14.10. Embedding Google Docs in Looker Studio

Looker Studio allows you to embed Google Docs, Google Sheets, and other external content to create a more engaging and interactive report. In previous lessons, we learned how to embed videos and embed forms to enhance our Looker Studio reports. In this lesson, we'll explore the benefits of embedding Google Docs and the steps you can take to achieve this integration.

Embedding Google Docs in Looker Studio

Embedding Google Docs in Looker Studio can add valuable textual content to your reports. For instance, you can include definitions of metrics, update weekly or monthly insights, or provide additional context that helps your users understand the report better. To embed Google Docs, follow the same steps for embedding videos, and use the Google Doc URL in the embed component.

Embedding Google Sheets in Looker Studio

Embedding Google Sheets in Looker Studio can offer interactive elements to your reports by showcasing raw data or user inputs. While visualizing raw data alongside charts can be beneficial, Google Sheets comes with more menu and button elements than expected. However, you can still use Google Sheets to store user inputs through a single-cell sheet and even save those inputs to be used later.

To embed a single-cell Google Sheet in Looker Studio:

1. Create a single-cell Google Sheet and format it as required.
2. Increase the font size and improve the overall appearance.
3. Embed the sheet using the URL in a small iframe.
4. Add the Google Sheet as a data source in Looker Studio.
5. Display the input value from the Google Sheet on a scorecard.

Despite the potential advantages, one limitation of this approach is that the scorecard does not update automatically. Users must refresh their reports to view updated scorecards connected to the Google Sheet. In the next lesson, we will learn how to overcome this limitation using Blending and BigQuery.

Embedding Google Docs and Google Sheets enhances your Looker Studio reports with additional context, user-generated inputs, and interactivity. These embedded components can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the data and create a more engaging user experience.

Enroll in Looker Studio Masterclass →

📩 Receive my weekly Looker Studio tips

🖇 Connect with me on LinkedIn