# Viewing a Collection

Explorer presents collections in an intuitive card layout on the landing and search pages. Each collection shows key information and its access level: Open Access, Registered Access, or Controlled Access.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** Collections marked as [Registered Access](https://docs.omics.ai/products/publisher/access-policies) or [Controlled Access](https://docs.omics.ai/products/publisher/access-policies) require [Passport](https://docs.omics.ai/products/passport) authentication before viewing. Open Access collections are available without logging in.
{% endhint %}

## Accessing Collection Details

Navigate to any collection by selecting its card from the main view. The collection details page provides two main sections:

1. **Overview** - Contains collection metadata and description
2. **Data Tables** - Presents the actual collection data in an interactive tabbed interface

## Working with Data Tables

### Viewing and Filtering Data

* Select the desired data table from the available tabs
* Use the filter sidebar on the left to narrow down results
* Toggle the filter sidebar using the menu icon for a full-width view
* Scroll horizontally and vertically to explore all data points

### Customizing Your View

* Adjust column widths by dragging the column headers
* Manage visible columns through the Columns menu:
  * Show/hide specific columns using checkboxes
  * Reorder columns using drag handles
  * Reset to default view as needed

### Downloading Data

* Click "Download" to export up to 1,000 rows in CSV format
* Select specific rows before downloading to export just those records
* Downloaded files include all currently visible columns

## Programmatic Access

For advanced data exploration, [Explorer](https://docs.omics.ai/products/explorer) offers several programmatic access methods by clicking "View Query":

### Command Line Interface (CLI)

View CLI commands through the View Query button and follow the [CLI installation documentation](https://docs.omics.ai/products/command-line-interface/installation) for setup instructions.

### Python

Access the Python code snippet in the View Query dialog's Python tab. Refer to the [Python Library](https://docs.omics.ai/products/analysis/python-library) documentation for implementation details.

### SQL 

Write custom SQL queries using the SQL interface in the View Query dialog.

### Signed URLs

Generate shareable URLs that provide temporary access to query results:

* URLs inherit your access permissions
* Valid for 15 minutes from generation
* Ideal for quick data sharing with collaborators