11.6. Controls: Data Control

Introducing Data Controls

Data controls are similar to filters, but they are designed for report viewers rather than report editors. While filters are applied to chart properties and are not visible in view mode, data controls are built for the viewer, allowing them to interact with the data in the report. As an editor, you can decide what changes your viewers can make to the data with data controls.

Use Cases for Data Controls

Data controls allow report viewers to connect the report to another account of the same tool they have access to. For example, if John connects to a report, he will see a different set of Looker Studio data than Fernando, who connects to the report with his account. This feature depends on the user being logged into their Looker Studio account.

Note: Data controls only work with Google connectors and are not available for all connectors.

Some limitations to data controls include:

Only available for Google connectors.
The viewer must be signed into their Looker Studio account.
Data controls do not work with embedded reports.
Data controls do not work with community visualizations.

For instance, if you change the data source to display traffic from a website, a community visualization may break, since Looker Studio doesn't trust it as much as built-in visualizations.

Data controls are useful for creating templates and lead magnets, as well as generic setups within tools like Looker Studio Analytics or Looker Studio Ads. However, be aware that relying on data controls may cause inconsistencies in your report.

Real-life example: A marketing agency might create a template report that can be connected to different clients' Looker Studio Analytics accounts, allowing each client to view their own data in the report.