How to Share a Looker Dashboard

Sharing your Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) dashboard is the final, crucial step after you’ve connected your data and arranged your charts. Getting your insights in front of the right people is how you turn data into decisions. This guide will walk you through all the different ways you can share your reports, from sending a direct link to embedding a C-suite dashboard on your company wiki.

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First, A Quick Word on Permissions

Before you hit the "Share" button, it's vital to understand what levels of access you're giving away. Granting the wrong permissions can lead to accidentally deleted charts or, worse, sensitive data being exposed. Looker Studio gives you a few clear options to control who can do what with your report.

You can find these settings by clicking the big blue Share button in the top right corner.

Key Roles Explained

• Viewer: This is the most common role. Viewers can see the dashboard and interact with filters and controls you've set up, but they can't make any changes to the report's structure, data sources, or charts. This is perfect for clients, stakeholders, or team members who just need to consume the information.
• Editor: An editor has nearly full control. They can do everything a viewer can, plus add or remove charts, change styles, connect new data sources, and modify the report in any way. Only give this level of access to trusted colleagues who need to collaborate on building the dashboard.
• Owner: The person who creates the report is the owner by default. They have full control, including the ability to delete the report and transfer ownership to someone else.

Link Sharing Options

In addition to assigning roles to specific people, you can set broad access levels for anyone who has the report's URL. The options are:

• Restricted: This is the default and most secure setting. Only people you have explicitly added by email can open the link.
• [Your Organization] (Optional): If you use Google Workspace, you’ll see an option to make the dashboard accessible to anyone within your company domain. This is great for internal dashboards.
• Anyone with the link: This setting makes your report "unlisted." A user needs the direct URL to see it, but they don't have to be logged into a specific Google account. Be cautious with this setting, as the link could be forwarded.

A good rule of thumb is to always start with the most restrictive permissions and only open them up as needed.

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Method 1: Inviting Specific People with Email

If you need to share a dashboard with a small, defined group - like your marketing team, your boss, or a specific client - inviting them by email is the most direct and secure approach.

How to Do It:

1. Click the Share button.
2. In the "Add people and groups" box, type the email addresses of the people you want to invite. You can add individuals or entire Google Groups.
3. To the right of the input box, select the role you want to grant them: Viewer or Editor.
4. (Optional but recommended) Check the box that says "Notify people" and write a short, friendly message letting them know what you’re sharing and why it’s important. For example: "Here is the Q3 sales performance dashboard we discussed. Let me know if you have any questions!"*
5. Click Send. Your recipients will receive an email with your message and a direct link to the report.

This method ensures that only the specific accounts you listed can access the dashboard, providing the tightest control over your data.

Method 2: Sending a Scheduled Email Report

For weekly updates or monthly client reports, manually sending a link can feel repetitive. Looker Studio's scheduling feature automates this process by sending a PDF of the report to a list of stakeholders at a set time.

How to Do It:

1. Click the small down arrow next to the Share button and select Schedule email delivery.
2. In the "To" field, enter the email addresses of your recipients.
3. Customize the Subject and Message. Use the subject line to be clear and concise, like "Weekly Marketing KPI Report - [Date]".
4. Choose a Start time and set the Repeat frequency. You can choose daily, weekly, or monthly schedules, and specify the exact day and time the email should go out.
5. Click Schedule.

This is an excellent way to keep stakeholders in the loop without them ever having to even click a link or open the dashboard, making it part of their regular reporting routine.

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Method 3: Getting a Shareable Link

Sometimes you just need a link to paste into a Slack channel, an Asana task, or an email. This method allows you to quickly generate a URL without sending a formal email invitation from Looker Studio itself.

How to Do It:

1. First, make sure your link sharing permissions are set correctly. Click Share, then under Link Settings, change from "Restricted" to "Anyone with the link can view."
2. Click the down arrow next to the Share button and select Get report link.
3. A box will pop up with the URL. You can copy the link and paste it wherever you need it. There’s also an option for a "Short URL" for a cleaner look.
4. Click Copy link.

This is the fastest way to get a URL, but remember, its accessibility depends entirely on the sharing permissions you configured in the previous step.

Method 4: Embedding a Dashboard on a Website or Intranet

Embedding a live, interactive dashboard directly into a web page, intranet, Notion doc, or client portal is a pro move. It puts your data right where people are already working.

How to Do It:

1. First, ensure your link settings are set to "Anyone with the link can view." An embedded report won't work if it's Restricted.
2. Click the down arrow next to Share and select Embed report.
3. A window will appear. Check the "Enable embedding" box.
4. You'll get two options:
5. Copy your preferred code or URL and place it on your desired platform.

The best part about embedding is that the dashboard remains fully interactive. Users can use filters and controls, and the data automatically refreshes just like it does in Looker Studio.

Method 5: Downloading as a PDF

When you need a static, snapshot-in-time version of your report for a presentation, an appendix, or an archive, downloading it as a PDF is the way to go.

How to Do It:

1. Click the down arrow next to Share and select Download report.
2. A configuration screen will appear with a few helpful options:
3. Click Download. Your PDF will be generated and saved to your computer.

This method is ideal for formal record-keeping or for sharing with people who might not be comfortable interacting with a live dashboard.

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Sharing Best Practices to Keep in Mind

Just knowing the options is half the battle. Following a few best practices will make the experience smooth for both you and your stakeholders.

• Always Double-Check Permissions: Before sending out a link, check your sharing settings one last time. It’s too easy to accidentally set a sensitive sales report to "Public on the web." Test links in an incognito browser window to see what an outside viewer would see.
• Provide Context in your Message: A link with no explanation can be ignored. When you share, briefly explain what the report shows and what you want the recipient to notice. A single sentence like, "Here’s the monthly paid ad spend dashboard, check out tab two for campaign-level ROI" makes a huge difference.
• Clean and Nudge Your Dashboard: A report that is well-organized with clear titles, subheadings, and useful filters is ten times more likely to get a warm reception than a cluttered, confusing mess of charts. Name each page thoughtfully.
• Mind the Underlying Data Access: Sharing a dashboard with Viewer access does not give that person access to your underlying Google Sheet, Google Analytics account, or database. However, giving someone Editor access does allow them to see and potentially modify the data source itself so they can connect or disconnect different data sources. Always be cautious when giving out Editor Roles.

Final Thoughts

Sharing reports in Looker Studio is straightforward once you know your options. Whether you’re sending a one-time link to a colleague, scheduling a weekly PDF update for your manager, or embedding a live dashboard for your entire company to see, the right tools are built directly into the platform.

Ultimately, getting data in front of people quickly is the goal of any reporting system. At Graphed, we’ve focused on this by simplifying the entire process. You can connect your marketing and sales platforms in a few clicks, then use plain English to build and share dashboards. Instead of clicking through menus to configure a scheduled report, you can just ask, "Email me a summary of channel performance every Monday at 8 AM." We handle all the technical busywork in the background so you can get straight to the insights.