7 Latest Data Studio Updates You Should Know About

Since its release as free software in 2018, Google Data Studio has constantly updated to include improved and advanced features for digital marketers.   

For those who don’t know, Data Studio is a powerful data visualization tool created by Google to help marketers make better decisions with their data. It allows you to create reports and dashboards that are easy to understand and integrates with a variety of different data sources, including Google Analytics 4, YouTube, AdWords, and more.

Between June 20 and August 4, a few Data Studio updates have been made. Let’s discuss each in detail. 

7 Recent Data Studio Updates 

Below is a detailed outline of the features introduced in the latest Data Studio updates. 

1. BigQuery Data Access for Google Cloud and Workspace Users 

On June 20, 2022, Data Studio enabled Google Cloud and Workspace users to access BigQuery data with service account credentials. 

This is great news for digital marketing teams. With service accounts, marketers can rest assured that all the members can access data. In other words, data sources will continue to prove helpful even if the user who created them is no longer a part of the team. 

This function is currently only available for BigQuery data sources. Moreover, the service accounts must be set up by Google Cloud or Workspace administrators. 

You can connect a source to BigQuery data with an existing service account by entering the respective email address in the credentials dialog box. 

Here’s how it works:

Step 1

Create or connect a BigQuery data source. 

Step 2

Select Data Credentials in the toolbar.

Step 3

Click Service Account Credentials.

Step 4   

Enter the email address of your service account.

Step 5

Hit Update. 

2. Integration With the Google Cloud Platform Agreement

Data Studio users can now use the software with the Google Cloud Platform Agreement. If you’re a super administrator of Cloud Identity or Google Workspace account, you can have the Cloud Agreement govern your use of Data Studio on behalf of your organization. This means other people in the company won’t have to sign the terms when they log into Data Studio.   

You can leverage this function by following the steps below.

Step 1

Log into the Google Admin console as a super administrator. 

Step 2

Go to the home page of Data Studio and click Enterprise Admin on the left. 

Step3

Navigate to the Data Studio Terms of Service section and click Review and Accept. 

Step 4

Confirm your action by clicking I Accept. 

3. Introduction of a Line Map in Google Maps

As a marketer, you’ll be excited to hear that you can now witness BigQuery line string data visualizations on a Google Maps chart using Data Studio. The line maps in your reports will make it easier to understand and stay on top of physical networks and flows. They also supports an interactive environment where viewers can explore geographic data.  

Here’s how you can use this function:

Step 1

When editing a report, go to the page where you wish to insert a line map. 

Step 2

Select Add a Chart from the toolbar. 

Step 3

Pick Line Maps from the available preset Google Map options. 

Step 4

Tap the canvas to have the chart added to your report. 

Step 5

Feel free to Add or Change the Geospatial or Location field in the Properties tab on the right to display your desired location.

Voila! You can use this feature to create visuals of the volume of goods in your supply chain or to examine an area’s traffic situation. 

4. New IP Address Requirement for Firewall Access

On July 14, 2022, Google Data Studio announced that users must create new IP addresses to continue accessing their data because of the firewall database changes. 

If you have data sources created with MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server 2017, Amazon Redshift, or PostgreSQL, make sure you have the new IP addresses before June 21, 2023. 

The new addresses are as follows: 

• 142.251.74.0/23
• 2001:4860:4807::/48 (for IPv6-supporting platforms) 

Please note that the 74.125.0.0/16 address should remain open until the deadline. Once the date has passed, you can close the old addresses.

5. Data Control Support for GA4 Properties

Google Data Studio has extended data control support for GA4 properties. This means digital marketers and data analysts can enjoy added flexibility when working on GA4 reports. They can share the documents with viewers who intend to use them with their own data. 

Since any number of viewers can use the report without making any changes to the data source connection, the data control function eliminates the need to create multiple versions of the same document for different accounts.  

6. Documentation Updates

Data Studio announced a couple of documentation updates on July 28, 2022.   

The first one refers to the release of the How to use Data Studio guide to help users understand the fundamentals of the software. As a beginner, you can use this guide to get the hang of common tasks and explore additional resources and in-depth content to polish your skills. 

The second documentation update is regarding a new Data Studio with Cloud Agreement requirement. To have the software governed by the Cloud Platform Terms of Service, you must have a Google Cloud role with roles/billing viewer permission. Otherwise, you won’t be allowed to use Data Studio with the Cloud Agreement.   

7. Google Analytics Connector for GA4 Properties

The most recent update introduced by Google Data Studio enables you to connect GA4 sub and roll-up properties with the software and visualize the data in your custom reports using the Google Analytics connector. This may include insights into how visitors find and use your website or app. 

Please note that you must have Read & Analyze permission on GA4 to use this feature. Here’s how it works:

Step 1

Sign in to your Data Studio account and click Data Source in the top left menu.

Step 2

Select the Analytics connector and click Authorize if prompted. 

Step 3

Choose the GA4 account and property.

Step 4

Click Connect to connect the data source to your data set.  

Stay Updated on Google Data Studio Updates With Napkyn Analytics! 

We’ll continue to update this space as Data Studio rolls out new features. 

If you have any questions regarding the latest Data Studio updates, feel free to contact our experts.