1 Google Data Studio: Overview


1.1 History

Google Data Studio or GDS is “Google’s free data visualization and business intelligence tool”.

  • An extension of Google Analytics, released in November, 2005
  • One of six tools in Data Studio 360, released in March, 2010
  • Beta version launched in May, 2016 (Read More)
  • Officially released in October, 2018

You can read the entire history of GDS in its Product Updates page.


The Data Studio Homepage

Like other Google products, the Data Studio homepage lists reports you own, reports shared with you, and templates.


1.2 Use Cases

According to Data Studio Help, GDS is a data visualization and dashboarding tool that:

  • Visualizes data with “highly configurable charts and tables”
  • Connects to a “variety of data sources”
  • Allows you to share insights internally or publish insights externally
  • Allows real time report-building and collaboration
  • Expedites report-building with premade templates


Sharing & Configuring Permissions

Easily share reports with links or emails, and control who can and cannot see or edit them.


Data visualization in GDS is made with a simple, easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface, allowing:

  • Line, bar, and pie charts, bubble graphs, paginated data tables, geospatial maps, etc.
  • Interactive visualizations with tool tips, or pop-ups, summarizing key information
  • Filtering visualizations and entire reports by date ranges and variables
  • Hyperlink text and images to redirect users to other pages or reports
  • Color and style customization for elegant, decodable reports
  • Branding with logos and other images


Tooltips for Interactive Visualizations

Tooltips appear when you hover your cursor over Data Studio’s interactive visualizations.


Filter Controls for Reports

Filter controls aren’t just for dates, they can filter large datasets by variables, too.


Branding Reports with Logos & Colors

So long as it doesn’t interfere with interpretability, you can brand reports with custom colors and logos.


Connecting your data to GDS is easily done from a variety of sources, including:

  • Google Marketing Platform products, e.g. Google Ads, Google Analytics, etc.
  • Common Google products like Google Sheets and YouTube
  • SQL databases, e.g. BigQuery, MySQL, and PostgreSQL
  • Text files, e.g. comma-separated files (.CSV), tab-deliminited files, etc.
  • Social media like Facebook and Twitter


Sharing your data insights is easy, too. In GDS, you can:

  • Invite others to view your report via email or links
  • Build and edit your reports in real time with other collaborators
  • Limit who can and cannot view your dashboards and reports
  • Embed your reports in websites, blogs, etc.


1.3 Other Benefits

According to Data Studio Benefits and Features, GDS also allows you to:

  • Tell impactful stories with your data or give agency to your audience to explore
  • Use comparators in formulas to transform your data (e.g. <, >, >=, <=, ==, !=, etc.)
  • Use arithmetic in formulas to transform your data (e.g. +, -, *, /, ^, etc.)
  • Use functions for more advanced transformations, like date and strings (text)
  • Create reports with multiple pages and custom navigation
  • Align text and visuals with a snap-to-grid canvas


The Snap-to-Grid Canvas

The drag-and-drop interface and snap-to-grid canvas make building reports a piece of cake.


1.4 Example Reports

The Data Studio Gallery provides several examples of “live, interactive reports and dashboards” from the official GDS site.


More Examples: Other galleries offer great inspiration for what’s possible in GDS. For example:


A Local Example: Check out the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County’s Imagination Library Dashboard.

  • As individuals submit responses in Google Forms, this report updates in real time
  • Submissions are aggregated as summary statistics in Google Sheets in real time


1.5 Further Resources

There’s a ton of quality online resources to learn more about Data Studio or troubleshoot, including:


2 Creating a Report

The following outlines how to:

  • Create a new report
  • Title your report
  • Connect your data
  • Double-check your variables
  • Create a visualization


2.1 Practice Dataset

We’ll create a new report using “Code Violations” data found in Syracuse Open Data. It’s already stored in Google Sheets.

Copy the “Code Violations” dataset to your Google Drive by:

  1. Signing into your Google account
  2. Opening Code Violations in Google Sheets
  3. Click “File” > “Make a copy…”
  4. Make sure “Folder” is set to “My Drive” and click “OK”


Step 1: Select “Make a Copy…”

Click “File” and “Make a Copy…”


Step 2: Copy to “My Drive”

Make sure “Folder” is set to “My Drive” and click “OK”.


2.2 Creating a Report

You can create a new report by:

  1. Signing into your Google account
  2. Visiting the Data Studio homepage
  3. Selecting “Blank” under “Start a New Report” or the + symbol


Start a New Report

Simply click on “Start a New Report” or the “Plus” symbol to open a blank canvas.


2.3 Titling Your Report

Adding a title to your report will help you keep track of your dashboards. Here’s how:

  1. Click on “Untitled Report”
  2. Enter a new title; we’ll use Code Violations in Syracuse


Step 1: Select “Untitled Report”

Simply click on “Untitled Report” and enter your desired title.


Step 2: Enter a New Title

Here, we’ll use the title “Code Violations in Syracuse”.


2.4 Connecting New Data

Now that we have a title, we can connect a data source, as data are the lifeblood of any report.

  • Already connected a data source? You can choose from “Select Data Source”
  • Haven’t connected or want to add a new data source? Click on CREATE A NEW DATA SOURCE


Connecting a Preexisting Data Source

If you’ve already connected a data source to Data Studio, chosse from “Select Data Source”.


Connecting a New Data Source

If you’re connecting a data source for the first time, click on “CREATE NEW DATA SOURCE”.


2.4.1 Selecting a Connector

Connectors are simply the methods by which you “connect” your data to Data Studio.

  • There are dozens of connectors, but we’ll use Google Sheets for this report
  • Note all the different connectors that can import your data into Data Studio
  • Google Sheets is nice, since your report updates when G Sheets updates!


Select Your Connector

Simply click on Google Sheets, where we’ve stored our “Code Violations” dataset.


2.4.2 Editing Your Connector

It’s important to make sure you’re connecting the right data. Once you’ve selected a connector:

  1. Title your data source (A)
  2. Select the spreadsheet containing your data (B)
  3. Select the worksheet, since spreadsheets may have more than one (C)
  4. Decide whether to use the first row as variable names or “headers” (D)
  5. Connect your data source (E)


Edit Your Connector

The steps above correspond to the letters in the above image.


2.4.3 Double-Check Variables

Your variables or fields are each column in your connected dataset.

Once you’ve connected your data, make sure your variables are the correct Type.

  • Data Studio will attempt to guess the correct type for you
  • To edit Type, simply click on “Number”, “Text”, or any other type listed
  • Since Data Studio requires Longitude and Latitude in the same field, ignore it.
  • Property ZIP and Owner ZIP are identified as numbers, however:
    • ZIP (Zone Improvement Plan) codes are not quantitative
    • Therefore, we should change their Type to “Text”
    • This is the same for Inspector ID

After your fields are edited appropriately, select ADD TO REPORT.


Edit Your Connector

Edit your variables, or “fields”, to make sure Data Studio knows how to use them.


Add Your Data Source

When you click “ADD TO REPORT”, you’ll get a final confirmation message.


Pro Tip: On this page, we can also create new fields from existing variables; we’ll do that soon.


2.4.4 Changes to Data Sources

If you ever make changes to your data source’s structure, remember to:

  1. Use the menu to select “Resources” and “Manage added data sources”
  2. Reconnect your data source, accounting for changes (e.g. new variables)
  3. Double-check that your new and existing fields are both correct


Manage Added Data Sources

Select “Resources” and “Manage added data sources” to edit your connection if your data change.


2.5 Creating Visualizations

Now that our data source is connected, we can fill in this blank canvas. Let’s make a bar chart.

  1. Click on “Insert” and select “Bar Chart”; Data Studio will make guesses that we need to undo
  2. Click on Chart > Bar and select “Bar Chart” instead of “Column Chart”; minimize with ^
  3. Select the X that appears when you hover over Violation Date in “Date Range Dimension”
  4. Replace “Dimension” and “Metric” with Property Neighborhood via click-and-drag
  5. Under “Metric”, click on CTD and change from “Count Distinct” to “Count”
  6. Under “Sort”, click on the blue Property Neighborhood
  7. Expand the chart and adjust axis with click-and-drag

The above steps are explained in the below images. Click “View” to see your interactive dashboard!


Step 1: Select & Insert a Chart

Click on “Insert” and “Bar Chart” to insert a chart in your canvas. Data Studio will guess your variables.


Step 2: Modify Your Chart Type

Selecting “Chart > Bar” allows you to change the chart type. Minimize with the upward arrow.


Step 3: Remove Daterange Dimension

We’re not filtering by dates quite yet, so this is may be removed.


Step 4: Select “Dimensions” & “Metric”

Although multiple dimensions may be chosen, we only want total violations by neighborhood.


Step 5: Change “Metric” Formula

Selecting “Count” instead of “Count Distinct” will tally the total number of times a neighborhood has a violation.


Step 6: Sort by Property Neighborhood

By selecting the blue “Property Neighborhood”, you tell Data Studio that you wish to sort by “Metric”.


Step 7: Resize Your Chart

Most dimensions of your visualizations, including axes, can be resized and moved around.


Don’t Forget! Click “View” in the upper-right corner to see your interactive report!


View Your Report

Click on “View” to see your interactive report and play around with the tooltips. How can it improve?


2.6 Creating Tables

Tables are generally easier to create. Follow steps similar to creating a visualization:

  1. Click on “Insert” and select “Table”
  2. In “Dimensions”, click-and-drag variables, e.g.
    • Property Address
    • Property Neighborhood
    • Violation Name
  3. Resize as necessary


Inserting a Table

Like charts, simply click on “Insert” and select “Table” to create one.


Adding New Variables to Your Table

If it’s a variable, you can put it in a table. You can resize and customize your table in myriad ways.