About Looker Studio
Looker Studio, part of Google marketing Platform and closely integrated with Google Cloud, allows you to easily access data from Google Analytics, Google Ads, Display & Video 360, Search Ads 360, YouTube Analytics, Google Sheets, Google BigQuery and over 500 more data sources, both Google and non-Google, to visualize and interactively explore data.
Beyond just sharing, Data Studio offers seamless real-time collaboration with others—whether you’re sitting across the room, or across the world.
Learn more at https://lookerstudio.google.com/.
Main areas of expertise
- Data centralization
- Multiple connectors
- Reporting and dashboards
- Complete customization of visualizations
- Collaboration
- Access rights
- Automated sharing
PA Connect Google Looker Studio
This integration allows you to easily import data from Piano Analytics into Google Looker Studio. Explore, transform and combine Piano Analytics data with hundreds of sources available in Looker Studio.
Thanks to this integration you can create meaningful and easy-to-follow reports in just a few clicks. Collaborate with your team to create dashboards that inspire smarter business decisions.
- Native connector: Access Google Looker Studio and simply enable the Piano Analytics data source. A Piano Analytics template is also available to save you time.
- Unite sources: Cross, compare and combine your Piano Analytics data with the hundreds of sources available in Google Looker Studio. Import all this data in just a few clicks, without using a line of code.
- Custom dashboards: Easily create complete dashboards and reports with simple drag and drop. Curves, histograms, tables... Use the most relevant visualization and facilitate the decision making.
- Collaboration and sharing: Invite your collaborators to participate in the creation of impactful reports. Spread the knowledge of key KPIs within your organization by automating the sharing of your different dashboards.
How the bridge works
The PA Connect Google Looker Studio allows you to export Piano Analytics data to create custom dashboards. You can also cross Piano Analytics data with other data sources available in this Google platform. The activation of the connector needs two steps:
- The first step is to generate an API key from your Piano Analytics user profile. You’ll have to paste this key into Google Data Studio interface.
- The second step takes place in Looker Studio. You must choose the right data source of Piano Analytics, allow the Piano Analytics application through Google authentication, and activate the connector by pasting your API key.
API Key creation from the user profile
You must create an API Key that will allow you to activate the connector. You must therefore access your user profile in order to create this key (the Key API is composed of an Access Key and a Secret Key). For information, you must have a level of access rights "Analyst" at least to be able to generate this API.
You access your profile by clicking on "See profile" at the top right of your Piano Analytics interface.
You will then be able to create a new API Key from the "API Keys" menu (last item in the horizontal menu) by clicking on the "Create a new API Key" button.
You must then give a name to this API Key and provide a description.
Your API Key will be automatically generated. Be careful to keep it in a secure location, it will be displayed entirely once. You'll have to paste it into the Looker Studio interface. The API Key is composed of an Access Key and a Secret Key.
Connector activation in Looker Studio
Selecting the Data Source of Piano Analytics
In order to enable the connector, you must select the Piano Analytics data source in Looker Studio. You must go to the Google platform via this address - https://lookerstudio.google.com/.
Data sources are available through the left menu "Create" and then "Data Source".
You can then choose the right Piano Analytics data source to enable the connector and proceed to the next step. A search engine helps you to quickly reach the desired data source.
Note
- 'AT Internet' Source: connector based on Data Query 2 source (APIv2) (deprecated).
- 'AT Internet - DELTA' Source: connector based on Data Query 3 (APIv3).
- 'Piano Analytics (AT Internet)': connector developed by Supermetrics for their clients.
Authorize the Piano Analytics application
In order to work properly, Data Studio requests permission to use the Piano Analytics Connector. You must then allow the Piano Analytics application through Google Authentication.
Paste your API Key and choose your Piano Analytics site
In this last step you have to paste the API Key generated from the Piano Analytics interface (part 3 of this document). Looker Studio will then be able to recover your Piano Analytics data.
Be careful to associate the Access Key and the Secret Key with an underscore "_" before pasting the information into Google Data Studio.
Example: Accesskey_Secretkey (xxxxx_xxxxxxxxxxx).
You must then choose the site concerned by this new Dashboard. Piano Analytics also offers a default template, avoiding you to start from scratch.
You must press the "Connect" button located at the top right of the interface to activate the connector.
Dashboard creation in Looker Studio
Once the connector is enabled, you can edit the imported properties and metrics. Different options are available: renaming, deletion, choice of the type of data, aggregation, modification of the description, addition of a field ...
You can also configure the general options of the dashboard such as the freshness of the data, the activation of the visualizations created by the community or the possibility of editing a field directly in the dashboard.
Once set up, you must click on "Create report" at the top right to start creating a dashboard.
Now all you have to do is to create dashboards from Piano Analytics data with other data sources. You can also collaborate with others on these dashboards, share them whenever you like via a link, by .PDF or by email.
Tips
For information in Looker Studio you can add charts from different sources in the same Dashboard (multiple Piano Analytics sites and other sources). You must go to the right side of the screen to edit / add a data source.
By clicking the "Blend Data" button, you can easily manage your different data sources, named as "tables" in the editing menu:
Tips
It's possible to combine data from several level 1 sites into one graph and make calculations with these data (addtions, etc.) thanks to these two GLS features:
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Tips
In Piano Analytics you have the possibility to create and save your custom metrics. Here is an example with a custom metric "m_events_per_visitors". After saving it, this metric is now available in your Piano Analytics ressources:In Looker Studio you must refresh the Piano Analytics data source to integrate the custom metric you just created. To do this you must click on the source editing pencil (right panel), then you click on the data refresh button (bottom left) and finally you must apply the changes.
Tips
In Looker Studio, it is not possible to directly retrieve Piano Analytics segments.
However, there is a workaround that consists in adding your segments to your custom metrics when creating them in Piano Analytics. That way, you will be able to get your segmented analysis through the use of your newly imported custom metric on Looker Studio.
Limitations of the bridge
Some of the connector's limitations are detailed in our dedicated article:
https://support.piano.io/hc/en-us/articles/14218402873362-How-to-explain-data-discrepancies-between-Looker-Studio-Google-Data-Studio-and-Piano-Analytics-