How to Create a Chart on Looker Studio

Building charts in Google's Looker Studio is one of the fastest ways to turn raw spreadsheet data into a visual report that actually makes sense. Instead of just looking at endless rows and columns, you can see trends, compare performance, and spot opportunities at a glance. This guide will walk you through creating your first chart, from connecting your data to customizing the final look and feel.

First Things First: Connect a Data Source

You can't visualize data you don't have, so the first step in Looker Studio is always connecting a data source. This is the underlying spreadsheet, platform, or database that holds the information you want to chart. For this example, we’ll use Google Analytics, as it’s one of the most common data sources for marketers and business owners.

If you don't use Google Analytics, don't worry - the process is very similar for Google Sheets, BigQuery, or any other connector.

1. Log into Looker Studio and click the Create button in the top-left corner, then select Data Source.
2. You'll see a gallery of "Google Connectors" at the top. Select Google Analytics.
3. A new panel will appear asking you to authorize the connection to your Google account. Click AUTHORIZE and follow the prompts.
4. Once authorized, you’ll see columns for your Analytics Accounts, Properties, and Views. Select the specific website property you want to pull data from.
5. In the top-right corner, click the blue CONNECT button.

Looker Studio will then take you to the data source editor. Here, you'll see a long list of all the fields available from your Google Analytics property. These are divided into Dimensions (the "what," "who," or "where," like City, Device Category, or Page) and Metrics (the numbers, like Sessions, Users, or Bounce Rate). You don't need to do anything here right now, but it's good to know this screen exists.

Step-by-Step: Building Your First Looker Studio Chart

With your data source ready, you can now create a new report and start building. The report canvas is where all your charts, tables, and text will live.

Step 1: Create a New Report and Add a Chart

Go back to the Looker Studio home page and click Create > Report. You’ll be prompted to add a data source to the report. Choose the Google Analytics data source you just created.

Looker Studio will automatically drop a simple table onto your blank report to get you started. For this tutorial, we want to start from scratch. Click on the table to select it, then hit the Delete key on your keyboard to remove it.

Now, let's add the chart we actually want to build. In the main menu, click Add a chart. A dropdown menu appears with a wide variety of chart types.

Let's start with a classic: a time series chart to show website traffic over the last month. Find "Time series" in the dropdown and click it. Your cursor will turn into a cross-hair. Click and drag on the blank canvas to draw a box where you want your chart to appear.

Voila! Looker Studio instantly populates a chart with a default dimension (Date) and metric (likely Views or Sessions).

Step 2: Get Data with Dimensions & Metrics

That initial chart is a great start, but it might not be showing the exact data you need. When your chart is selected, a configuration panel appears on the right side of the screen with two main tabs: Setup and Style. The Setup tab is where you tell the chart what data to display.

• Data Source: This should already show the data source you connected earlier.
• Dimension: This is what the chart's x-axis will group the data by. For a time series chart, Date is the perfect dimension because we want to see trends over time. If this wasn't automatically selected, you can click on the existing dimension and search for "Date".
• Metric: This is the numerical value you want to measure. It defines the height of your line or bars. Let's say Looker Studio chose Views by default, but you're more interested in Sessions. Click on the current metric, search for "Sessions," and select it. The chart will update immediately to show session data over time.
• Add a Breakdown Dimension: Want to see sessions broken down by the type of device people are using? Under the main dimension section, look for the 'Breakdown Dimension' field and add the dimension Category. Now your chart will show three separate lines: one for desktop, one for mobile, and one for tablet, giving you much deeper context.
• Set the Default Date Range: In the Date Range section of 'Setup', you can tell the report how far to look back. "Auto" is an option, but selecting Custom and "Last Days" lets your report dynamically update with the most recent data.

Step 3: Customize with 'Style'

Now that you have the right data in place, it's time for styling. Click the Style tab in the side panel to make the chart your own. The styling options may be overwhelming at first glance, so let's break down the key areas:

Series Customization

This section controls how the lines or bars look. If you used a breakdown dimension like we did above, you’ll see multiple series listed (Series #1 for desktop, Series #2 for mobile, etc.).

• Change Colors: Click the small color squares to change the line art style of the chart. Stick to a palette that is easy to read and matches your brand, if possible.
• Switch to a Different Chart Type: You can opt for "Bars" instead of a Line chart with just a few clicks.
• Data Point Styles: You can choose to show data points on your lines (as small circles or other shapes) which can improve readability, especially for printed reports.

Managing Your Axes

Good axis labels provide essential context. In the Style panel, you'll find sections to control the details of the left, right, and bottom axes.

• Axis Titles: Is it obvious what the Y-axis is showing? If not, you can check the "Show axis title" box and give it a helpful name, like "Total Sessions".
• Min/Max Values: Looker Studio automatically sets the scale for your Y-axis, but you can override it by entering a custom min and max value. This is useful for keeping the scale consistent across multiple charts on a dashboard.

The Grid and Background

This is where you control the chart's overall look. You can add a background color, change the border radius to give it rounded corners, and modify the opacity. For a cleaner look, many designers reduce the intensity or remove the grid lines altogether.

Choosing the Right Chart for the Job

A time series chart is great, but it's not always the best choice. Choosing the right visualization makes your data story clearer.

• Bar or Column Charts: Use these for comparing values across distinct categories. Example: Revenue by marketing channel. A bar chart makes it instantly obvious which channels are driving the most revenue.
• Pie & Donut Charts: Use these to show the parts of a whole, but use them carefully! They work best with 2-4 categories. Once you have too many slices, it's hard to read. Example: Website visitor split by mobile vs. desktop.
• Scorecards: These are not charts per se, but they're perfect for showing a single, most important KPI at a glance. For example, "Total Sales" or "Total Users" use a scorecard with a big, readable number on the dashboard.
• Tables with Heatmaps: When you need to show detailed, granular data, a table is the way to go. You can enhance tables by adding a "heatmap" style, which color-codes cells based on their value. This helps you quickly spot high and low performers in a large set of data.

Extra Tips for Creating Great Charts

• Keep it Simple: Resist the urge to cram too much information into one chart. Aim for one clear insight per visualization. It's better to have two dashboards than a single complicated one.
• Label Everything: Don't make your audience guess. A chart labeled "Traffic Last 30 Days" is not as helpful as "Website Traffic by Source June 2024".
• Create Visual Hierarchy: Use color and size to draw attention to the most important parts of your report. Your main KPI could be in a large scorecard at the top, while supporting charts can be smaller.
• Tell a Story: Add titles and notes to explain what the chart is showing and what it means. For example, "Spike in Sales reflects run of influencer campaign!" adds valuable context.

Final Thoughts

Creating charts in Looker Studio is a straightforward process once you understand the core concepts. It always comes down to connecting your data, choosing a chart type, assigning your dimensions and metrics in the setup panel, and fine-tuning the appearance in the style panel. With practice, you will move quickly from blank reports to dashboards that give a clear view into business performance.

The time you manually spend building, styling, and connecting data for Looker reports really starts to add up. With Graphed, we’ve created a way to skip the learning curve entirely. Instead of clicking through menus, you can just ask a question in plain English like, "show me sessions from Google Analytics by device for the last 90 days as a line chart." Our AI builds the chart for you instantly into a live, interactive dashboard, saving you from repetitive reporting work so you can focus on insights and strategy.