Google Data Studio Tutorial: Create Reports Step-by-Step

If you're just getting started with Data Studio (previously called Looker Studio), my Google Data Studio tutorial will walk you through everything you need to know. I'll show you how to create a report from scratch, connect a data source, add and customize charts, and style your report.

Watch the tutorial:

What we cover in my Google Data Studio tutorial

In the tutorial, we start by exploring the Data Studio home page and some interface features. Next, we'll create a new report and connect Google Analytics as our data source.

Before we add charts, we will need to decide if we want to create our report using a freeform or a responsive layout. Selecting ‘Freeform’ means your report will be a fixed size, which is great if you want to print it out or present it consistently. Selecting ‘Responsive’ means the report will automatically adjust to different screen sizes as it’s being viewed.

The next step is to start adding charts to visualize your data. I'll show you how to add scorecards to present key metrics, a timeseries chart to quickly see trends, and tables to present more detailed data. Tables can be useful for showing marketing channels, traffic sources, and landing pages. I'll also show you how to create and apply filters to your charts so only certain data is included in your report.

We'll customize how metrics are displayed in your charts, add a date range control so people viewing your report can change the dates, and apply different themes to quickly adjust the style of your report. By the end of the tutorial, you'll have created a report showing how people are finding your website.

Data Studio lets you create a wide range of reports, from a single-page dashboard to a detailed multi-page report. When you’re ready to learn more, join my Google Data Studio course that covers the basics through to advanced techniques like data blending.