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How to Change Currency in Looker Studio

Cody Schneider••6 min read

Working with sales data from multiple countries in Looker Studio means your currency symbols need to be accurate. Mismatched symbols can cause confusion and undermine the credibility of your report. This guide will walk you through several methods for changing currency formats in Looker Studio, from simple tweaks for single-currency reports to more advanced techniques for handling data from around the world.

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The Easiest Fix: Changing the Default Field Type

If all your financial data is in a single currency, this is the quickest way to apply the correct formatting across your entire report. You're simply telling Looker Studio to treat a specific numeric field as money.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Navigate to your report and click on Resource in the top menu, then select Manage added data sources.
  2. Find the data source you want to edit and click the EDIT button.
  3. This will open a layout of all the fields in your data source. Find the metric you need to format, like Sales, Revenue, or Ad Spend.
  4. Click the dropdown arrow under the Type column for that field. It's likely set to Number (Number) by default.
  5. Hover over the Currency option in the dropdown and a list of world currencies will appear.
  6. Select the appropriate currency, such as US Dollar (USD), Euro (EUR), or British Pound (GBP).

Once you’ve done this, click DONE and close the data source editor. Any chart in your report using that metric will now automatically display the correct currency symbol. This global change is efficient but only works when you're dealing with just one currency.

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Handling Mixed Currencies with a CASE Statement

What if your data includes transactions from multiple countries? For instance, your Google Sheet or database might contain a 'Country' column and a 'Sales' column, with numbers representing different local currencies (e.g., dollars, euros, and yen all in the same field).

In this scenario, a standard report-wide format won't work. You need to create a new field that displays the correct symbol on a row-by-row basis. A CASE statement is the perfect tool for the job.

This method creates a new dimension that combines the currency symbol and the value. Before we start, there is a very important trade-off to understand: when you add a symbol to a number, Looker Studio converts it into a text (string) field. This means you can no longer use it for mathematical calculations like sums or averages inside a chart. This method is ideal for tables that list individual transactions but won't work for scorecards or graphs that need to aggregate data.

Here’s how to create a conditional currency field:

Step 1: Create a Calculated Field

In the data source editor (Resource > Manage added data sources), click ADD A FIELD.

Step 2: Write the CASE Statement

Name your new field something descriptive, like "Sales with Currency Symbol." In the formula box, you'll write a CASE statement that looks at your 'Country' or 'Currency Code' column and adds the correct prefix to your 'Sales' number.

Let's say you have a column named Country with values like "USA" and "UK". The formula would be:

CASE
  WHEN Country = "USA" THEN CONCAT("$", Revenue)
  WHEN Country = "UK" THEN CONCAT("£", Revenue)
  WHEN Country = "Japan" THEN CONCAT("¥", Revenue)
  ELSE CONCAT("$", Revenue) -- A default for any other countries
END

Here's what this formula does:

  • CASE: This kicks off a series of conditions.
  • WHEN Country = "USA": If the value in the Country field for a given row is "USA"…
  • THEN CONCAT("$", Revenue): ...then combine (concatenate) the "$" symbol with the number from the Revenue field.
  • ELSE: If none of the 'WHEN' conditions are met, this provides a fallback option.

After saving this field, you can add it to a table chart. It will correctly display "$500," "£75," and "¥10,000" in their proper rows. However, you will now notice this field is a blue "dimension" field, not a green "metric" field, confirming it's treated as text.

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For Full Control: Using Parameters to Switch Currencies

Here’s a powerful technique for reports you share with colleagues or clients who may want to see the data in their local currency. You can use a parameter to create a dropdown menu that lets users dynamically change the currency for the entire report. This technique requires you to input exchange rates manually.

Step 1: Create a Parameter

A parameter is a user-controlled input. Let's create one that allows a user to choose a currency.

  1. In your data source editor, instead of clicking "ADD A FIELD", click ADD A PARAMETER at the bottom.
  2. Name your parameter Currency Selector.
  3. For Data Type, select Text.
  4. For Allowed values, choose List of values.
  5. Click ADD A VALUE for each currency you want to support. For example, add "USD", "EUR", and "GBP". Set a default value, such as "USD".
  6. Click Save.

Step 2: Create a Calculated Field to Convert Values

Now, we'll create a new metric that converts your original revenue field based on the user's selection from the parameter. You must provide your own exchange rates in here. This is a basic example.

  1. Click ADD A FIELD.
  2. Name it something like Converted Revenue.
  3. Enter a CASE statement that references your new parameter. Assuming your base revenue is in USD (RevenueUSD):
CASE
  WHEN Currency Selector = "USD" THEN RevenueUSD * 1
  WHEN Currency Selector = "EUR" THEN RevenueUSD * 0.93
  WHEN Currency Selector = "GBP" THEN RevenueUSD * 0.79
  ELSE RevenueUSD -- Default to the base currency
END

Click SAVE. Crucially, adjust the Type of this new Converted Revenue field to be the currency of your default value (e.g., Currency > US Dollar). This keeps it as a number and lets you apply default formatting.

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Step 3: Enable User Control in Your Report

  1. Go back to your report canvas. Delete any existing scorecard or chart that showed the old revenue.
  2. Add a new Scorecard and select your new Converted Revenue field as the metric. It will show the default currency translation.
  3. Now, add the controller. From the top menu, choose Add a control and select Drop-down list.
  4. Place the drop-down list on your report. In the Setup panel that appears on the right, for the Control field, select the Currency Selector parameter you created earlier.

That's it! Now, a user can view your report, select "EUR" from the dropdown, and every chart using the Converted Revenue metric will instantly update to show the euro-equivalent value.

Final Thoughts

Properly formatting currencies in Looker Studio is all about choosing the right method for your data. You can apply a simple default type for single-currency reports, use a CASE statement to display mixed currencies in tables, or deploy parameters to give your audience full control over how they view financial metrics. Each approach helps make your reports clearer and more professional.

Building dashboards often involves getting stuck sorting out details like currency symbols, writing formulas, and managing data types across different platforms. At Graphed, we simplify this entire process. Instead of needing to code a CASE statement or set up parameters, we let you use plain English. You can simply ask, "Show me my sales from Germany in Euros versus my sales from the US," and our AI data analyst builds the correct chart for you, pulling directly from your live data sources with all the right formatting in place.

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