📱 STEP 1
What are Databricks Apps?
Databricks Apps is a managed platform for hosting
web applications directly within your Databricks workspace.
Build data applications, AI-powered tools, dashboards, and customer-facing apps —
all running on serverless compute with built-in security.
Key benefit: No separate infrastructure to manage. Your app inherits
Databricks security, authentication, and governance automatically.
🔧 STEP 2
Supported Frameworks
Databricks Apps supports both Python and
Node.js frameworks:
- Streamlit — Data apps & dashboards
- Dash — Interactive visualizations
- Gradio — ML/AI demos & chat interfaces
- React/Angular/Svelte — Custom web apps
Deployment: Push your code → Databricks builds and serves it
on serverless infrastructure.
🔐 STEP 3
Native OAuth Authentication
Apps running on Databricks get automatic OAuth —
no manual token handling required.
When a user accesses your app, they authenticate through Databricks.
The platform provides your app with tokens to access workspace resources
on behalf of that user.
Zero configuration: OAuth is handled by the platform.
Just use the Databricks SDK in your app code.
🔗 STEP 4
Direct Access to Resources
Your Databricks App can directly access all workspace resources:
- SQL Warehouses — Run queries on lakehouse data
- Model Serving — Call deployed ML models & agents
- Unity Catalog — Browse and query governed tables
- Jobs & Workflows — Trigger and monitor pipelines
Resources are accessed with the user's identity —
UC permissions are enforced automatically.
🛡️ STEP 5
Unity Catalog Integration
Every data access from your app flows through Unity Catalog
governance:
- Permissions — Users only see data they're authorized to access
- Row filters — Automatic row-level security
- Column masks — Sensitive data is masked per policy
- Audit logs — All access is tracked
Build once, govern always: Your app code stays simple while
UC handles fine-grained access control.
👤 STEP 6
User Identity Propagation
When a user interacts with your app, their identity flows through
to all backend resources:
User → App → SQL Warehouse → UC → Data
This ensures that data access respects each user's permissions —
two users using the same app may see different data based on their roles.
Example: A finance user sees all revenue data; a regional manager
sees only their region's data — from the same dashboard.
⚖️ STEP 7
vs. External App Hosting
Compare Databricks Apps with hosting your app externally:
- No token exchange needed — OAuth is automatic vs. manual federation
- No infrastructure — No VMs, containers, or cloud setup
- Built-in security — Network isolation, secrets management included
- Direct UC access — No VPN or firewall configuration
Trade-off: External hosting offers more flexibility;
Databricks Apps offers simpler security and governance.
💡 STEP 8
Common Use Cases
Databricks Apps excels for internal and external applications
that need secure, governed data access:
- AI Chat Interfaces — Gradio apps calling deployed agents
- Data Dashboards — Streamlit apps querying lakehouse
- Customer-Facing Apps — External apps with user identity
- Admin & Ops Tools — Internal monitoring & management
Ideal for: Both internal users in your workspace and external users
authenticated via your identity provider (Entra ID, Okta, etc.).
🚀 STEP 9
Deployment Workflow
Deploy your app in minutes:
- 1. Write your app code (Streamlit, Gradio, etc.)
- 2. Create an
app.yaml configuration
- 3. Use
databricks apps deploy CLI
- 4. Access via
https://{workspace}/apps/{app-name}
CI/CD ready: Integrate deployment into your Git workflows
for automated app updates.
✅ STEP 10
Summary: Databricks Apps
Databricks Apps provides a managed, secure platform
for hosting web applications with:
- ✅ Native OAuth — Automatic authentication, no token handling
- ✅ UC Integration — Permissions, filters, masks enforced
- ✅ User Identity — Per-user data access with audit trail
- ✅ Serverless — No infrastructure to manage
- ✅ Multiple Frameworks — Python & Node.js supported
Best for: Internal and external data apps, AI-powered applications,
and dashboards where security, governance, and user identity are priorities.