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. Furthermore, data source permissions are managed separately from the report. Additionally, there are different sharing options that solve this issue. However, this common problem can be frustrating, especially when trying to collaborate on important dashboards. Specifically, in this article, we explain why Looker Studio displays “Data source not available”. Therefore, we also provide comprehensive solutions to fix it. As a result, this ensures your reports are accessible to all intended viewers.

First of all, report and data source permissions in Looker Studio are managed independently. Notably, this design choice provides robust security and granular control over your data. Consequently, when Looker Studio displays “Data source not available”. Essentially, it signifies that the recipient has access to the report itself. However, they do not possess the necessary permissions for the underlying data source. Essentially, this separation is crucial because it prevents unauthorized access to your raw data. Furthermore, this is true even if a report containing it is accidentally shared too broadly. Moreover, embedded data sources may require different permissions than reusable ones, adding another layer of complexity. Therefore, you should always check the sharing settings at both the report and data source levels. Hence, this ensures seamless access for your collaborators. For instance, a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) data source requires specific viewer permissions within GA4 itself. Similarly, a Google Sheet data source needs explicit sharing permissions on the sheet. Additionally, 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

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

Alternatively, if viewer credentials are preferred for security or compliance reasons. Therefore, you must share the data source directly with each recipient. Notably, this process varies depending on the type of underlying data. For instance, if your data source is a Google Sheet, you need to share the specific Google Sheet. Moreover, you must 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. Specifically, these permissions are on the relevant dataset or table. Furthermore, you should check whether the data source is embedded or reusable. In addition, reusable data sources, managed centrally, are often easier to share directly than embedded ones. According to Google’s documentation, owner credentials are the simplest solution. Essentially, this is especially true for shared reports, as it avoids the “Data source not available” error. Finally, always verify the connectivity of your data source. For example, sometimes the underlying connection might have issues (e.g., changed passwords, revoked API access). Consequently, these issues prevent even the owner from fetching data, subsequently affecting viewers.

Our Recommendation for Preventing Looker Studio Data Source Errors

If Looker Studio displays “Data source not available” after sharing. Therefore, you should switch the credentials option to ‘Owner’. Essentially, this is by far the most efficient and user-friendly solution for most sharing scenarios. Moreover, we recommend proactively checking all data sources before sharing a report. Furthermore, you should also enable owner credentials where needed. Thus, this preventative measure ensures a smooth experience for your report recipients. Additionally, you should thoroughly test the report in incognito mode yourself, simulating a new user’s access. This way, you can immediately identify and resolve any permission issues. Consequently, this prevents Looker Studio from displaying “Data source not available” for the recipient. Furthermore, it also ensures 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. Specifically, these are for the underlying data source. While viewer credentials offer granular control, owner credentials solve the problem in most cases by streamlining access. Therefore, by understanding the distinction between report and data source permissions. In addition, you can also implement the recommended ‘Owner credentials’ setting. As a result, this ensures your Looker Studio displays data consistently and reliably to all intended viewers. However, need assistance with complex data source configurations or setting up professional dashboards? In particular, our Looker Studio service team is happy to help you navigate these challenges. Furthermore, our SEM Agency supports you in setting up professional dashboards. Moreover, it also ensures seamless data integration for your marketing efforts.