Domain 5.3, Snowflake Marketplace and Native Apps
Explore the Snowflake Marketplace ecosystem, public and private data listings, how to publish and consume data products, and the Native App Framework.
Exam Domain 5.3: Snowflake Marketplace and Data Exchange contributes to the Data Collaboration domain, which is 10% of the COF-C03 exam.
The Data Collaboration Ecosystem
1. What Is the Snowflake Marketplace?
The Snowflake Marketplace is a global catalogue of live, ready-to-query data products accessible directly within Snowflake. Consumers can discover, trial, and attach datasets without any ETL: the data lives in the provider's account and is served via Secure Data Sharing.
Key Characteristics
Property | Detail |
|---|---|
Data movement | Zero: no copy, no pipeline |
Freshness | Live: always the provider's latest data |
Onboarding | Seconds: "Get" → database mounted instantly |
Trial data | Providers can offer free sample datasets |
Paid listings | Billed through Snowflake; provider sets price |
2. Listing Types
Public Listings
Open to any Snowflake customer. Consumers search the Marketplace, click Get, and receive an imported database: no approval step required for free listings.
Private Listings
Targeted at specific consumer accounts. The provider sends an invitation; the consumer claims the listing. Ideal for:
- B2B data partnerships
- Distributing proprietary data to a controlled audience
- Beta programmes
-- Provider: create a private listing (done via Snowsight UI or SQL)
-- Check existing listings
SHOW LISTINGS;Freemium/Trial Data
Providers can attach a sample dataset to any listing. Consumers try the sample for free, then upgrade to the paid full dataset.
3. Publishing a Listing (Provider Workflow)
Requirements for providers:
- Must be on Business Critical edition for HIPAA-compliant data products.
- Provider and consumer must be on the same cloud/region for direct sharing, or replication must be configured for cross-region.
- Listing metadata: title, description, sample queries, documentation, data dictionary.
4. Consuming a Listing (Consumer Workflow)
-- After clicking "Get" in the Snowsight Marketplace UI,
-- a database is automatically created. You can also reference it immediately:
USE DATABASE my_marketplace_data;
SHOW TABLES;
-- Query — no warehouse cost for provider, consumer pays their own compute
SELECT * FROM my_marketplace_data.public.weather_observations
WHERE date >= CURRENT_DATE - 7;The consumer pays compute (virtual warehouse credits) to query marketplace data. The provider pays storage for the underlying data. There are no per-query royalty charges at the infrastructure level: licensing/pricing is handled at the listing level.
5. Data Exchange
A Data Exchange is a private, invitation-only marketplace that an organisation sets up for a defined group of providers and consumers: for example, a consortium of industry partners.
Marketplace | Data Exchange | |
|---|---|---|
Open to | All Snowflake customers | Invited members only |
Run by | Snowflake | Customer organisation |
Use case | Public data products | Industry consortium, internal org |
6. Native App Framework
The Snowflake Native App Framework enables providers to bundle application logic (stored procedures, UDFs, Streamlit UI) together with data into a single installable app: delivered via the Marketplace.
Architecture
Key Properties
Property | Detail |
|---|---|
Runs in | Consumer's account: provider code executes there |
Data access | App can access consumer's data (with permission) |
Provider visibility | Provider cannot see consumer's data |
Versioning | Provider pushes updates; consumer upgrades |
UI | Can include a Streamlit front-end |
-- Provider: create an application package
CREATE APPLICATION PACKAGE my_app_pkg;
-- Add a version from a stage containing the app manifest
ALTER APPLICATION PACKAGE my_app_pkg
ADD VERSION v1_0 USING @my_app_stage;
-- Release the version
ALTER APPLICATION PACKAGE my_app_pkg
SET DEFAULT RELEASE DIRECTIVE VERSION = v1_0 PATCH = 0;
-- Consumer: install the app
CREATE APPLICATION my_installed_app
FROM APPLICATION PACKAGE provider_org.my_app_pkg
USING VERSION v1_0;Native App vs. Traditional Sharing
Secure Data Share | Native App | |
|---|---|---|
What is delivered | Data only | Data + code + UI |
Runs in consumer account? | No: consumer queries provider storage | Yes |
Consumer data access | None | App can request access |
Streamlit UI | No | Yes |
Versioning | Not applicable | Yes |
7. Monetisation and Billing
- Free listings: no charge to consumer.
- Paid listings: consumer billed through Snowflake; provider receives a revenue share.
- Usage-based: some listings charge per-query or per-row accessed.
- Providers set pricing; Snowflake handles billing and payment infrastructure.
Summary
Key Takeaways for the Exam
- Marketplace listings are zero-copy and live: same sharing mechanism as Secure Data Sharing.
- Public listings: open to all; Private listings: invite-only; Native App listings: code + data.
- Data Exchange: private marketplace run by an organisation for a controlled group.
- Native Apps: provider bundles code + data into an installable app that runs in the consumer's account.
- Consumer pays compute; provider pays storage.
- Cross-region/cross-cloud marketplace access requires replication.
Practice Questions
How to answer
Multiple-choice question with 4 options. Select one option, then choose Check Answer.
A consumer clicks "Get" on a free Marketplace listing. What happens to the data?
How to answer
Multiple-choice question with 4 options. Select one option, then choose Check Answer.
Which listing type is visible only to specific Snowflake accounts that have been explicitly invited?
How to answer
Multiple-choice question with 4 options. Select one option, then choose Check Answer.
An organisation wants to create a private data hub for 20 industry partners: not open to all Snowflake customers. Which feature should they use?
How to answer
Multiple-choice question with 4 options. Select one option, then choose Check Answer.
A Native App is installed by a consumer. Where does the application code execute?
How to answer
Multiple-choice question with 4 options. Select one option, then choose Check Answer.
Which is a capability of the Native App Framework that standard Secure Data Sharing does NOT support?
How to answer
Multiple-choice question with 4 options. Select one option, then choose Check Answer.
Who pays the compute cost when a consumer queries data from a Marketplace listing?
How to answer
Multiple-choice question with 4 options. Select one option, then choose Check Answer.
A provider wants to share a dataset with paying customers through the Snowflake Marketplace. Which billing model is available?