Sales Dashboard with Looker Studio

Turn raw sales data in Google Sheets into a live, interactive BI dashboard.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

Every business collects sales data, but most of it lives in sprawling spreadsheets that no one wants to scroll through. Decision-makers need answers at a glance, not buried in rows and columns.

In this project, you will build a Sales Performance Dashboard using Google Sheets and Google Looker Studio. You'll structure raw sales data, connect it to a business intelligence tool, and create an interactive dashboard that anyone can filter and explore.

What You'll Build

You'll hand someone a link, they'll open your dashboard, pick a date range and region from a dropdown, and instantly see which product categories are driving revenue that month.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

A live KPI scorecard row showing Total Revenue, Total Units Sold, and Average Order Value that updates automatically whenever you add new sales data to your spreadsheet.
Interactive charts and filter controls that let any viewer compare revenue across product categories, track monthly sales trends, and slice the data by date or region in real time.
A shareable dashboard link so anyone with the URL can view your finished dashboard without needing to edit or even open your spreadsheet.
Secret Mission: Add a calculated Profit Margin field and a region comparison chart to deliver deeper business intelligence.

Are there any prerequisites?

You only need a Google account and a web browser. Both Google Sheets and Google Looker Studio are completely free and run entirely in your browser.

Before We Start

Before we dive in, let's lock in what you're about to build and why it matters.

In this project, you'll build a Sales Performance Dashboard from scratch using Google Sheets and Google Looker Studio. You'll structure business data, analyze it, and present it visually for decision-making. This is the core loop of any Management Information System: data in, intelligence out.

Create Your Sales Dataset in Google Sheets

Every Management Information System starts with structured data. Without a clean, properly formatted dataset, no dashboard tool can produce useful insights.

In this step, you'll create a sales dataset in Google Sheets with 30 transaction records. This spreadsheet becomes the foundation your dashboard reads from in later steps.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a new Google Sheet with 7 properly labelled columns.
Enter 30 rows of sales transactions spanning January to June 2024.
Format columns with the correct data types so your dashboard reads them properly.

Create a new Google Sheet and set up the data structure

Your dataset needs a home. You'll create a new spreadsheet and define the column headers that describe each sales transaction.

Open your web browser and go to sheets.google.com.
Sign in with your Google account if prompted.
Click the Blank option (the large + icon) to create a new spreadsheet.
Click the title in the top-left corner (it says "Untitled spreadsheet") and rename it to Sales Data 2024.

Now add your column headers in Row 1.

Click cell A1 and type Date.
In B1, type Product.
In C1, type Category.
In D1, type Region.
In E1, type Units Sold.
In F1, type Unit Price.
In G1, type Revenue.

Format the header row bold so it stands out from the data below.

Select the entire Row 1 by clicking the row number 1 on the left edge.
Press Cmd+B (macOS) or Ctrl+B (Windows) to make it bold.

You should see seven bold headers across Row 1 from columns A through G.

Why these 7 columns?

Each column represents one dimension of a sales transaction. Date, Product, Category, and Region let you slice the data from different angles.

Units Sold and Unit Price are the raw numbers. Revenue is the calculated result of multiplying them together. This structure gives a dashboard tool everything it needs to build charts and filters.

Now enter the first 10 rows of sales data. Use the reference below, entering each value into its matching column starting at Row 2.

Starting in cell A2, enter the following data across columns A through F for rows 2 to 11:

Date        | Product        | Category    | Region | Units Sold | Unit Price
2024-01-05  | Wireless Mouse | Accessories | North  | 25         | 25
2024-01-12  | USB Keyboard   | Peripherals | South  | 15         | 45
2024-01-18  | Monitor Stand  | Furniture   | East   | 8          | 89
2024-01-25  | Webcam HD      | Peripherals | West   | 20         | 120
2024-02-02  | Desk Lamp      | Furniture   | North  | 12         | 35
2024-02-08  | Wireless Mouse | Accessories | South  | 30         | 25
2024-02-14  | USB Keyboard   | Peripherals | East   | 18         | 45
2024-02-20  | Monitor Stand  | Furniture   | West   | 10         | 89
2024-02-27  | Webcam HD      | Peripherals | North  | 22         | 120
2024-03-05  | Desk Lamp      | Furniture   | South  | 14         | 35

Entering dates correctly

Type each date exactly as shown (e.g. 2024-01-05). Google Sheets will recognise the year-month-day format and store it as a real date value.

Now add the Revenue formula. Revenue is calculated by multiplying Units Sold by Unit Price for each row.

Click cell G2 and type the formula =E2*F2.
Press Enter to confirm.

Cell G2 should now show 625 (25 units multiplied by $25 each). That confirms the formula works.

Seeing 0 or an error in G2?

Make sure your Units Sold value is in column E and Unit Price is in column F for Row 2. If you accidentally swapped columns, the formula will reference the wrong cells.

Also check that you typed =E2*F2 with an equals sign at the start. Without the =, Sheets treats it as plain text.

Need more help? Why is my Revenue formula returning the wrong value?

Now copy the formula down to cover all 10 rows.

Click cell G2 again.
Hover over the small blue square in the bottom-right corner of the cell (the fill handle).
Drag it down to cell G11.

Each row in column G now shows a calculated revenue value. Row 3 should show 675 (15 x 45) and Row 4 should show 712 (8 x 89).

Continue entering the remaining 20 rows. Enter rows 12 through 21 using this reference:

Date        | Product        | Category    | Region | Units Sold | Unit Price
2024-03-10  | Wireless Mouse | Accessories | East   | 35         | 25
2024-03-16  | USB Keyboard   | Peripherals | West   | 20         | 45
2024-03-22  | Monitor Stand  | Furniture   | North  | 7          | 89
2024-03-28  | Webcam HD      | Peripherals | South  | 28         | 120
2024-04-03  | Desk Lamp      | Furniture   | East   | 16         | 35
2024-04-09  | Wireless Mouse | Accessories | West   | 40         | 25
2024-04-15  | USB Keyboard   | Peripherals | North  | 22         | 45
2024-04-21  | Monitor Stand  | Furniture   | South  | 9          | 89
2024-04-28  | Webcam HD      | Peripherals | East   | 32         | 120
2024-05-04  | Desk Lamp      | Furniture   | West   | 11         | 35

Now enter the final 10 rows (rows 22 through 31):

Date        | Product        | Category    | Region | Units Sold | Unit Price
2024-05-10  | Wireless Mouse | Accessories | North  | 45         | 25
2024-05-17  | USB Keyboard   | Peripherals | South  | 25         | 45
2024-05-23  | Monitor Stand  | Furniture   | East   | 12         | 89
2024-05-30  | Webcam HD      | Peripherals | West   | 18         | 120
2024-06-05  | Desk Lamp      | Furniture   | North  | 20         | 35
2024-06-11  | Wireless Mouse | Accessories | South  | 50         | 25
2024-06-18  | USB Keyboard   | Peripherals | East   | 28         | 45
2024-06-24  | Monitor Stand  | Furniture   | West   | 6          | 89
2024-06-28  | Webcam HD      | Peripherals | North  | 35         | 120
2024-06-30  | Desk Lamp      | Furniture   | South  | 15         | 35

After entering all the data in columns A through F, drag the Revenue formula in column G down from G11 to G31 to fill the remaining rows.

Scroll through your sheet to confirm you have data in rows 2 through 31. The last row (Row 31) should show a date of 2024-06-30 and a Revenue value of 525 (15 x 35).

Revenue values look wrong after dragging?

Make sure you dragged from the cell that already contains the formula, not from an empty cell. Each row's formula should reference its own row (G12 should be =E12*F12, G13 should be =E13*F13, and so on).

Click any Revenue cell and check the formula bar at the top to verify. Help me fix my Revenue formula drag-down in Google Sheets.

Format columns with correct data types

Your data is entered, but Sheets might be treating some values as plain text. Applying explicit data types ensures your dashboard tool reads each column correctly.

Click the column letter A at the top to select the entire Date column.
Click Format in the menu bar.
Click Number.
Select Date.

Your dates in column A should now display in a consistent date format. If any cell shows a number instead of a date, it means that cell's text was not recognized as a date when you typed it.

Click the column letter E to select the Units Sold column.
Go to Format then Number then select Number.
Click the column letter F to select the Unit Price column.
Go to Format then Number then select Currency.
Click the column letter G to select the Revenue column.
Go to Format then Number then select Currency.

Columns F and G now display with a currency symbol (e.g. $25.00, $625.00). Column E shows plain numbers like 25, 15, 8.

Why format matters for dashboards

When you connect this sheet to a dashboard tool, it reads each column's format to decide how to handle the data. A Date-formatted column enables time-series charts. A Currency-formatted column tells the tool to display values with dollar signs and decimal places.

Without explicit formatting, the dashboard might treat a date as plain text and refuse to build a timeline from it.

Verify your data is dashboard-ready

Before connecting this sheet to a dashboard tool, you need to confirm there are no structural issues that would break the connection.

Scroll through your entire dataset from Row 1 to Row 31.
Confirm there are no blank rows in the middle of the data.
Confirm there are no merged cells anywhere.
Click a date cell in column A (e.g. A2) and check that the formula bar shows a date value, not plain text.
Click cell G31 (the last Revenue cell) and confirm the formula bar shows =E31*F31.

What do you expect to see when you look at your completed sheet?

You should see a bold header row in Row 1 with 7 columns, followed by 30 rows of properly formatted sales data. Column A shows dates spanning January through June 2024. Column G shows currency values calculated from the formula.

Dates showing as numbers or plain text?

If a date cell shows something like 45297 instead of a date, select the cell and re-apply the Date format via Format then Number then Date.

If a cell still shows the text you typed (like 2024-01-05 but left-aligned and not formatted), delete the cell contents, re-apply the Date format, and type the date again. Sheets needs to recognize the value as a date when it is entered.

Still stuck? Help me fix dates that show as plain text in Google Sheets.

Your dataset is ready. Next up, you'll use these numbers to try answering real business questions, and discover why a spreadsheet alone falls short.

Analyze the Data in Sheets and Hit the Wall

Your sales data is structured and ready to answer business questions.

Before reaching for a dedicated dashboard tool, let's see how far Google Sheets alone can take us. You'll add summary formulas to calculate key metrics, build a chart, and then try to answer a real cross-dimensional question. The result will reveal exactly where Sheets hits its ceiling.

In this step, get ready to:

Add summary formulas to calculate total revenue, total units, and average order value.
Create a basic bar chart to visualize revenue by category.
Discover why static Sheets analysis falls short for interactive business questions.

Add summary formulas

A dashboard needs KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to show big-picture numbers at a glance. Before building a visual dashboard, you can calculate those numbers directly in your spreadsheet.

Click on cell I1 in your Sales Data 2024 sheet (to the right of your data, in a blank area).
Type Total Revenue and press Enter.
In cell I2, type the following formula and press Enter:

=SUM(G2:G31)

You should see a dollar amount appear immediately. This is your total revenue across all 30 transactions.
Click on cell J1 and type Total Units.
In cell J2, type this formula and press Enter:

=SUM(E2:E31)

Click on cell K1 and type Avg Order Value.
In cell K2, type this formula and press Enter:

=AVERAGE(G2:G31)

You now have three key metrics calculated. Next, add a conditional sum to break revenue down by category.

Click on cell I4 and type Accessories Revenue.
In cell I5, type this formula and press Enter:

=SUMIF(C2:C31,"Accessories",G2:G31)

What do these formulas do?

Each formula pulls a different insight from your raw data.

SUM(G2:G31) adds up every revenue value to give you the total money earned.
SUM(E2:E31) adds up every units-sold value to show total volume.
AVERAGE(G2:G31) divides total revenue by the number of orders to show your typical order size.
SUMIF(C2:C31,"Accessories",G2:G31) only sums revenue for rows where the Category column equals "Accessories".

Check your formulas. Cell I2 should show a currency value, J2 should show a whole number, K2 should show a currency value, and I5 should show a smaller currency value than your total revenue.

Seeing a #VALUE! or #REF! error?

Make sure your formula references match your data range exactly. Your data runs from Row 2 to Row 31.
Check that you typed the quotation marks around "Accessories" in the SUMIF formula. Sheets needs them to identify the text criteria.
If a cell shows the formula text instead of a result, make sure there is no space before the = sign.

Still stuck? Help me fix my summary formula errors.

Create a basic chart in Sheets

Numbers are useful, but a chart makes patterns visible at a glance. Let's create a bar chart showing revenue by category.

Select the range C1:C31 (your Category column including the header).
Hold Cmd (macOS) or Ctrl (Windows) and also select G1:G31 (your Revenue column including the header).
Click Insert in the top menu bar, then click Chart.

The Chart editor opens on the right side of the screen.

In the Chart type dropdown (under the Setup tab), select a Bar chart or Column chart.
Close the Chart editor by clicking the X in its top-right corner.

A bar chart now appears embedded in your sheet, showing revenue totals for each product category.

What does this chart show?

Google Sheets automatically aggregated your revenue values by category. You can see at a glance which category (Accessories, Peripherals, or Furniture) generates the most revenue. This took a few clicks, and it looks decent.

But notice something. This chart is static. It shows all your data, all the time. There is no way for a viewer to say "show me just the North region" or "show me just March" without going back to the raw data and manually filtering it.

Chart not showing the right data?

Make sure you selected both the Category column (C) and the Revenue column (G), not adjacent columns.
If the chart shows individual rows instead of grouped categories, click on the chart, select the three-dot menu, click Edit chart, and check that your Chart type is set to a bar or column chart (not a scatter plot).

Need help? Help me fix my Google Sheets chart.

Recognize the limitation

You now have formulas and a chart. Let's put them to the test with a real business question a manager might ask.

Before you try this, predict: can you answer "What was the total revenue in the North region for February only?" using just what you have right now?

Try to answer this question using your current sheet. Look at your summary formulas and your chart.
Notice that your =SUM(G2:G31) formula covers ALL regions and ALL months. There is no way to filter it to just North + February without writing a brand new formula.
Look at your bar chart. It shows all regions combined. There is no dropdown or control for a viewer to select "North only".

To answer that one question, you would need to manually filter your data, or write a complex nested formula like SUMIFS. And if a manager then asks "What about East in Q2?" you would need to do it all over again.

Why is this a problem?

A real Management Information System needs to let decision-makers explore data themselves. They should be able to slice by region, filter by date, or drill into a category without asking someone to rewrite formulas every time.

Google Sheets can crunch numbers, but it cannot give you an interactive, filterable, presentation-ready view of your business. That is the gap a Business Intelligence dashboard tool fills.

You've proven that Sheets can calculate numbers and draw a static chart. But it cannot let someone explore and filter data interactively. Next up, you'll connect your data to a tool built specifically for that purpose.

Connect to Looker Studio and See Your Data Come Alive

You've now seen the wall firsthand. Google Sheets can crunch numbers with formulas, but it can't give you a filterable, presentation-ready view of your business data.

This is where Google Looker Studio comes in. It connects directly to your Google Sheet and lets you build interactive visualizations without editing the underlying data. In this step, you'll prove the connection works by seeing your sales data appear in a brand new report.

In this step, get ready to:

Open Looker Studio and create a new report.
Connect your Google Sheet as a live data source.
Confirm your sales data fields appear in the report.

Open Looker Studio and create a new report

Looker Studio is Google's free business intelligence tool. It lives in the browser, just like Google Sheets, so there's nothing to install.

Open a new browser tab.
Navigate to lookerstudio.google.com and sign in with the same Google account you used for your Sheet.
Click Create in the top-left corner.
Select Report from the dropdown.

The report editor opens with the Add data to report panel visible. This is where you'll connect your sales data.

What is a Looker Studio report?

A report is Looker Studio's word for a dashboard. It's a canvas where you place charts, scorecards, and filters that all draw from one or more connected data sources.

Unlike a Sheets chart, a Looker Studio report lets viewers interact with the data (filtering, drilling down) without ever touching the source spreadsheet.

Don't see the Create button?

Make sure you're at lookerstudio.google.com (not the older datastudio.google.com URL). If you're signed into multiple Google accounts, switch to the one that owns your Sheet.

Help me find the Create button in Looker Studio.

Connect your Google Sheet as the data source

Looker Studio needs a data source before it can display anything. You'll point it at your existing Sales Data 2024 Sheet.

In the Add data to report panel, click the Google Sheets connector.
Find and select your Sales Data 2024 spreadsheet from the list.
Select the correct worksheet (it should be the first and only sheet).
Make sure Use first row as headers is checked. This tells Looker Studio that Row 1 contains your column names, not data.
Click Add in the bottom-right.
When prompted with a confirmation dialog, click Add to report.

Why does this connection matter?

When you connect a Google Sheet as a data source, Looker Studio automatically checks for new and changed data every time someone views the report. Add a row to your Sheet tomorrow, and the dashboard updates on its own.

Can't find your spreadsheet?

Make sure you're signed into the same Google account that owns the Sheet. You can also try typing Sales Data 2024 in the search bar within the Google Sheets connector panel.

Help me connect my Google Sheet to Looker Studio.

See your data rendered in the report

Before you look at the canvas, what do you think Looker Studio will show you? It now has access to your 30 rows of sales data. Predict what you'll see on the report canvas.

A default table automatically appears on the canvas showing your fields. You should see columns from your spreadsheet listed in the data panel on the right side: Date, Product, Category, Region, Units Sold, Unit Price, and Revenue.

What should I see?

The report canvas shows a table populated with your sales data. The right-hand panel lists all seven of your fields as available dimensions and metrics. This confirms the connection is working and Looker Studio can read your Sheet.

Now you'll clear the canvas so you have a blank slate for your custom dashboard design.

Click on the default table that appeared on the canvas to select it.
Press the Delete key on your keyboard (or Backspace on some keyboards).
Confirm your canvas is now empty with no charts or tables on it.

Check the data panel on the right side. You should still see your seven fields listed (Date, Product, Category, Region, Units Sold, Unit Price, Revenue) even though the canvas is empty. The data source is connected and ready.

Table won't delete?

Make sure you're in Edit mode (not View mode). You should see the toolbar at the top with chart options. Click directly on the table's border to select it. A blue outline should appear before you press Delete.

Help me delete the default table in Looker Studio.

Your data source is live and your canvas is ready. Next up, you'll place KPI scorecards and charts on this canvas to turn those raw numbers into instant visual insights.

Build Your Dashboard Visualizations

Your Looker Studio report is connected to live data and ready for its visual layer. Now it's time to turn those raw fields into components that communicate business performance at a glance.

Scorecards display the big-picture numbers a business owner checks first. Charts reveal patterns that would take minutes of manual analysis in a spreadsheet. In this step, you'll add both to build a complete dashboard view of your sales data.

In this step, get ready to:

Add three KPI scorecards showing Total Revenue, Total Units Sold, and Average Order Value.
Create a bar chart comparing revenue across product categories.
Build a time-series line chart showing the monthly revenue trend.

Add your first KPI scorecard

A KPI scorecard displays a single important number. Your first one shows Total Revenue.

In the toolbar at the top of the report editor, click Add a chart.
Select Scorecard from the chart type list.
Click on the top-left area of your canvas to place the scorecard.
In the Setup tab of the properties panel on the right, look at the Metric field.
Click the metric field and select Revenue from your data fields.
Confirm the aggregation is set to SUM. This is the default, so it should already be selected.

A large number appears on your canvas showing the sum of all revenue values from your 30 sales transactions.

What is a scorecard?

A scorecard displays a single aggregated metric as a prominent number. It answers one question instantly: "What's the total?" or "What's the average?" Executives use scorecards to check the health of their business in seconds.

Add the remaining two scorecards

Your Total Revenue scorecard is on the canvas. Now add two more to complete the KPI row.

Click Add a chart in the toolbar and select Scorecard again.
Place it to the right of your first scorecard.
In the Setup tab, set the Metric to Units Sold with aggregation SUM.
Click Add a chart and select Scorecard one more time.
Place it to the right of the second scorecard.
In the Setup tab, set the Metric to Revenue but change the aggregation to AVG. Click the aggregation icon next to the metric name to change it from SUM to Average.

You now have three scorecards in a row across the top of your canvas. The third one shows Average Order Value, which is the average revenue per transaction.

Why use AVG on the Revenue field?

Average Order Value is calculated by averaging all individual transaction revenues. You don't need a separate column for this. Looker Studio can apply a different aggregation (AVG instead of SUM) to the same field, giving you a new insight without touching your source data.

Scorecard showing the wrong number?

Make sure you selected the correct metric field. Revenue appears as a blue field (metric) in the properties panel. If the aggregation icon shows SUM but you wanted Average, click the icon to the left of the metric name and select Average from the dropdown.

If your scorecard shows 0 or no data, confirm your report is still connected to the correct Google Sheet by checking the data source in the Data panel on the right.

help me fix my Looker Studio scorecard

Add a bar chart for category comparison

Scorecards tell you the totals. A bar chart answers the next question: which product categories drive the most revenue?

Click Add a chart in the toolbar.
Select Bar chart from the chart type list.
Click below your scorecards on the left side of the canvas to place the chart.
In the Setup tab of the properties panel, set the Dimension to Category.
Set the Metric to Revenue with aggregation SUM.

The bar chart renders immediately, showing bars for Accessories, Peripherals, and Furniture. You can instantly see which category generates the most revenue.

What are dimensions and metrics?

A dimension is a category that groups your data (like Region, Product, or Category). A metric is a number that measures something (like Revenue or Units Sold). When you pair a dimension with a metric, the chart breaks the metric down by each value in the dimension.

In this bar chart, the dimension Category creates one bar per product category. The metric Revenue (SUM) determines each bar's height.

Bar chart not showing your categories?

Check that the Dimension field is set to Category (a green field in the properties panel). If you accidentally placed a metric in the dimension slot, the chart will look wrong. Remove it and select the correct field.

help me configure my bar chart in Looker Studio

Add a time-series chart for trend analysis

The bar chart shows category breakdown. A time-series chart answers a different question: is revenue going up or down over time?

Click Add a chart in the toolbar.
Select Time series chart from the chart type list.
Click below your scorecards on the right side of the canvas, next to the bar chart.
In the Setup tab, set the Dimension to Date.
Set the Metric to Revenue with aggregation SUM.

Looker Studio automatically groups your dates by month and draws a line chart showing how revenue changes from January through June 2024. You can now spot seasonal patterns at a glance.

Why does Looker Studio group by month?

When you use a Date field as a dimension, Looker Studio automatically detects the date granularity that makes sense for your data range. Since your data spans six months, it groups data points into months. This gives you a clean trend line instead of individual scattered data points.

Line chart showing daily dots instead of a monthly trend?

If the chart is too granular, click the Date dimension in the Setup tab and look for the date granularity option. Change it to Year Month to group data by month.

help me fix the date grouping on my Looker Studio time-series chart

Verify your dashboard layout

Before you move on, take a moment to predict what you expect to see on your canvas. You should have five visual elements total. Can you name them all?

Look at your report canvas now. You should see three scorecard numbers arranged in a row across the top (Total Revenue, Total Units Sold, Average Order Value) and two charts below them: a bar chart of Revenue by Category on the left, and a time-series line chart showing Revenue over Date on the right.

What should each scorecard display?

Your Total Revenue scorecard shows the sum of all 30 transactions. Your Total Units Sold scorecard shows total items sold across all orders. Your Average Order Value shows the average revenue per transaction. All three numbers pull live from your Google Sheet.

Your dashboard now communicates three key numbers and two visual insights without anyone touching the source spreadsheet. Next up, you'll add interactive controls so viewers can filter this data in real time.

Make It Interactive with Filters and Date Controls

Your dashboard already reveals patterns through scorecards and charts. But right now, a viewer would see the same static snapshot every time they open it.

The real power of a business intelligence tool shows up when viewers can filter and explore data themselves without editing anything. In this step, you'll transform your dashboard from a static picture into an interactive exploration tool.

In this step, get ready to:

Add a date range control that filters all visuals at once.
Add a Region filter dropdown so viewers can slice data by geography.
Title and share the dashboard via a public link.

Add a date range control

A date range control lets any viewer pick a time window, and every chart on the page redraws instantly to match. One control, all visuals updated.

In your Looker Studio report, make sure you're in Edit mode (check the top-right corner).
Click Add a control in the toolbar.
Select Date range control.
Click at the very top of your canvas, above the scorecards, to place it.
In the properties panel on the right, confirm the default date range is set to Auto (the full range of your data).

Before you test this, what do you think will happen to the Total Revenue scorecard when you narrow the date range from six months down to just two months?

Click View in the top-right corner to preview your dashboard as a viewer would see it.
Click the date range control and set it to February 2024 through March 2024.

All three scorecards and both charts update simultaneously to show only that two-month window. The Total Revenue drops because you're seeing fewer transactions.

Why does everything update at once?

Looker Studio controls are report-level by default. A single date range control applies to every component on the page that uses a date field. You don't need to wire each chart individually.

Charts not responding to the date range?

Make sure your Date column in Google Sheets is formatted as an actual Date type (not plain text). If Looker Studio sees it as text, the date range control cannot filter on it.

Also confirm you placed the control on the same page as your charts. If you accidentally created a second page, the control won't reach charts on a different page.

Still stuck? Why isn't my date range control filtering the charts in Looker Studio?

Add a filter control for Region

Date range answers "when" questions. A Region filter answers "where" questions. Together they let a viewer ask multi-dimensional questions like "How did the North region perform in Q1?" without writing a single formula.

Click Edit in the top-right to switch back to Edit mode.
Click Add a control in the toolbar.
Select Drop-down list.
Place it next to the date range control at the top of the canvas.
In the properties panel on the right, set the Dimension to Region.

Switch to View mode again.
Click the Region dropdown and select North.

Every chart and scorecard updates instantly to show only North region data. The bar chart now shows category revenue for North only, and the time-series reflects the North region's monthly trend.

Clear the filter to see all data again by clicking the X or deselecting North in the dropdown.

What just happened?

This is the moment that separates a dashboard from a spreadsheet. In Step 2, answering "Which region had the highest revenue in Q1?" required building custom formulas for every combination. Now a viewer answers that question with two clicks.

Region dropdown showing no options?

Check that the Dimension in the properties panel is set to Region (not a metric like Revenue). The dropdown needs a text-based dimension to populate its list.

Need more help? Why is my Looker Studio dropdown filter empty?

Add a title and share your dashboard

Your dashboard is functionally complete. The last two actions are cosmetic and practical: give it a clear title, then generate a shareable link so anyone can view it.

Switch back to Edit mode.
Click the Text tool in the toolbar (the "T" icon).
Click on the canvas above the controls and type Sales Performance Dashboard.
Select the text and increase the font size to make it prominent (try 24px or larger).

Click Share in the top-right corner.
In the sharing dialog, set access to Anyone with the link can view.
Click Copy link.

Your interactive MIS dashboard is now live and shareable. Anyone with the URL can view and filter it without needing edit access to your Google Sheet.

Why is sharing a big deal?

In Step 2, the only way to let someone explore your data was to give them edit access to the spreadsheet itself. Now viewers interact with a read-only dashboard layer. Your source data stays protected.

Don't see the sharing option?

Make sure you're the owner of the report. If the Share button is greyed out, you may be in View mode. Switch to Edit mode first.

Need help? How do I share my Looker Studio report with a public link?

Open the copied link in a new browser tab. You should see your complete dashboard with the title, date range control, Region filter, scorecards, and both charts. Try changing the date range or selecting a Region to confirm interactivity works for viewers too.

Secret mission

Add Profit Margin and a Region Comparison

Your dashboard shows revenue, but revenue alone doesn't tell you which products are actually profitable. In this secret mission, you'll create a calculated field for Profit Margin and build a region comparison view that helps leaders decide where to allocate resources.

Clean Up Your Resources

Decide whether to keep your resources running, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely. This project runs entirely on free Google tools, so there are no ongoing costs regardless of what you choose.

Resources you used:

A Google Sheet named "Sales Data 2024" with 30 rows of sales data, summary formulas, a Cost column, and a static chart.
A Google Looker Studio report with KPI scorecards, charts, filters, a calculated Profit Margin field, and a public share link.

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you plan to keep exploring your dashboard or adding more data.

Both Google Sheets and Looker Studio are completely free. Your dashboard will continue updating automatically whenever you add new rows to the Sheet.
Your shared link remains active. Anyone with the URL can still view your dashboard at any time.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Shut down the live connection by simply not adding new data. Everything stays intact for when you return.

Stop adding data to your Google Sheet. The dashboard remains viewable but will show the same numbers until you update the Sheet.
Optionally, revoke the public share link by opening your Looker Studio report, clicking Share, and changing access back to Restricted. You can re-share it later.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project resources permanently. Both deletions are reversible from Trash for 30 days.

Delete your Looker Studio report by going to lookerstudio.google.com. Find your report on the home page, click the three-dot menu on the report card, and select Remove.
Delete your Google Sheet by going to drive.google.com. Find "Sales Data 2024", right-click it, and select Move to trash.

Nice Work!

You just built a complete Sales Performance Dashboard from scratch. You went from raw transaction data in a spreadsheet to a live, interactive, shareable business intelligence tool.

You've learned how to:

Built a structured sales dataset in Google Sheets with proper data types, summary formulas, and a working Revenue calculation across 30 transaction records.
Connected your spreadsheet as a live data source to Google Looker Studio and created KPI scorecards, a category comparison bar chart, and a time-series line chart that update automatically.
Added interactive filters and a date range control so any viewer can slice the data on the fly, then shared the dashboard via a public link.
Secret Mission: Created a calculated field for Profit Margin and built a region comparison stacked bar chart to deliver deeper business intelligence.

Ready to quiz yourself?