How do you convert URLs to Images in Looker Studio?

How do you convert URLs to Images in Looker Studio?

Looker Studio is one of the best ways to create your reports, but finding every feature to get the best of it can take time and effort.

One simple but useful feature is to display images from a URL. You can display products from a catalog or visual ads from your marketing campaigns, making it easier to identify flaws and successes.

In this example, I will use a Facebook Ads account connected with our Facebook Ads connector in a newly created report.

If you want to learn how to create a data source and a report, follow this link. 

How do you display an image from a URL in Looker Studio?

Place a table on the canvas:

First, we need to use the right charts. Images will only be displayed on tables.

Select a table by going on Add a Charts, then Table (you can pick any of the three suggested). Place it in the report:

A table to your Looker Studio report.
A table to your Looker Studio report.

Select the right dimension:

In the Set-up column, select the dimensions containing a URL. It can be in type Text or URL.

Tips: You can order by Type in the data source fields list, making it easier to check for field-type URLs or Text.

Do it like this :

  • Go to Resource, then Manage added data sources.
  • Edit button of the data source.
  • Order the list by URL (click twice to reverse the order and get the URL at the top).
  • If the URL field is a text, it does not matter, and it can be converted into a type URL or Image (as explained in the next paragraph).
Order your fields list in Looker Studio.
Order your fields list in Looker Studio.

Change the type of the dimensions:

Now that your dimension is added, click on the URL symbol next to the dimension name (if your dimension is a text, click on ABC). Then, in Data Type, change from Text to URL -> Image.

Change type to url -> image in Looker Studio
Change type to url -> image in Looker Studio

Note that a too-large number of images can take a while to be displayed. If you get an error, try to reduce the period asked.

If you want a clickable link instead of an image, you can select the type URL -> URL.

Change the size of the images:

You can enlarge the Images column to get bigger images. But you will be limited by the maximum size of the picture.

Quick-Step to convert a URL to an Image in your Looker Studio report:

  • Add a table with a dimension containing a URL.
  • Edit its type in the Set-up column by clicking the dimension name's left button.
  • Change the type to URL -> Image.

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