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Quick Start

Your SourceMedium dashboard is built in Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio). Here’s what you need to know to get started.
1

Use the page selector

Click the page dropdown (top left) or use the navigation menu to switch between report sections.
2

Apply date filters

Use the date range picker to adjust the reporting period. Most dashboards default to the last 30 days.
3

Use dimension filters

Filter by channel, product, region, or other dimensions using the dropdown controls.
4

Hover for details

Hover over charts to see detailed tooltips with exact values.
Visual learner? Check out this 20 minute Looker Studio crash course or Google’s quick-start guide.

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Glossary

Understanding these key terms will help you navigate Looker Studio effectively.
A Looker Studio asset that contains a collection of components (charts, tables, controls) to present insights from your data.Additional Documentation
Connectors connect Looker Studio to your underlying data. Connecting creates a data source in Looker Studio.Data sources represent a particular instance of a connector—for example, a connection to a specific BigQuery table, a Google Analytics property, or a Google Sheet. Data sources let you configure fields and options, and provide a secure way to share insights with viewers who may not have direct access to the underlying data.Additional Documentation
A widget you add to a report to display data: charts, tables, date range controls, filter controls, etc. Data components get their information from a data source.You can also add text, shapes, images, and embedded content.Additional Documentation
A column of data. Looker Studio uses two basic types:
  • Dimensions — Categories or attributes you want to group by (e.g., sm_channel, product_title)
  • Metrics — Numbers that measure things (e.g., order_net_revenue, orders)
Additional Documentation
The mechanism determining who can see data in a data source. See Credential Modes below.Additional Documentation

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View vs Edit Mode

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View Mode (Default)

  • Interact with filters and controls
  • Hover over charts for details
  • Cannot modify dashboard structure

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Edit Mode

  • Modify charts, add new visualizations
  • Change data sources and calculations
  • Requires Editor permission
Be careful in Edit mode. Changes affect everyone who views the dashboard. If you want to experiment, make a copy first: File → Make a copy.

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Credential Modes Explained

Looker Studio dashboards can use two different credential modes for data access. Understanding this helps troubleshoot “no data” issues.
  • How it works: Dashboard uses the owner’s BigQuery permissions
  • Viewers see: Data without needing their own BigQuery access
  • Best for: Sharing dashboards broadly within your organization

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Viewer’s Credentials

  • How it works: Each viewer must have their own BigQuery access
  • Viewers see: Only data they have permission to access
  • Best for: Dashboards with sensitive data requiring row-level security
SourceMedium dashboards typically use Owner’s Credentials so your team can view data without individual BigQuery access.

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SourceMedium Templates

If you’re on our Managed Data Warehouse solution, SourceMedium provides template reports and data sources:

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Creating & Managing Data Sources

Data sources connect your reports to data stored in BigQuery, Google Sheets, Google Analytics, etc.

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Creating a New Data Source

Prerequisite: You must be logged into a Google account with BigQuery access.
Create data source from report
Create data source from home
1

Select the BigQuery connector

Select BigQuery connector
2

Choose your data

From an existing table:
  1. Under My Projects, select your SourceMedium warehouse
  2. Select a Dataset (e.g., sm_transformed_v2) and Table (e.g., obt_orders)
  3. Click Add Select BigQuery table
From a custom query:
  1. Select Custom Query from the left menu
  2. Select your project
  3. Write your SQL query
  4. Click Add Custom SQL query
3

Configure and share

Rename your data source descriptively (e.g., “Orders OBT”, “[MyBrand] Orders”) and configure access.

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Data Source Best Practices

Name data sources to clearly indicate the underlying table:
  • ✅ Orders OBT, [MyBrand] Orders, Ad Performance Daily
  • ❌ Data Source 1, Copy of Copy of Orders
BigQuery fields use snake_case (e.g., order_net_revenue). You can rename fields for readability, but:
  • Copy the original field name into the Description field — this is your only reference for looking up definitions
  • For calculated fields, include the formula in the Description
  • Don’t edit Descriptions on SourceMedium template data sources
For production data sources, use a service account as the Data Credential:

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Creating & Editing Reports

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Creating a Report from Scratch

1

Start a new report

Go to lookerstudio.google.com, click + Create → ReportCreate new report
2

Add a data source

Select an existing data source from My data sources, or create a new one via BigQuery.Add data source
3

Rename your report

Click the title in the top left to rename immediately—this prevents “Untitled Report” proliferation.

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Adding Charts

  1. Click Add a chart in the toolbar and select a chart type Add chart menu
  2. Drag the chart to your desired location
  3. Configure dimensions and metrics in the Setup panel Configure chart
Always set the Date Range Dimension on time-based charts. This connects the chart to your date range control.
For more chart types and styling options, see Looker Studio chart types.

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Adding Data Sources to an Existing Report

  1. Go to Resource → Manage added data sources Manage data sources
  2. Click Add a Data Source Add data source button
  3. Select your connector and configure

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Filtering Data

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Filter Controls (Interactive)

Filter controls let report viewers filter data themselves using dropdowns, input boxes, etc.
  • By default, controls filter all components on the page
  • You can group charts with filters for more targeted filtering
  • Control types documentation

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Object-Level Filters (Fixed)

Object-level filters are pre-set by editors and cannot be changed by viewers. They apply at the chart, page, or report level.
  • Use when all users should see the same filtered view
  • Viewers cannot see, edit, or remove these filters
  • Create and manage filters

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Calculated Fields

Create custom metrics and dimensions without writing SQL in your warehouse.

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Chart-Level Calculated Fields

Quick fields created within a single chart—not reusable elsewhere.
1

Select your chart

Click on the chart where you want the custom field.
2

Add a new field

In the Setup panel, click Add Metric or Add Dimension, then choose Add Field.Add metric
3

Enter your formula

Name the field and enter your formula.Enter formula
4

Apply

Click Apply to add the field to your chart.Applied field

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Data Source-Level Calculated Fields

Reusable fields available in any report using that data source. Requires data source Edit access.
1

Open the data source

From your report: Resource → Manage added data sources → Edit
2

Add a calculated field

Click Add a field → Add calculated fieldAdd calculated field
3

Enter your formula

Name the field, enter your formula, and click Save.Save calculated field
4

Document it

Add the formula to the Description field so viewers understand what it calculates.Document field

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Common Formulas

Average Order Value (AOV) 
SUM(order_net_revenue) / COUNT_DISTINCT(sm_order_key)
New Customer Revenue % 
SUM(CASE WHEN order_sequence = '1st_order' THEN order_net_revenue ELSE 0 END) / SUM(order_net_revenue)
Year-over-Year Growth 
(SUM(order_net_revenue) - SUM(order_net_revenue_ly)) / SUM(order_net_revenue_ly)
Full list of Looker Studio functions

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Sharing Your Dashboard

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Permission Levels

LevelViewInteractEditShareDelete
Viewer✅✅❌❌❌
Editor✅✅✅✅❌
Owner✅✅✅✅✅

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Sharing a Report

  1. Click Share (top right)
  2. Enter email addresses or Google Group emails
  3. Choose permission level
Share dialog

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Sharing a Data Source

Data source access is separate from report access:
  • Viewer: Can see field names and descriptions
  • Editor: Can rename fields, edit calculated fields, change the connection
  • Owner: Can delete the data source, change ownership
Learn how to share a data source
Data source access ≠ data credentials. Access controls who can modify the data source configuration; credentials control who can see the underlying data.

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Using Google Groups

For teams with 5+ users, manage access via Google Groups:
GroupPurpose
company-sm-adminsFull access to reports and data sources
company-sm-editorsReport editors, data source viewers
company-sm-viewersReport viewers only

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Troubleshooting

Check these in order:
  1. Date range filter — is it set to a period with data?
  2. Other filters — are they excluding all data?
  3. Data source credentials — do they have BigQuery access?
  4. Contact SourceMedium support if issues persist
Large date ranges or complex calculations slow performance. Try:
  • Reducing the date range
  • Using pre-aggregated metrics when available
  • Removing unnecessary charts from the page
You need Editor permission. Contact the dashboard owner or admin.
  • Ensure you have Editor permission
  • Check your internet connection
  • Try refreshing and re-entering Edit mode
In Edit mode:
  1. Click the filter control
  2. Check Properties → Filter applied to
  3. Ensure relevant charts are selected
  • Verify you have data source Viewer or Editor access
  • Check the data credentials match your BigQuery permissions
  • Permission changes can take time to propagate—sign out and back in

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Keyboard Shortcuts

ActionShortcut
UndoCtrl/Cmd + Z
RedoCtrl/Cmd + Y
CopyCtrl/Cmd + C
PasteCtrl/Cmd + V
Select AllCtrl/Cmd + A
GroupCtrl/Cmd + G

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Additional Resources

Google Documentation: SourceMedium Resources: