Hey everyone, I’m having a weird issue with Looker Studio and I’m hoping someone can help me out.
I’ve got this big CSV file (107MB+) sitting in my Google Drive. I uploaded it to BigQuery since it’s too big for Looker Studio directly. In BigQuery, everything’s fine. I can query the data, merge it with other tables, no problem.
But when I try to use this dataset in Looker Studio, things get funky. I can add it as a custom query or table from BigQuery, but as soon as I try to make a chart or use any dashboard element, I get an error saying Looker Studio can’t fetch data from the dataset.
I’ve tried the usual troubleshooting steps, but no luck. Weirdly, if I export a smaller subset of this data to Google Sheets and then add that back to BigQuery, it works fine in Looker Studio.
Any ideas why Looker Studio is having trouble with the original CSV data from Google Drive, but not with the same data if it comes from Sheets? It’s driving me nuts!
From my experience, this issue often stems from how BigQuery handles the original CSV import. One solution that’s worked for me is to create a new table in BigQuery using a SELECT statement from your original table. This process can sometimes ‘clean’ the data in a way that Looker Studio finds more digestible.
Also, check your BigQuery dataset’s region. Ensure it matches the region setting in your Looker Studio project. Mismatched regions can cause connectivity issues.
If these don’t work, you might want to investigate the CSV file itself. Look for any unusual characters or formatting that could be throwing off BigQuery’s interpretation. Sometimes, re-saving the CSV with strict formatting can resolve hidden issues.
Lastly, consider using BigQuery’s partitioning feature if your dataset is time-based. This can significantly improve query performance and might help Looker Studio handle the data more efficiently.
I’ve run into similar issues before, and it can be really frustrating. One thing that worked for me was to create a view in BigQuery instead of directly connecting to the table. This sometimes helps Looker Studio process the data more efficiently.
Another trick is to check the data types in your BigQuery table. Sometimes, if there are mismatched or unexpected data types, Looker Studio struggles to interpret them correctly. You might want to go through your columns and ensure they’re all properly typed.
If those don’t work, you could try using BigQuery’s EXTERNAL_QUERY function to reference your Google Drive CSV directly in your BigQuery query. This bypasses any potential issues with how the data was initially loaded into BigQuery.
Lastly, have you considered using BigQuery’s Data Transfer Service to automate the import from Google Drive? This might resolve any underlying issues with the manual upload process.
have u tried refreshing the data source connection in looker studio? sometimes it gets wonky w/ big datasets. also, check ur bigquery permissions - maybe looker’s having trouble accessing it. if nothing works, u could try splitting the csv into smaller chunks. good luck!