Building Reports

Looker Studio provides powerful tools for building interactive dashboards and reports. Combined with Two Minute Reports data sources, you can create professional visualizations without writing code.

Before You Start

• You have at least one active Query Config
• You know what data you want to visualize
• You have a Looker Studio account (free with a Google account)

Creating a New Report

Step 1: Start from TMR Hub

In Two Minute Reports Hub for Looker Studio, click Create Report in the top-right corner.

Step 2: Select Your Query Config

From the dropdown, choose the Query Config that contains the data you want to visualize.

Step 3: Choose Create Option

Select Create report from scratch to start with a blank Looker Studio report, or choose a template if available.

Step 4: Connect in Looker Studio

Looker Studio will open with your TMR data source ready to use:

• Your team is pre-selected
• The query config you chose is pre-selected
• Click Connect to establish the connection

Your TMR data is now available in Looker Studio as a data source.

Adding Charts and Visualizations

Once connected, Looker Studio offers multiple visualization types:

Common Chart Types:

• Scorecard - Display a single metric (total clicks, revenue, etc.)
• Time series - Show metrics over time (daily or monthly trends)
• Bar chart - Compare metrics across categories
• Pie chart - Show composition or percentages
• Table - Display raw data in a structured format
• Map - Show geographic performance
• Gauge - Display performance against targets

Adding a Chart:

1. Click Insert and select your chart type
2. Position the chart on your dashboard
3. In the Data panel on the right, select:

• Data source - Your TMR query config
• Dimension - What to show (categories, dates, etc.)
• Metrics - What to measure (numbers to display)

4. Customize colors, labels, and formatting
5. Click Apply to add the chart to your report

Creating Date Range Controls

Give report viewers the ability to customize the date range:

Step 1: Add Date Range Control

Click Insert and select Date range control.

Step 2: Position the Control

Place it prominently at the top of your report.

Step 3: Configure the Control

In the control settings:

• Choose the date range type (single date, date range, etc.)
• Set default dates
• Name the control

Step 4: Link to Your Charts

Select a chart and in its settings, link it to your date range control. This lets viewers dynamically change dates and see updated data.

Applying Filters

Filters let you focus your visualizations on specific subsets of data:

Step 1: Add a Filter

Click Insert and select Filter.

Step 2: Configure the Filter

• Select the dimension to filter on (campaign, region, product, etc.)
• Choose the filter type (include, exclude, custom list)
• Set default values if desired
• Name the filter

Step 3: Apply to Charts

Select each chart and link it to your filter. Charts will update when the filter changes.

Styling Your Report

Make your report visually appealing and professional:

• Colors - Use consistent brand colors across charts
• Fonts - Keep typography clean and readable
• Layout - Arrange charts logically (most important at top)
• Text - Add titles, descriptions, and context
• Branding - Add your logo and company colors

Best Practices:

• Use a white or light background for clarity
• Keep font sizes readable on mobile
• Leave white space to avoid clutter
• Use color to draw attention to key metrics

Working with Multiple Data Sources

You can combine data from multiple TMR Query Configs in one report:

Step 1: Add Additional Data Source

Click Resource > Manage added data sources.

Step 2: Add Data Source

Click Add a data source and select another TMR query config.

Step 3: Use in Charts

When creating charts, switch between data sources in the Data panel.

Blending Data (Advanced):

Looker Studio supports data blending to combine multiple sources in a single chart:

• Use common dimensions (like date) to blend data
• Create unified metrics from different sources
• This is powerful for cross-platform reporting

Creating Dashboards

A well-organized dashboard presents your most important KPIs clearly:

Key Dashboard Elements:

1. Executive Summary - Top KPIs or scorecards
2. Trends - Line charts showing performance over time
3. Breakdowns - Bar charts or pie charts showing composition
4. Details - Tables for deeper analysis
5. Filters - Let viewers focus on specific segments

Layout Tips:

• Put most important metrics at the top left
• Use scorecards for top-line numbers
• Add charts for context and trends
• Include detailed tables for deeper exploration

Sharing Your Report

Once your report is ready, share it with stakeholders:

Step 1: Click Share

In Looker Studio, click the Share button in the top right.

Step 2: Set Permissions

Choose who can access your report:

• Viewer - Can view the report and interact with filters
• Editor - Can edit the report
• Owner - Has full control

Step 3: Share

• Add specific email addresses
• Generate a shareable link
• Use different sharing settings for different audiences

Scheduling Reports

For automated report distribution, use Looker Studio's email scheduling (separate from TMR):

In Looker Studio, click File > Email settings to set up automated report distribution.

Monitoring and Maintaining Reports

Keep your reports in good working order:

Check data freshness:

• Verify data refreshes according to your TMR schedule
• Look for any data anomalies or unexpected changes
• Set up alerts for important metrics if needed

Update visualizations:

• Adjust date ranges or filters as needed
• Refresh charts if data sources change
• Remove outdated reports or charts

Monitor performance:

• Check if reports load slowly
• Review which visualizations are most used
• Optimize by removing unused charts

Troubleshooting

Report shows no data:

• Verify the data source is connected (check the green checkmark)
• Ensure your date range contains data
• Check that filters aren't excluding all data
• Verify the Query Config has data by testing it in TMR Hub

Charts are loading slowly:

• Reduce the amount of data in your query config
• Use filters to limit the data shown
• Simplify visualizations
• Check Looker Studio's performance recommendations

Data looks incorrect:

• Compare with the original data source
• Check your Query Config settings
• Verify filters and date ranges are correct
• Test the Query Config in TMR Hub

Can't see all my metrics or dimensions:

• Not all metrics are compatible with all chart types
• Some dimensions may not be compatible with your metric
• Try a different chart type
• Check the Query Config to verify data availability

Contact [email protected] for assistance with more complex issues.