Last Updated: November 21, 2025
Looker Studio
Free data visualization and dashboarding (formerly Google Data Studio)
Analytics
Google
Getting Started
Visit lookerstudio.google.com
Free with Google account
Create Report
Click "+" > Blank Report or use Template Gallery
Add Data Source
Add to Report > Create New Data Source
Supported Connectors
Google Analytics, BigQuery, Sheets, MySQL, PostgreSQL, 800+ more
Report vs Explorer
Report = static dashboard, Explorer = ad-hoc analysis
Data Sources
Google Analytics 4
Connect GA4 property; select account > property
Google Sheets
Select sheet > Choose specific tab; auto-refreshes
BigQuery
Connect to BigQuery project > dataset > table
Search Console
Add Search Console data; site + date range
Google Ads
Connect Ads account; campaign/ad group metrics
YouTube Analytics
Channel performance data
MySQL/PostgreSQL
Cloud SQL or direct database connection
CSV Upload
File > Upload CSV (max 100MB)
Blend Data Sources
Resource > Manage Blends; join multiple sources
Refresh Data
Resource > Refresh Data (updates from source)
Chart Types
Time Series
Line chart for trends over time
Bar Chart
Compare categories; horizontal or vertical
Pie Chart
Show proportions of a whole
Table
Detailed data rows; sortable columns
Scorecard
Single metric display; KPI tiles
Geo Chart (Map)
Geographic data visualization
Pivot Table
Crosstab analysis; rows x columns
Area Chart
Stacked or cumulative trends
Scatter Plot
Correlation between two metrics
Bullet Chart
Progress toward goal with ranges
Gauge Chart
Meter showing metric against min/max
Adding & Configuring Charts
Add a Chart
Toolbar > Insert > Select chart type
Dimension
Categorical field (Date, Country, Product, etc.)
Metric
Numeric field to aggregate (Sessions, Revenue, Count)
Drag & Drop Fields
Right panel > Data tab > Add dimension/metric
Sort
Data tab > Sort by dimension or metric, ascending/descending
Secondary Dimension
Break down by additional category
Date Range Dimension
Data tab > Auto Date Range or Custom
Row Limit
Data tab > Set max rows displayed (default 10)
Filters
Chart-Level Filter
Select chart > Data tab > Add a Filter > Create Filter
Page-Level Filter
Page > Current Page Settings > Add Filter (affects all charts)
Filter Control
Insert > Filter Control; viewer can interact with filter
Include/Exclude
Filter conditions: Include or Exclude values
Filter Operators
Equals, Contains, Regex Match, Greater Than, In List, Is Null
Date Range Control
Insert > Date Range Control; let viewers change dates
Dropdown Filter
Filter Control > Single select dropdown
Multi-Select Filter
Filter Control > Advanced > Allow multiple selections
Calculated Fields
Create Calculated Field
Resource > Manage Added Data Sources > Add a Field
Formula Syntax
Use field names in formulas: Revenue / Sessions
CASE Statements
CASE WHEN Country = "US" THEN "Domestic" ELSE "International" END
Concatenate
CONCAT(First Name, " ", Last Name)
Date Functions
YEAR(Date), MONTH(Date), WEEK(Date), QUARTER(Date)
IF Statement
IF(Sessions > 1000, "High Traffic", "Low Traffic")
Aggregations
SUM, AVG, COUNT, MIN, MAX, COUNT_DISTINCT
Percent Change
(Current - Previous) / Previous
REGEX_EXTRACT
REGEX_EXTRACT(URL, "domain\\.com/(.*)")
Field Reference
Resource > Manage Added Data Sources > View formula library
Styling & Formatting
Style Tab
Select chart > Style tab in right panel
Theme & Layout
Theme > Choose theme or customize colors
Chart Color
Style > Color by dimension or single color
Number Format
Data tab > Metric > Number > Format (Currency, Percent, Number)
Conditional Formatting
Style > Color by dimension > Add color rule (heatmap)
Font & Size
Style > Header/Body font, size, alignment
Border & Background
Style > Border color, weight, radius; background color
Grid Lines
Style > Show/hide grid lines on charts
Interactivity
Chart Interactions
Chart > Setup > Interactions > Enable cross-filtering
Cross-Filtering
Click chart element; other charts filter automatically
Drill Down
Data tab > Drill Down > Add dimensions for deeper analysis
Clickable Links
Data tab > Link > URL field or custom URL
Comparison Date Range
Date Range Control > Comparison > Previous period/year
Sharing & Collaboration
Share Button
Top right > Share > Invite people or Get link
View Only
Default sharing; viewers can't edit
Can Edit
Collaborators can modify report
Schedule Email Delivery
Share > Schedule Email Delivery > Daily/Weekly/Monthly
PDF Export
Download report as PDF (current page or all pages)
Embed Report
File > Embed > Get iframe code for website
Link to Current View
Share > Get report link; preserves current filters/dates
Templates & Themes
Template Gallery
Home > Template Gallery > Browse pre-built reports
GA4 Template
Google Analytics 4 overview dashboard
YouTube Template
Channel analytics dashboard
Search Console Template
SEO performance overview
Copy Template
Use Template > Connect your data source
Save as Template
File > Make a copy > Share as template link
Performance Optimization
Extract Data
Resource > Manage Added Data Sources > Enable data extract
Data Freshness
Extracts cache data; reduce source queries
Limit Chart Data
Add filters; reduce row limits; improve load times
Use Blended Data Wisely
Blends can slow reports; optimize join keys
BigQuery Optimization
Use partitioned tables; filter date ranges
Pro Tips:
- Google Sheets Connector: Easiest way to start; import CSV to Sheets, connect to Looker Studio
- Calculated Fields for Metrics: Create custom KPIs like Conversion Rate, AOV, ROAS directly in Looker
- Community Connectors: 800+ connectors for Stripe, Shopify, Facebook Ads, Mailchimp, etc.
- Scorecards for KPIs: Use scorecard with comparison date range to show week-over-week changes
- Filter Controls = Interactivity: Add dropdown filters for users to explore data themselves
- Schedule Reports: Auto-email PDF reports daily/weekly to stakeholders
- Mobile Optimization: Preview on mobile; Looker Studio is responsive by default
- Template Gallery First: Start with templates; faster than building from scratch