.

One platform, unlimited observability

Operational intelligence breaks down when data is fragmented. Teams are forced to jump between tools and dashboards become partial views, losing critical context.

Custom plugins remove these gaps by allowing SquaredUp to connect to almost any system, and extends the platform far beyond the official catalog.

Whether your data lives in a niche SaaS tool, an internal system or a bespoke platform, custom plugins allow you to bring it into SquaredUp and treat it as a first-class data source.

The result is true single-pane-of-glass observability, built to adapt to your environment, instead of asking you to adapt to it.

Building blocks

A plugin is made up of the following components. When you follow the steps to create a plugin in SquaredUp, you are essentially crafting each of these individual pieces. Then, when exporting the plugin, they get bundled together into a deployable plugin .zip file.

• Metadata(metadata.json):
  This file describes your plugin, including its name, version, author, icon, category, and configuration (such as the base URL and authentication mechanism).
• UI(ui.json):
  This defines the form for the data source configuration page displayed to users when they add your plugin. Typically used to collect credentials like an API key or base URL, anything that's considered secret or unique to an individual's usage.
• Data Streams(dataStreams/*):
  A folder containing one JSON file per data stream. Each file defines an API endpoint, its configuration, and any UI shown when a user adds a tile using that stream. It can also specify options like the available timeframe or whether the user can select objects from the graph.
• Object Indexing(indexDefinitions/):
  Optional. Defines which objects to import into the SquaredUp graph and how to map API response fields to object properties.
• Pre-built Dashboards(defaultContent/):
  Optional. Contains pre-built dashboards bundled with your plugin.
• Custom Types(custom_types.json):
  Optional. Specifies icons and friendly names for the plugin's objects, e.g. maps repository to GitHub Repository with a code icon.
• Config validation(configValidation.json):
  Optional. Allows a plugin to verify that a user's configuration is valid before a data source is created.

See building plugins with AI for more information.

Community ecosystem

Custom plugins enable a community-first approach to extending SquaredUp. Plugins can be shared to the community repository, allowing others to benefit from your contributions.

Remember that when a plugin is shared, ownership remains with the creator. This includes maintaining compatibility with the underlying data source, evolving the plugin as APIs change, and providing clear documentation and guidance.

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