How Often Does Looker Studio Update?
Nothing's more frustrating than staring at a dashboard and wondering if the data is from an hour ago or last week. When a teammate asks if the numbers are "live," you want to be able to answer with confidence. This article will show you exactly how Looker Studio handles data updates so you can control how fresh your information is.
Understanding Data Freshness in Looker Studio
The first thing to know is that Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) doesn't typically show you live data in the truest sense of the word. Constant, real-time data pulls for every user on every report would be incredibly slow and would quickly hit data limits on platforms like Google Analytics.
To keep reports speedy and efficient, Looker Studio uses a system called a cache. Think of the cache as a quick-access snapshot of your data. When you load a report, Looker Studio pulls the information from this temporary storage location first, which makes your charts and tables appear almost instantly. This cache has an expiration date, and how often it gets a new snapshot of your data is what we call "data freshness."
How Looker Studio's Data Cache Works
When you connect a data source like Google Analytics 4 or Google Sheets to Looker Studio, you also set a "data freshness" schedule. This schedule tells Looker Studio how often it should go back to the original platform (e.g., your GA4 property) and fetch a new set of data to update its cache.
For example, if your report's data freshness is set to the default of 12 hours:
Your report loads and fetches data at 9 AM, storing it in the cache.
Anyone who views the report between 9 AM and 9 PM will see the data from that 9 AM snapshot, ensuring fast load times.
After 9 PM, the cache is considered "stale." The next time someone loads the report, Looker Studio will bypass the old cache, go back to the source for new data, and create a fresh snapshot for the next 12 hours.
This system balances the need for current data with the need for responsive, fast-loading reports. The key is knowing which refresh options are available and how to set them to match your team's needs.
Breaking Down the Data Refresh Cadences
The refresh intervals available to you depend entirely on the type of data connector you're using. These options are set at the data source level, not the report level. This means if you use the same Google Analytics data source in five different reports, they all share the same update schedule.
Free Google Connectors (GA4, Google Sheets, Search Console, etc.)
For Google's own native connectors, you have the most flexibility. These tools are designed to work together, and Looker Studio gives you a range of choices for how often to fetch data.
You can set the data freshness for most Google connectors (including Google Analytics 4, Google BigQuery, Google Sheets, and Google Search Console) to update at the following intervals:
Every 15 minutes
Every hour
Every 4 hours
Every 12 hours (this is the default setting)
A 15-minute refresh is great for monitoring a real-time event or a very active sales campaign, but be mindful. More frequent updates can load your reports a bit slower and put more strain on a platform's data API quotas, which can cause other issues.
Google Ads & Analytics' "Owner's Credentials" Exception
A quick but important exception: when you connect to Google Analytics or Google Ads using "Owner's Credentials" (which lets other viewers see the data without needing direct access to Ads/GA), the most frequent refresh rate available is 1 hour, not 15 minutes.
Third-Party and Partner Connectors
Looker Studio's power comes from its massive library of partner-built connectors for platforms like Shopify, Facebook Ads, Salesforce, HubSpot, and more. However, the data refresh options for these connectors are determined by the company that built them.
A tool like Supermetrics, for example, might offer its own set of refresh schedules based on the subscription tier you're on. Some third-party connectors might only offer daily refreshes. Before relying on a partner connector for time-sensitive reporting, it's always smart to check their documentation to see what refresh cadences they support.
File Uploads and Data Extracts
If you've uploaded a CSV file or created a data extract, these data sources operate differently. They are static snapshots of your data and are not connected to a live platform. They will never change unless you manually take one of two actions:
Re-upload the file: If you're using a CSV or Google Sheet you uploaded directly, you have to upload a new version of the file to see updated information.
Set up an extract schedule: For extracts, you can configure a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule to automatically refresh the data from its original source.
How to Check and Change Your Data Freshness Settings
Adjusting the update schedule for a data source is straightforward once you know where to look. You'll need to be in Edit mode for your report.
With your report open, navigate to Resource > Manage added data sources from the top menu.
You'll see a list of all data sources used in your report. Find the one you want to adjust and click the Edit button.
At the top of the data source configuration page, you will see a section titled Data freshness. Click on the current setting (e.g., "12 hours").
A dropdown menu will appear with all the available refresh intervals for that specific data source. Select the frequency that best fits your needs.
Click Done in the upper-right corner to save your changes.
Remember, this change will affect every report that uses this data source. If you need the same data refreshed at different intervals for different reports, you will need to add the same integration as a new, separate data source and configure its refresh schedule independently.
Manually Refreshing Your Data: Forced Updates
What if you just ran a new campaign and want to see the latest numbers right now, without waiting for the next scheduled update? Looker Studio has a manual refresh button for that.
In the top right corner of any report (in View mode), you'll see a three-dot menu icon (...). Clicking this reveals the Refresh data option.
When you click this, Looker Studio is forced to ignore its cache and go directly to the source platform for the most current data it can retrieve. This is useful for getting an immediate update, but it's important to understand what it does and doesn't do:
It does not change the automatic refresh schedule you configured in the steps above.
It is a one-time pull. The next person who views the report after you (but before the scheduled refresh) might still see the older cached data unless they also manually refresh.
Anyone with view access to the report can use this function. If you have a widely shared report, frequent manual refreshes by many users could impact API limits, especially for Google Analytics.
Troubleshooting: Why Isn't My Data Updating?
Sometimes you’ve set a 1-hour refresh rate, but your data is clearly stale well after that period. This usually points to an issue with the underlying data connection itself. Here are a few common culprits:
Expired Credentials: This is the most common reason. If you changed your Google password or revoked access unintentionally, Looker Studio can no longer fetch data. To fix it, you'll need to go to Manage added data sources, edit the source, and re-authenticate your credentials.
API Limits Reached: Data-heavy reports with very frequent refresh intervals can sometimes exceed the daily data-pull limits for platforms like GA4. This is especially true in large organizations where multiple tools are hitting the same API. You may need to reduce your refresh frequency to stay under the limit.
Changes in the Data's Structure: If your report is connected to a Google Sheet and someone changed a column header or deleted a column that your charts rely on, the connection will break. Looker Studio won't be able to update its data until the report is pointed to the correct new column name.
Errors from a Partner Connector: Third-party connectors can occasionally experience downtime or bugs. If your refresh is failing, check the provider's status page or documentation to see if there is a known issue.
Final Thoughts
Mastering Looker Studio's data freshness is about balancing the need for current information with report performance. By understanding its caching system and configuring each data source to the right update frequency, you can build reliable dashboards that give your team the intelligence it needs, when it needs it.
For those tired of wrestling with caching delays and API limits, there is a more direct way. We built Graphed to create a truly real-time reporting experience. By connecting directly to your marketing and sales platforms, we eliminate scheduling and manual refreshes entirely, ensuring your dashboards and reports are always current, and you get instant answers using simple, natural language.