Embed external content in your project

This guide walks you through embedding an external webpage — a dashboard, a design file, or any public URL — directly inside your Obvious project.

How embedding works

Embedded content appears as its own tab alongside your workbooks, documents, and other project content. The external page loads in a frame, so you can view and interact with it without leaving Obvious.

Embed a webpage

In the chat panel, ask the agent to embed a URL:

Embed https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/your-sheet-id

The agent creates an embedded content tab and opens it. You'll see the URL displayed in the toolbar, and the page loads below it.

You can also describe what you want without providing a URL:

Embed our team's Figma project board

If the agent has enough context, it'll set it up for you.

What works

Any publicly accessible webpage served over http:// or https:// can be embedded. Common examples:

• Dashboards — Looker, Metabase, Google Data Studio

• Design tools — Figma files (with share link enabled)

• Documentation — Notion pages, GitBook, Confluence

• Hosted apps — Apps the agent built for you inside Obvious (these get persistent URLs automatically)

What doesn't work

Some websites block embedding for security reasons. When this happens, the embed shows an error instead of the page content.

How to tell: If the embed loads as a blank page or shows an error, the site likely blocks embedding. Click Open in New Tab in the toolbar to confirm the URL itself is valid.

Tip: Many tools that block their default URL offer embeddable versions. In Google Sheets, use File → Share → Publish to web to get an embed-friendly URL.

Refresh or update embedded content

Embedded pages don't auto-refresh when the source changes. To load the latest version:

• Click the refresh button in the toolbar above the embed.

• Or ask the agent: "Refresh the embedded dashboard."

To change the URL entirely, ask the agent:

Update the embed to point to https://new-url.com

Manage embedded content

Embedded content supports the same actions as other content in your project:

• Rename — Right-click the tab or use the more menu (⋯) to rename it.

• Open in new tab — Click Open in New Tab in the toolbar to open the original URL in a new browser tab.

• Copy URL — Click the URL in the toolbar to copy it to your clipboard.

• Fullscreen — Expand the embed to fill the full workspace.

• Delete — Remove the embed from your project through the more menu (⋯).

Next steps

• Your First Workbook — Build structured data alongside your embedded content.

• Key Concepts — Understand how all the pieces of an Obvious project fit together.