Snowflake Native Apps Complete Guide: Application Package & Marketplace Distribution

Snowflake Native Apps is a framework for building and packaging applications on Snowflake and distributing them to other Snowflake accounts via the Marketplace. It enables the integrated distribution of "data + code + UI" — something that traditional Secure Data Sharing could not achieve.

This article systematically explains the structure of an Application Package, the Provider/Consumer role model, Streamlit UI integration, the security model, and the Marketplace distribution flow.

What are Native Apps?

The Snowflake Native Apps Framework is a platform where Providers package applications developed on Snowflake as Application Packages and distribute them to Consumer accounts via the Marketplace or direct sharing. The defining feature is that applications run inside the Consumer's account without moving data.

The objects that can be included in a Native App are:

• Stored Procedures / UDFs (Python, Java, Scala, JavaScript, SQL)
• Streamlit UI (interactive web interface)
• Tables, views, materialized views
• Tasks, streams, Snowpipe
• External functions and API integrations
• Shared data (read-only references to Provider-side data)

The Provider and Consumer Relationship

Provider

The Provider is the application developer, who creates an Application Package and defines the code, data, and privilege configuration.

-- Application Packageの作成
CREATE APPLICATION PACKAGE my_analytics_app;

-- ステージにファイルをアップロード
PUT file://manifest.yml @my_analytics_app.stage_content;
PUT file://setup.sql @my_analytics_app.stage_content;
PUT file://streamlit_app.py @my_analytics_app.stage_content;

-- バージョンの追加
ALTER APPLICATION PACKAGE my_analytics_app
  ADD VERSION v1_0
  USING '@my_analytics_app.stage_content';

Consumer

The Consumer is the side that installs and uses the Native App. The application runs as an Application Object inside the Consumer's account, with code executing on the Consumer's warehouse.

-- Marketplaceまたは直接共有からインストール
CREATE APPLICATION my_installed_app
  FROM APPLICATION PACKAGE my_analytics_app
  USING VERSION v1_0;

-- アプリが要求する権限をGRANT
GRANT USAGE ON DATABASE my_data TO APPLICATION my_installed_app;
GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA my_data.public TO APPLICATION my_installed_app;
GRANT SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA my_data.public TO APPLICATION my_installed_app;

The Three Core Components of an Application Package

manifest.yml Structure

manifest_version: 1
artifacts:
  setup_script: setup.sql
  default_streamlit: app_schema.my_streamlit_app

privileges:
  - CREATE DATABASE:
      description: "分析結果を格納するDBを作成"
  - IMPORTED PRIVILEGES ON SNOWFLAKE DB:
      description: "ACCOUNT_USAGE参照"

setup.sql Structure

-- アプリケーション内スキーマの作成
CREATE SCHEMA IF NOT EXISTS app_schema;

-- Application Roleの定義
CREATE APPLICATION ROLE app_user;
CREATE APPLICATION ROLE app_admin;

-- Streamlit UIの作成
CREATE STREAMLIT app_schema.my_streamlit_app
  FROM '/streamlit'
  MAIN_FILE = 'app.py';

-- Application Roleへの権限付与
GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA app_schema TO APPLICATION ROLE app_user;
GRANT USAGE ON STREAMLIT app_schema.my_streamlit_app TO APPLICATION ROLE app_user;

Streamlit UI Integration

Native Apps can embed an interactive web interface built with Streamlit. Consumers access the Streamlit UI from Snowsight, with Snowflake authentication and role-based access control applied automatically. From inside the Streamlit app, you can drive SQL execution, table reads/writes, and chart rendering on Snowflake with Python code.

Security Model

Native Apps are designed around the principle of least privilege. By default, an application cannot access the Consumer's data — access is only granted when the Consumer explicitly issues GRANT USAGE or REFERENCE_USAGE.

Inside the application, Application Roles are used. The Provider defines Application Roles inside setup.sql, and the Consumer GRANTs the Application Roles of the installed Application Object to their own account roles.

Marketplace Distribution and Pricing Models

Data Sharing Integration

Native Apps internally leverage the Secure Data Sharing mechanism. By configuring a Provider-side database as the Content Schema of an Application Package, the Consumer's application can reference Provider-side data in read-only mode. No physical data copy is created, and storage costs are incurred only on the Provider side.

Development and Deployment Flow

1. Local development — Develop Python/SQL code with the Snowflake CLI or Snowsight
2. Create the Application Package — Create the container with CREATE APPLICATION PACKAGE
3. Upload files — Place setup.sql, manifest.yml, and Python files in a Named Stage
4. Add a version — Define a release version with ALTER APPLICATION PACKAGE ADD VERSION
5. Local testing — Install in your own account and validate with CREATE APPLICATION FROM PACKAGE
6. Marketplace publishing — Create and publish a Listing in Provider Studio

Sample Question

Frequently Asked Questions