[Looker Studio] How to Connect GA4 Data and Create a Report

With Looker Studio, you can easily connect to GA4 data and create reports using connectors. In this article, we’ll walk you through the process step by step—complete with images—showing you how to create a report in Looker Studio by taking advantage of these connectors.

What does it mean to connect GA4 data to Looker Studio?

Looker Studio is a tool that allows you to clearly visualize various types of data. For certain types of data, dedicated connectors are available to simplify the connection process. GA4 is one such data source, and by using its connector, you can easily visualize your GA4 data in Looker Studio.

While you can also visualize GA4 data in Looker Studio via BigQuery by leveraging GA4’s BigQuery export, in this explanation we will focus on how to use the connector to visualize your GA4 data.

How to connect to GA4 data 

Log in to Looker Studio.

Click the Create button in the upper-left corner.

Next, we select the data source.

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A list of available connectors in Looker Studio will be displayed; select Google Analytics from among them.

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GA4 properties for which the logged-in Looker Studio account has permissions beyond read-only will be displayed. Select the account and property you want to create a report for, rename the data source so it can be easily identified later, and then click “Connect” in the top-right corner.

If the property you want to create a report for does not appear, request permission from that property’s administrator.

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 Once the following screen is displayed, the connection to GA4 data is complete.

Setting up data sources

You can create reports as is, but you can also configure data sources in more detail to make them easier to use.

Data credentials

You can choose which account to use for authenticating the data connection of your data source. If you use the owner’s credentials, as long as the owner who created the data source has access to the relevant GA4 property, Looker Studio can display data from that GA4.

On the other hand, if you set it to use viewer credentials, the viewer must have access rights to that GA4 in order to see the data. By default, the credentials are set to use the owner’s.

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 Field Settings

You can rename or duplicate fields, and create calculated fields by combining various metrics.

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1. By clicking the field name, you can change it to any name you like.
2. You can choose to duplicate or hide the field.
3. You can create your own dimensions or metrics.

For more details on how to use calculated fields, please refer to [Looker Studio] How to Use Calculated Fields.

Creating a Report

Now that you’ve created a data source, the next step is to create a report. On the top right of the data source screen, click Create Report. 

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You will then see the following report editing screen. From here, you can customize and create your report however you like.

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For instructions on how to create reports, please refer to the following articles:

• [Looker Studio]How to Use Themes to Define the Style of the Entire Report
• [Looker Studio] How to Use the Report Layout

With the one-time purchase plan from 88studio, you can create high-quality GA4 reports simply by copying the template. This is far more efficient than building a report from scratch on your own.

How to Check the Data Sources and Reports You’ve Created

You can view the data sources and reports you’ve created from the Looker Studio home screen. If you have a report or data source open, click the Looker Studio logo in the top-left corner to return to the home screen. From there, you can browse or search your list of reports and data sources using the left-hand menu, the central Report and Data Source buttons, and the search bar.

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 Available GA4 Data

The GA4 data that can be used through the connector includes any fields accessible via the Google Analytics Data API (GA4). In addition, nearly all items and metrics visible in the GA4 interface can be utilized, including custom dimensions and custom metrics configured in GA4.

How to Update a Data Source

With updates to GA4 or APIs, new dimensions and metrics sometimes become available. A recent example is the ability to use the individual key event count for events marked as key events.

In Looker Studio, you must update the data source in order to utilize newly added dimensions and metrics. You can update your data source by following these steps:

1. Open the data source you wish to update.
2. Click Edit Connection in the top-left corner.

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 When the next screen opens, simply click “Reconnect” in the top-right corner.

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 When there is an update to the fields, a pop-up screen like the one shown below will appear. Please check the details and click “Apply.”

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 With this, I was able to update the data source.

Limitations of the GA4 Connector

While this convenient connector makes it easy to visualize GA4 data in Looker Studio, there are a few important points to keep in mind:

1. API Quotas
   GA4 API quotas apply. If you repeatedly request large volumes of data, you may hit the quota limit, causing your report to display an error.
   (Reference: GA4 API quotas)

2. Segments and Comparisons
   Segments and comparisons from the GA4 admin screen are not available in Looker Studio. Although segments are not supported, audiences can be used as dimensions.

Please keep these limitations in mind when creating your reports.