DATA BlEnding
What is Data Blending?
Data blending is an integrated feature in Looker Studio.
It allows you to create charts, tables, and controls using multiple data sources by connecting and blending data from them.
Blending data creates a resource known as a blend. By using join keys, you can incorporate data from various sources into the same chart.
How does data blending work in Looker Studio?
You can use the blend to set up the join by following these steps:
Step 1: Click on the “BLEND DATA”
Step 2: Click on "Join another table" and choose a different data source to blend with. Select the necessary dimensions, metrics, and any other required criteria from that table.
Step 3: Join configuration
Click on Configure join to configuration
A join configuration links pairs of tables in a blend.
It consists of an operator, which defines how to combine matching and non-matching records from those tables, and a condition, which is a set of fields that specifies how the tables are related to each other.
Join operators
The join operator determines how the matching and non-matching rows from the tables in the blend are combined. Looker Studio supports the following join operators:
Inner join: Returns only matching rows from the left and right tables.
Left outer join: Returns matching rows from the right table, plus non-matching rows from the left tables.
Right outer join: Returns matching rows from the left tables, plus non-matching rows from the right table.
Full outer join: Returns all matching rows from the left tables or the right table.
Cross join: Returns every possible combination of rows from the left and right tables.
Join conditions
A join condition is a field or fields that can be found in each table and used to link the records of those tables together.
There should be at least one common field among data sources to blend.
For example, in a blend of ClickUp - Team Tasks and ClickUp - Tasks data sources, If List Name exists in both of the tables, this field can be used for the join condition
Depending on needs, we have the flexibility to utilize different operators.
Now, we are selecting the Inner Join Configuration.
Step 4: Click on the SAVE button to save the blend data source.
Step 5: We obtain the blended data source from two data sources.
Limitations:
Data blending has certain limitations:
A blended data source can combine up to a maximum of five different data sources.
Blended data sources are restricted to use within the specific report where they were created.
Blended data sources allow for calculated fields specific to charts, but do not support calculated fields from the original data sources.