Unlocking the Power of Snowflake Data Sharing: A Complete Guide
“In the new world of data, sharing isn’t just caring — it’s empowering.”
In today’s digital economy, data is currency — and companies that can move, share, and collaborate with data the fastest are the ones leading the race. Enter Snowflake Data Sharing, a revolutionary feature that redefines how organizations collaborate without copying or moving data.
This guide will not only explain what Snowflake Data Sharing is, but also how you can leverage it to transform your data strategy, real-world examples, and a step-by-step action plan to get started.
What is Snowflake Data Sharing?
At its core, Snowflake Data Sharing allows you to securely share live data with other Snowflake accounts without the need to copy or transfer it.
Imagine sharing your Excel spreadsheet not by emailing it, but by simply granting live access to someone — always up-to-date, instantly available.
✅ Key features:
No data movement: Data stays within your Snowflake storage.
Real-time access: Consumers always see the latest version.
Cost-effective: Data consumers only pay for the compute they use.
Secure: Fine-grained access control and encryption.
Why Snowflake Data Sharing is a Game-Changer
🔹 Speed: Instantly share massive datasets across regions and clouds.
🔹 Security: No need to worry about data leaks through file transfers.
🔹 Trust: Partners and customers always access the freshest, most accurate data.
🔹 Efficiency: Save storage costs and eliminate ETL pipelines for data delivery.
👉 Real-life Example:
A retail giant shares daily sales data with multiple suppliers through Snowflake. Instead of emailing reports or building APIs, they simply grant read access — suppliers optimize their supply chain in near real-time. Result: Faster stock replenishment, reduced stockouts, and happier customers.
How Snowflake Data Sharing Works
Snowflake makes it surprisingly simple. Here’s how the flow typically looks:
Provider creates a Share ➡️ a container for specific databases, schemas, tables, views, or secure views they want to share.
Consumer account gets access ➡️ using a URL or invitation, they access the share.
Consumer reads live data ➡️ no data duplication, full security maintained.
🛠️ A technical glimpse:
Provider defines CREATE SHARE
Grants access to objects like tables or views
Consumer uses CREATE DATABASE FROM SHARE
Now, consumer can query it like any normal database!
Step-by-Step: How to Set Up Data Sharing in Snowflake
Let’s make it actionable:
Set Up a Share (Provider Side)
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CREATE SHARE sales_data_share;
GRANT USAGE ON DATABASE sales_db TO SHARE sales_data_share;
GRANT SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA sales_db.public TO SHARE sales_data_share;
You just created a share called sales_data_share!Add Consumer Account
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ALTER SHARE sales_data_share ADD ACCOUNTS = ('consumer_account_id');
You can even share externally with Snowflake accounts across different clouds (AWS, Azure, GCP).Consumer Access (Consumer Side)
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CREATE DATABASE supplier_sales_data FROM SHARE provider_account.sales_data_share;
Boom 💥! The consumer now queries the shared database like it’s their own.
Common Use Cases for Snowflake Data Sharing
✅ Collaborating with Partners and Suppliers
Give them exactly the data they need — live and accurate.
✅ Monetizing Your Data
Create new revenue streams by selling curated datasets through Snowflake’s Data Marketplace.
✅ Internal Department Collaboration
Finance, Sales, and Marketing can access consistent, up-to-date data without the mess of duplicating databases.
✅ M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions)
Rapidly share sensitive financial or operational data during due diligence.
Pro Tips for Mastering Snowflake Data Sharing
🔹 Use Secure Views for even tighter control (hide columns or filter rows).
🔹 Audit your shares periodically to ensure access is appropriate.
🔹 Combine with Snowflake Reader Accounts if the consumer doesn’t have Snowflake — they'll still get access!
🔹 Explore Data Clean Rooms (new feature!) for secure collaboration on private data without exposing raw data.
Final Thoughts: Why You Should Start Today
In a world that’s data-hungry and hyperconnected, static file sharing is a thing of the past.
With Snowflake Data Sharing, you can accelerate collaboration, unlock new business models, and empower your stakeholders — all while ensuring top-tier security and efficiency.
🚀 If you’re already on Snowflake, Data Sharing isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s a must-have.
Start small: Share a dataset internally.
Then scale: Share it with trusted partners.
Dream big: Build your own Data Exchange ecosystem!
Quick Cheatsheet 📌
Concept Explanation
Provider The one who shares the data
Consumer The one who accesses the shared data
Share Container of objects like tables or views
Reader Account Special account for non-Snowflake users
Data Marketplace Platform to publish/sell your datasets
Are You Ready to Unlock the Future of Data Collaboration?
🔹 Share your first dataset today.
🔹 Empower your partners and customers.
🔹 Lead the data-driven revolution.
Start Sharing. Start Winning. 🚀