> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.omni.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Working with views

> Views are the building blocks of queries in Omni. Get an overview of how views work, how to create and edit them, and how to keep them in sync with your database.

Views are the building blocks of queries in Omni — every dimension and measure in the workbook's field browser belongs to a view. Each view represents a database table and defines the fields, labels, and metadata available for querying.

## View basics

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do views work?">
    Views are auto-generated from tables in your database and represent the data available for querying in Omni.

    In a view file, you define the fields available for querying along with metadata like labels, descriptions, [access grants](/modeling/views/parameters/required-access-grants), [UI visibility](/modeling/views/parameters/hidden), and [AI context](/modeling/views/parameters/ai-context).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How are views and topics different?">
    A view is a single object **in** your data model, whereas [topics](/modeling/topics) sit **on top** of the data model and reshape it into business-friendly groupings for easier exploration. Topics can include multiple views, which can be curated ahead of time for self-service.

    Think of views as the objects that make up topics, and topics as the presentation layer you tailor for quick insights. Topics effectively translate your database model into reusable logic for building dashboards and workbooks.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I keep Omni views in sync with my database?">
    When tables, columns, or schemas change in your warehouse, run a schema refresh to update the corresponding view files in Omni. See [Schema refreshes](/modeling/develop/schema-refreshes) for more information.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I save a query as a view?">
    Yes. A **query view** is a workbook query saved as a view. Query views can be built from a [point-and-click query](/analyze-explore/point-click-queries) or a [SQL query](/analyze-explore/sql) — the latter are sometimes called **SQL-backed query views**.

    Once saved, query views are queryable like any other view, but they're stored as `.query.view` files with their own parameter set. See [Query views](/modeling/query-views) and [Save queries as views](/analyze-explore/saved-views) for more information.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I alias a view?">
    Yes. Aliasing lets you reference a view by an additional name — useful for handling database table renames or for creating duplicate views needed in join logic. See [Aliasing views](/modeling/views/alias) for details.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Creating views

Database views are auto-generated when a model is created — you don't need to create them manually.

If you do want to create a view file from scratch — for example, as a [template](/modeling/views/parameters/template) — click **File > New view** in the model IDE. Omni will prompt you to enter a name and then create a new view file.

Refer to the [View parameter reference](/modeling/views/parameters) to learn more about configuring views.

## Editing views

Views can be edited in a workbook or in the model IDE. See [Editing views](/modeling/views/edit) for more information.

## Next steps

* [Editing views](/modeling/views/edit)
* [Aliasing views](/modeling/views/alias)
* [Save queries as views](/analyze-explore/saved-views)
* [View parameter reference](/modeling/views/parameters)