Systems and methods for extending a visualization platform are disclosed. A user may create a visualization project created. One or more properties for a non-native widget established by a developer of the non-native widget may be received from the project. Such properties may designate a name or a type of data that the non-native widget is capable of processing. Responsive to an instruction received from the user of the visualization authoring environment, a source of data to be processed by the non-native widget or a destination of data produced by the non-native widget to be processed by other widgets may be established. The appearance or behavior of the non-native widget may be rendered based at least in part on a value available from the source of the data or the appearance or behavior of one or more other widgets may be rendered based at least in part on data produced by the non-native widget.