11.7. Date Range Control

Let's dive into the world of Date Range Control in Looker Studio, an essential aspect of refining and presenting data in a clear and meaningful way.

Understanding Date Range Control

Date Range Control allows you to select the specific date range for which you want to pull data from your data source. It offers both fixed and dynamic date ranges, enabling you to personalize the way data is presented.

Fixed Date Range

With a fixed date range, you can select a specific start and end date for the data. This remains constant and doesn't change with time.

Dynamic Date Range

Dynamic date ranges automatically adjust based on the date the report is accessed. For example, if you choose "last 14 days," the report will display data for the 14 days prior to the date the user views the report. This is the default setting, but users can change it since it's a control.

The dynamic values available provide a range of options like "last 7 days," "last 14 days," "last month," "last quarter," and so on. However, there might be times when you need a dynamic date range that isn't included in the preset list.

For example, you might want a range from 8 weeks ago to 4 weeks ago.

Advanced Date Range

To create a custom dynamic date range, you can use the Advanced Date Range option. This allows you to set both the start and end dates dynamically, based on the current date.

To achieve this, select "today" minus or plus a specified number of intervals (days, weeks, months, or years). You can also set fixed start or end dates, even in the future, if needed. This powerful feature allows you to create highly customized date ranges for your data.

It's important to experiment with this feature and become comfortable using it for your custom date range needs.