How to change the data type in Looker Studio?

How to change the data type in Looker Studio?

How do you change the data type in Looker Studio?

Looker Studio can manage many field types. Each one has its own specific options, and you can always find a way to display your data in the format you wish.

We will see how to change the data type fields and the possibilities here.

Data Type list:

  • Numeric
    • Number -> floating point number
    • Percent -> floating point number representing a ratio.
    • Currency -> floating point number representing a financial value (please note that Looker Studio won't do the conversion, only modify the currency symbol).
  • Text -> numbers, letters, characters, or symbols.  
  • Date & Time -> a calendar date.
  • Boolean -> logical value returning TRUE or FALSE.
  • Geo -> a geographic region (ISO code, country name, latitude, and longitude)
  • URL
    • URL -> a web address
    • Image -> An image.

How to modify the data type?

There are two ways to modify your data type. 

The first one is in a chart. The data type you applied on a metric will only exist for this chart.

The second is in the data source and will be applied to every chart using the metric you configured.

In a chart:

Click on a chart and open the field option.

You can select a new data type in the associate dropdown:

Change data type for a field in Looker Studio.

You can also provide more information about the display option in the Display Format dropdown.

For example, for numbers, you can choose the numbers of decimal. For date, you can choose which format to use precisely.

Change the display format for a field in Looker Studio.

And by clicking the Custom format link, you can find more options to fits your need.

Here is the custom date format option:

Define precisly your date format in Looker Studio.

From a data source:

Open your data source field list -> Resource -> Manage added data source -> Edit your source (if this does not lead you to a field list, clicks on Field list at the top right of the screen after editing your data source).

Locate the Type column. Here, you can change the data type for a given field.

Type column in your Looker Studio data source.

All charts using this field will be updated with the new configuration. 

You cannot manage Display Format in the data source as we did in the chart.

Warning: if your data source is reusable, you are modifying the data type for a metric across all reports using this data source.

More function to use with Looker Studio

TOSUBCONTINENT
:
Mastering the ToSubcontinent Function in Looker Studio: An in-depth guide to using geographical data for insightful business analysis
DATE_DIFF
:
Understanding and Utilizing DATE_DIFF Function in Looker Studio: Syntax, Examples, Limitations and Tips
NULLIF
:
Understanding and Utilizing the NULLIF Function in Looker Studio for Comprehensive Data Analysis
LENGTH
:
Understanding the LENGTH Function in Looker Studio: A Comprehensive Guide to Counting Characters
DATETIME_DIFF
:
Understanding and Leveraging the DATETIME_DIFF Function in Looker Studio for Efficient Data Analysis and Visualization

Become a Looker Studio expert
for free

Learn all the secrets of data analysis and create beautiful and effective dashboards thanks to our 30-second video courses! Join Catchr's community on YouTube.

Get more video lessons

All your data on Looker Studio

Build Looker Studio dashboard easily with your marketing data from all platforms and track your essential KPIs! No-code integration.

Start free trial now!
Looker studio

Optimize your data analysis

Get free Looker Studio dashboard template among a large collection of +50 stunning template! Elevate your data visualization.

Get free templates!
Johan Chemin
Customer Success Manager & Looker Studio Expert
I design powerful dashboards that enable you to effectively analyze your marketing data. I also provide comprehensive lessons on mastering your BI tools. Feel free to contact me for assistance with these areas.