# Query Iceberg Topics using Snowflake and Open Catalog

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/llms.txt). Component-specific: [cloud-data-platform-full.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform-full.txt)

---
title: Query Iceberg Topics using Snowflake and Open Catalog
latest-operator-version: v26.1.4
latest-console-tag: v3.7.3
latest-connect-version: 4.93.0
latest-redpanda-tag: v26.1.9
docname: iceberg/redpanda-topics-iceberg-snowflake-catalog
page-component-name: cloud-data-platform
page-version: master
page-component-version: master
page-component-title: Cloud
page-relative-src-path: iceberg/redpanda-topics-iceberg-snowflake-catalog.adoc
page-edit-url: https://github.com/redpanda-data/cloud-docs/edit/main/modules/manage/pages/iceberg/redpanda-topics-iceberg-snowflake-catalog.adoc
description: Add Redpanda topics as Iceberg tables that you can query in Snowflake using an Open Catalog integration.
page-git-created-date: "2025-05-21"
page-git-modified-date: "2026-05-26"
---

<!-- Source: https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/manage/iceberg/redpanda-topics-iceberg-snowflake-catalog.md -->

This guide walks you through querying Redpanda topics as Iceberg tables in [Snowflake](https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/tables-iceberg), with AWS S3 as object storage and a catalog integration using [Open Catalog](https://other-docs.snowflake.com/en/opencatalog/overview).

## [](#prerequisites)Prerequisites

-   `rpk` or familiarity with the Redpanda Cloud API to use secrets in your cluster configuration. For `rpk`, see [Install or Update rpk](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/manage/rpk/rpk-install/). For the Cloud API, you must [authenticate](https://docs.redpanda.com/api/cloud-controlplane/authentication) using a service account.

-   A Snowflake account.

-   An Open Catalog account. To [create an Open Catalog account](https://other-docs.snowflake.com/en/opencatalog/create-open-catalog-account), you require ORGADMIN access in Snowflake.

-   An internal catalog created in Open Catalog with your Tiered Storage AWS S3 bucket configured as external storage.

    Follow this guide to [create a catalog](https://other-docs.snowflake.com/en/opencatalog/create-catalog#create-a-catalog-using-amazon-simple-storage-service-amazon-s3) with the S3 bucket configured as external storage. You require admin permissions to carry out these steps in AWS:

    1.  If you don’t already have one, create an IAM policy that gives Open Catalog read and write access to your S3 bucket.

    2.  Create an IAM role and attach the IAM policy to the role.

    3.  After creating a new catalog in Open Catalog, grant the catalog’s AWS IAM user access to the S3 bucket.


-   A Snowflake [external volume](https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/tables-iceberg-configure-external-volume) set up using the Tiered Storage bucket.

    Follow this guide to [configure the external volume with S3](https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/tables-iceberg-configure-external-volume-s3). You can use the same IAM policy as the catalog for the external volume’s IAM role and user.


## [](#set-up-catalog-integration-using-open-catalog)Set up catalog integration using Open Catalog

### [](#create-a-new-open-catalog-service-connection-for-redpanda)Create a new Open Catalog service connection for Redpanda

To create a new service connection to integrate the Iceberg-enabled topics into Open Catalog:

1.  In Open Catalog, select **Connections**, then **\+ Connection**.

2.  In **Configure Service Connection**, provide a name. Open Catalog creates a new principal with this name.

3.  Make sure **Create new principal role** is selected.

4.  Enter a name for the principal role. Then, click **Create**.


After you create the connection, get the client ID and client secret. Save these credentials to add to your cluster configuration in a later step.

### [](#create-a-catalog-role)Create a catalog role

Grant privileges to the principal created in the previous step:

1.  In Open Catalog, select **Catalogs**, and select your catalog.

2.  On the **Roles** tab of your catalog, click **\+ Catalog Role**.

3.  Give the catalog role a name.

4.  Under **Privileges**, select `CATALOG_MANAGE_CONTENT`. This provides full management [privileges](https://other-docs.snowflake.com/en/opencatalog/access-control#catalog-privileges) for the catalog. Then, click **Create**.

5.  On the **Roles** tab of the catalog, click **Grant to Principal Role**.

6.  Select the catalog role you just created.

7.  Select the principal role you created earlier. Click **Grant**.


### [](#update-cluster-configuration)Update cluster configuration

To configure your Redpanda cluster to enable Iceberg on a topic and integrate with Open Catalog:

1.  [Store the Open Catalog client secret in your cluster](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/manage/iceberg/use-iceberg-catalogs/#store-a-secret-for-rest-catalog-authentication) using `rpk` or the Data Plane API.

2.  [Edit your cluster configuration](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/manage/iceberg/use-iceberg-catalogs/#use-a-secret-in-cluster-configuration) to set the `iceberg_enabled` property to `true`, and set the catalog integration properties listed in the example below using `rpk` or the Control Plane API. For example, to use `rpk cluster config set`, run:

    ```bash
    rpk cluster config set \
      iceberg_enabled=true \
      iceberg_catalog_type=rest \
      iceberg_rest_catalog_endpoint=https://<snowflake-orgname>-<open-catalog-account-name>.snowflakecomputing.com/polaris/api/catalog \
      iceberg_rest_catalog_authentication_mode=oauth2 \
      iceberg_rest_catalog_client_id=<open-catalog-connection-client-id> \
      iceberg_rest_catalog_client_secret='${secrets.<open-catalog-client-secret-name>}' \
      iceberg_rest_catalog_warehouse=<open-catalog-name>

    # Optional properties:
    # iceberg_translation_interval_ms_default=1000
    # iceberg_catalog_commit_interval_ms=1000
    ```

    Use your own values for the following placeholders:

    -   `<snowflake-orgname>` and `<open-catalog-account-name>`: Your [Open Catalog account URI](https://docs.snowflake.com/en/sql-reference/sql/create-catalog-integration-open-catalog#required-parameters) is composed of these values.

        > 💡 **TIP**
        >
        > In Snowflake, navigate to **Admin**, then **Accounts**. Click the ellipsis near your Open Catalog account name, and select **Manage URLs**. The **Current URL** contains `<snowflake-orgname>` and `<open-catalog-account-name>`.

    -   `<open-catalog-connection-client-id>`: The client ID of the service connection you created in an earlier step.

    -   `<open-catalog-client-secret-name>`: The name of the secret you created in the previous step. You must pass the secret name to the `${secrets.<secret-name>}` placeholder, not the secret value itself.

    -   `<open-catalog-name>`: The name of your catalog in Open Catalog.


    ```bash
    Successfully updated configuration. New configuration version is 2.
    ```

3.  Enable the integration for a topic by configuring the topic property `redpanda.iceberg.mode`. This mode creates an Iceberg table for the topic consisting of two columns: one for the record metadata including the key, and another binary column for the record’s value. See [Enable Iceberg integration](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/manage/iceberg/about-iceberg-topics/#enable-iceberg-integration) for more details on Iceberg modes.

    Use any of the following to set `redpanda.iceberg.mode`:

    -   `rpk`. See the following examples to run `rpk topic` commands.

    -   The Cloud UI. Navigate to **Topics** to create a new topic and specify `redpanda.iceberg.mode` in **Additional Configuration**, or edit an existing topic under the topic’s **Configuration** tab.

    -   The Data Plane API to [create a new topic](https://docs.redpanda.com/api/doc/cloud-dataplane/operation/operation-topicservice_createtopic) or [update a property for an existing topic](https://docs.redpanda.com/api/doc/cloud-dataplane/operation/operation-topicservice_updatetopicconfigurations). Specify the key-value pair for `redpanda.iceberg.mode` in the request body.

        The following examples show how to use `rpk` to create a new topic or alter the configuration for an existing topic, setting the Iceberg mode to `key_value`.

        Create a new topic and set `redpanda.iceberg.mode`:

        ```bash
        rpk topic create <topic-name> --topic-config=redpanda.iceberg.mode=key_value
        ```

        Set `redpanda.iceberg.mode` for an existing topic:

        ```bash
        rpk topic alter-config <topic-name> --set redpanda.iceberg.mode=key_value
        ```


4.  Produce to the topic. For example,

    ```bash
    echo "hello world\nfoo bar\nbaz qux" | rpk topic produce <topic-name> --format='%k %v\n'
    ```


You should see the topic as a table in Open Catalog.

1.  In Open Catalog, select **Catalogs**, then open your catalog.

2.  Under your catalog, you should see the `redpanda` namespace (or the namespace you configured with `[iceberg_default_catalog_namespace](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/reference/properties/cluster-properties/#iceberg_default_catalog_namespace)`), and a table with the name of your topic. The namespace and the table are automatically added for you.


## [](#query-iceberg-table-in-snowflake)Query Iceberg table in Snowflake

To query the topic in Snowflake, you must create a [catalog integration](https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/tables-iceberg#catalog-integration) so that Snowflake has access to the table data and metadata.

### [](#configure-catalog-integration-with-snowflake)Configure catalog integration with Snowflake

1.  Run the [`CREATE CATALOG INTEGRATION`](https://docs.snowflake.com/sql-reference/sql/create-catalog-integration-open-catalog) command in Snowflake:

    ```sql
    CREATE CATALOG INTEGRATION <catalog-integration-name>
      CATALOG_SOURCE = POLARIS
      TABLE_FORMAT = ICEBERG
      CATALOG_NAMESPACE = 'redpanda'
      REST_CONFIG = (
        CATALOG_URI = '<open-catalog-uri>'
        WAREHOUSE = '<open-catalog-name>'
      )
      REST_AUTHENTICATION = (
        TYPE = OAUTH
        OAUTH_CLIENT_ID = '<open-catalog-connection-client-id>'
        OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET = '<open-catalog-connection-client-secret>'
        OAUTH_ALLOWED_SCOPES = ('PRINCIPAL_ROLE:ALL')
      )
      REFRESH_INTERVAL_SECONDS = 30
      ENABLED = TRUE;
    ```

    Use your own values for the following placeholders:

    -   `<catalog-integration-name>`: Provide a name for your Iceberg catalog integration in Snowflake.

    -   `<open-catalog-uri>`: Your [Open Catalog account URI](https://docs.snowflake.com/en/sql-reference/sql/create-catalog-integration-open-catalog#required-parameters) (`[https://<snowflake-orgname>-<account-name>.snowflakecomputing.com/polaris/api/catalog](https://\<snowflake-orgname\>-\<account-name\>.snowflakecomputing.com/polaris/api/catalog)`).

    -   `<open-catalog-name>`: The name of your catalog in Open Catalog.

    -   `<open-catalog-connection-client-id>`: The client ID of the service connection you created in an earlier step.

    -   `<open-catalog-connection-client-secret>`: The client secret of the service connection you created in an earlier step.


2.  Run the following command to verify that the catalog is integrated correctly:

    ```sql
    SELECT SYSTEM$LIST_ICEBERG_TABLES_FROM_CATALOG('<catalog-integration-name>');
    ```

    ```bash
    # Example result for redpanda.iceberg.mode=key_value
    +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
    | SYSTEM$LIST_ICEBERG_TABLES_FROM_CATALOG('<catalog_integration_name>') |
    +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
    | [{"namespace":"redpanda","name":"<table_name>"}]                      |
    +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
    ```


### [](#create-iceberg-table-in-snowflake)Create Iceberg table in Snowflake

After creating the catalog integration, you must create an externally-managed table in Snowflake. You must run your Snowflake queries against this table.

In your Snowflake database, run the [CREATE ICEBERG TABLE](https://docs.snowflake.com/en/sql-reference/sql/create-iceberg-table-rest) command. The following example also specifies that the table should automatically refresh metadata:

```sql
CREATE ICEBERG TABLE <table-name>
  CATALOG = '<catalog-integration-name>'
  EXTERNAL_VOLUME = '<iceberg-external-volume-name>'
  CATALOG_TABLE_NAME = '<topic-name>'
  AUTO_REFRESH = TRUE
```

Use your own values for the following placeholders:

-   `<table-name>`: Provide a name for your table in Snowflake.

-   `<catalog-integration-name>`: The name of the catalog integration you configured in an earlier step.

-   `<iceberg-external-volume-name>`: The name of the external volume you configured using the Tiered Storage bucket.

-   `<topic-name>`: The name of the table in your catalog, which is the same as your Redpanda topic name.


### [](#query-table)Query table

To verify that Snowflake has successfully created the table containing the topic data, run the following:

```sql
SELECT * FROM <table-name>;
```

Your query results should look like the following:

```bash
# Example for redpanda.iceberg.mode=key_value with 3 records produced to topic

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------+
|                                                   REDPANDA                                                   |   VALUE    |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| { "partition": 0, "offset": 0, "timestamp": "2025-02-07 16:29:50.122", "headers": null, "key": "68656C6C6F"} | 776F726C64 |
| { "partition": 0, "offset": 1, "timestamp": "2025-02-07 16:29:50.122", "headers": null, "key": "666F6F"}     | 626172     |
| { "partition": 0, "offset": 2, "timestamp": "2025-02-07 16:29:50.122", "headers": null, "key": "62617A" }    | 717578     |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------+
```