Data blending in Looker Studio and how to overcome its limitations

Data blending is a great way to explore and make the most of your data in Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio). However, this feature also comes with some limitations that could slow your report down at best and affect your data accuracy at worst.

In this post, we’ll look at two workarounds using Google Sheets and Supermetrics.

Skip ahead >>

• Different types of join in Looker Studio
• How to blend data in Looker Studio
• The limitations of data blending
• How to overcome data blending limitations using Google Sheets
• How to overcome data blending limitations using the Supermetrics Hub

Different types of join in Looker Studio

Data blending is the process of merging different data sources into one single dataset. Data blending works when your joined data sources share at least one common dimension or a ‘join key’.

To blend data in Looker Studio, pick a join operator and join key. Your blended table shows different results depending on the join operator you pick. Currently, Looker Studio supports five join operators:

• Inner join means combining data from both sources — matching it where the join keys are the same and dropping the data that doesn’t match.
• Outer join means taking all the data from both sources — matching it where the join keys are the same. And finally, padding the non-matching columns with empty values in the joined table.
• Left join means taking all the data from the left table and the matching data from the right table where the join keys are the same.
• Right join means taking all the data from the right table and the matching data from the left table where the join keys are the same.
• Cross join is a special operation that results in a table with all possible row combinations from both tables. It doesn’t require join keys. Each row from table A is joined with every row from table B, resulting in a table with the number of rows A*B.

How to blend data in Looker Studio

Click ‘Resource’ > ‘Manage blends’ > ‘Add a blend’.

A configuration window will pop up, and you can choose the data sources you want to blend. For each data source, select metrics and dimensions. Remember, your sources have to have a common dimension, aka, your join key. To make it simple, you can use ‘Date’. Give your blended source a name.

Once you’re done, click ‘Configure join’. Choose the suitable join operation and make sure your join key is selected in the ‘Join conditions.’ Then, click ‘Save’.

Return to your Looker Studio dashboard and create a table with your blended source.

Watch this tutorial where Anna Shutko, Marketing Analyst Consultant at Supermetrics, explains how data blending in Looker Studio works.

The limitations of data blending in Looker Studio

While data blending is a great feature, it has many limitations that could slow down your reports or affect your results.

• You have no control over what’s happening under the hood: Unlike spreadsheets, you can’t see the details of how data is combined in Looker Studio, which can make it hard to find and fix errors.
• Slow processing and loading speeds: Data blending can significantly affect Looker Studio’s performance, with multiple blended data sources leading to slower loading times. This is because the blending process requires multiple API calls to retrieve data from different sources. The more blended data sources you add, your dashboard will be slower.
• A limited number of blended sources: Another frustrating limitation is that you can blend a maximum of five data sources. While this number sounds like a lot, it isn’t. You’ll easily cross the limit if you want to create a very detailed table with many columns.

That’s why if you have a lot of data, it’s better to blend it before feeding it into Looker Studio. Next, we’ll walk you through two ways to blend data using Google Sheets and Supermetrics.

Blend all your data in Google Sheets

When data blending in Looker Studio becomes a bit of a hassle, you can blend your data in Google Sheets and bring it back together in Looker Studio for reporting. 

This approach gives you more flexibility with your data. You can take advantage of the Google Sheets formulas to enrich your data. Additionally, it’s much faster to load blended data from a Google Sheet than from several sources. However, you need to know your way around the formulas and functions to make it work. We wrote an article explaining how data blending in Google Sheets works and three functions you can use. 

1. Bring your data into Google Sheets

You can do this by using the native connector. However, if you’re getting data from non-Google platforms, use Supermetrics to automate the process.

2. Manage your data

Separate data from different sources into different tabs, for example, raw data, blended data, and reporting data. This way, it’d be easier to manage your data and troubleshoot.

3. Three functions for blending data in Google Sheets

To join data in Google Sheets, you should know how to use these functions:

• VLOOKUP lets you search for a value in one table and use it in another table.
• IF + REGEXPMATCH helps remap campaign names from different sources and use them as your join key.
• Conditional aggregation like SUMIF, AVERAGEIF, and COUNTIF lets you calculate the sum, average, or count the number of data points.

We wrote an article explaining how data blending in Google Sheets works and three functions you can use.

Blend data using Supermetrics Marketing Intelligence Cloud

Alternatively, if mastering Google Sheets functions isn’t your thing (not everyone is a freak in the sheets), you can use Supermetrics Marketing Intelligence Cloud to blend cross-channel data and bring it to any destination.

It’s suitable for non-technical marketers who aren’t familiar with all join logic. You can:

• Blend more than 150 data sources—including paid, social media, web analytics, etc.
• Review your blended fields so you can verify how they look before using them in your report
• Modify the blended sources and configure the field mapping to fit your needs
• Use the created blends in all your reporting tools

Additional resources:  Learn 7 ways to transform your data using Supermetrics.

Here’s how you can use the data blending feature in Supermetrics.

1. Log in to the Supermetrics Hub.
2. Choose ‘Transform’ → ‘Data blending’ on the left side of the screen.
3. Choose ‘Create new blend’.
4. Select the data sources you want to combine, then click ‘Continue to configuration’ and follow the instructions to configure the data sources.
5. After that, name your blended source, then click ‘Create blend’.

You’ll see your blended fields.

After that, your blended source will be available in your analytics and reporting destination. Let’s say you’re using Looker Studio for reporting.

1. Click ‘Back to blend list’.
2. Select ‘Use your blends in destinations’.
3. Once the window opens, choose ‘Looker Studio’ → ‘Go to connector’.
4. Follow the instructions to authenticate your data sources.

After that, you can easily build reports with your blended sources. To learn more about how data blending works, check out our support center.

Watch how data blending works in the Supermetrics Hub.

Over to you

Despite its limitations, Looker Studio is still a great tool for visualizing and sharing your reports. If you’re looking for an easy way to do data blending, contact us.