Looker Studio Slow? Learn How to Supercharge Your Reports

Are you tired of waiting for your Google Looker Studio dashboards to load? Frustrated by sluggish charts and delayed data updates? Or is the editor so slow, you feel like you're procrastinating? Fear not! In this blog, we’ll dive into the art of turbocharging your Looker Studio experience. 🚀

Looker Studio is a powerful tool for data visualization and exploration, but its performance can make or break your analytics workflow. Slow dashboards hinder decision-making, frustrate users, and zap productivity. Fortunately, there are plenty of tricks to unlock more speed and efficiency.

What We'll Cover in This Blog

There are actually two Looker Studio experiences: the one where users navigate the report and explore data, and the editor experience to design the reports.

Editor Experience

• Pause Chart Updates: Learn how to control chart refreshes and strike the perfect balance between real-time data and a fast editing experience.
• Use Incognito Screen: Leverage a clean and clutter-free browser with zero plugins to funnel all available power into the editor UI.
• Regular Refresh: The browser refresh button is your friend. Give up 5 seconds to gain minutes later.

Report Experience

• Reduce the Number of Charts: Trim the fat, so to speak. Discover strategies to declutter your dashboards, focusing on the charts that matter most.
• Adjust Data Freshness Rate: Adjust data freshness settings to keep your insights up-to-date without overwhelming your database.
• Use the Extract Data Connector: Unleash the power of cached data with Looker’s Extract Data connector. We’ll show you how.
• Work with Pre-Processed Data: Optimize your data pipeline before it reaches Looker Studio. Clean, transform, and aggregate like a data wizard.
• Split Data Sources by Page: Split data sources across different pages for surgical precision. Say goodbye to unnecessary joins.

Let's Look-o-Looker! 🥁

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1. Pause Chart Updates

By default, Looker Studio updates charts in real-time. If you’re experiencing slowness in the editor mode, consider pausing automatic updates. You can toggle it back on when you need accurate data. Pausing updates will significantly improve the user interface speed when editing reports.

To pause chart updates, find the 'Pause updates' button in the top right corner, just above the sidebars. This simple trick can save you a lot of frustration and time, making your editing process smoother and more efficient.

2. Use Incognito Screen

Using an incognito window in your browser can help speed up Looker Studio. An incognito session starts with a clean slate—no extensions, no cookies, no browsing history. This means that all the browser’s resources can be dedicated to running Looker Studio, reducing lag and improving performance. Simply open a new incognito window in your browser and log into Looker Studio from there.

3. Regular Refresh

When working with Google Looker Studio, it’s easy to get caught up in the cycle of continuous edits and adjustments. However, over time, these ongoing changes can lead to a buildup of temporary data and processes that slow down the performance of your editor. This is where the simple act of refreshing your browser can make a significant difference. This action can resolve minor glitches, free up memory, and reload resources with a clean slate. Think of it as a quick reset that helps your browser and Looker Studio start fresh.

Tip
‍In my experience, combining all three tricks is the best way to keep a speedy editor UI. However, closing all incognito screens helps even more than only hitting that refresh button. So every now and then I close all incognito screens completely and open a new one to continue editing reports.

4. Reduce the Number of Charts

Having too many charts on a single dashboard can impact performance. Prioritize essential charts and remove any redundant or less critical ones. A streamlined dashboard not only loads faster but also provides a clearer and more focused view of your data. Less is more when it comes to data visualization.

5. Adjust Data Freshness Rate

Looker Studio retrieves data from your data source based on a freshness setting. If real-time data isn’t crucial, consider adjusting the freshness rate to reduce the load on your database. Go to your data source settings and set the data freshness to a level that balances performance and data recency according to your needs.

6. Use the Extract Data Connector

Looker Studio allows you to create extracts (cached copies) of your data. Utilize the Extract Data connector to pre-aggregate and cache data, improving query performance. This method helps in reducing the demand on your live databases and speeds up your dashboard loading times. Setting up data extracts can be a game-changer for performance.

7. Process Data Before It Reaches Looker Studio

Optimize your data pipeline outside of Looker. Cleanse, transform, and aggregate data before it’s ingested by Looker. This reduces the workload on Looker Studio and ensures that only the necessary and optimized data is being processed. Tools like SQL queries, ETL processes, and data warehouses can be incredibly useful for pre-processing your data.

8. Split Data Sources by Page

If your dashboard contains multiple pages or tabs, split data sources accordingly. Each page can have its own data source, preventing unnecessary joins and improving load times. This practice not only enhances performance but also allows for more modular and manageable data structures within your reports.

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By implementing these tips and tricks, you can significantly enhance the performance of your Google Looker Studio dashboards and editor. A faster, more efficient Looker Studio means quicker insights and a more productive workflow. Happy reporting!

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