Why does Looker Studio display “Data source not available” after sharing?

If Looker Studio displays “Data source not available” after sharing, the recipient lacks access permissions for the data source. Data source permissions are managed separately from the report itself, and there are several sharing options that solve the issue. This common problem can be frustrating, especially when you are trying to collaborate on important dashboards. In this article, we explain why Looker Studio displays “Data source not available” and provide practical solutions to fix it, so that your reports are accessible to everyone who needs them.

Why Does Looker Studio Display “Data Source Not Available” After Sharing?

Report and data source permissions in Looker Studio are managed independently. This design choice provides robust security and granular control over your data. When Looker Studio displays “Data source not available”, it means that the recipient has access to the report itself but does not have the necessary permissions for the underlying data source. This separation is crucial because it prevents unauthorised access to your raw data, even if a report containing that data is accidentally shared too broadly. Embedded data sources may also require different permissions than reusable ones, which adds another layer of complexity. You should therefore always check the sharing settings at both the report and the data source level to ensure seamless access for your collaborators. For instance, a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) data source requires specific viewer permissions within GA4 itself, while a Google Sheets data source needs explicit sharing permissions on the sheet. You will find more tips in our guide on GA4 discrepancies, which also touches upon data access.

How to Solve the “Data Source Not Available” Problem in Looker Studio

The most straightforward solution is to enable the ‘Owner credentials’ option in the data source settings. Anyone viewing the report will then use the report owner’s credentials to access the data, which eliminates the need for each viewer to have individual data source permissions. To do this, edit your report, navigate to ‘Resource’ > ‘Manage added data sources’ and click ‘Edit’ next to the data source in question. Under ‘Data credentials’, select ‘Owner’s credentials’. This is generally the recommended approach for broad sharing and collaboration, as it significantly simplifies permission management. This way, you prevent the recipient from seeing “Data source not available”.

Alternatively, if viewer credentials are preferred for security or compliance reasons, you must share the data source directly with each recipient. This process varies depending on the type of underlying data. For instance, if your data source is a Google Sheet, you need to share that specific sheet and grant the recipient at least ‘Viewer’ access. Similarly, if it’s Google Analytics, you’d grant them the appropriate role in the GA4 property. For BigQuery, you would manage IAM roles to give them bigquery.dataViewer permissions on the relevant dataset or table. You should also check whether the data source is embedded or reusable: reusable data sources, which are managed centrally, are often easier to share directly than embedded ones. According to Google’s documentation, owner credentials are the simplest solution, especially for shared reports, as they avoid the “Data source not available” error. Finally, always verify the connectivity of your data source. Sometimes the underlying connection itself has issues (e.g. changed passwords or revoked API access) that prevent even the owner from fetching data, which in turn affects viewers.

Our Recommendation for Preventing Looker Studio Data Source Errors

If Looker Studio displays “Data source not available” after sharing, switch the credentials option to ‘Owner’. This is by far the most efficient and user-friendly solution for most sharing scenarios. We also recommend proactively checking all data sources before sharing a report and enabling owner credentials where needed. This preventative measure ensures a smooth experience for your report recipients. In addition, thoroughly test the report in incognito mode yourself to simulate a new user’s access. That way, you can identify and resolve any permission issues immediately, prevent the recipient from ever seeing “Data source not available”, and make sure your dashboards are fully functional from the start.

Conclusion

In summary, the “Data source not available” error in Looker Studio is almost always due to missing permissions for the underlying data source. While viewer credentials offer granular control, owner credentials solve the problem in most cases by streamlining access. By understanding the distinction between report and data source permissions and applying the recommended ‘Owner credentials’ setting, you ensure that Looker Studio displays data consistently and reliably to all intended viewers. Do you need assistance with complex data source configurations or with setting up professional dashboards? Our Looker Studio service team is happy to help you navigate these challenges, and our SEM Agency supports you in building professional dashboards with seamless data integration for your marketing efforts.