DV360 → Looker Studio Guide + free template

Connecting DV360 to Looker Studio gives media teams a faster way to turn campaign data into dashboards that stakeholders can actually use.

Instead of repeatedly exporting reports from Display & Video 360, you can connect DV360 directly to a reporting dashboard, visualize performance, apply filters, compare advertisers and combine campaign data with other marketing sources.

Google provides a native Display & Video 360 connector that can connect to a DV360 Partner and one or more advertisers. The resulting report stays connected to the underlying data, so dashboards can update as campaign data changes.

2026 naming note: Google reintroduced the name Data Studio in April 2026 for the product previously known as Looker Studio. Because many marketers still search for “DV360 to Looker Studio,” this guide uses Looker Studio throughout, but the same workflow may now appear as Data Studio in current Google interfaces.

Quick answer: To connect DV360 to Looker Studio, create a new data source, select the native Display & Video 360 connector, choose the relevant DV360 Partner and advertisers, connect the data source, and build your report. The native connector is ideal for straightforward campaign reporting, but advanced reporting may require additional data modeling or BigQuery.

Why connect DV360 to Looker Studio?

DV360 contains a large amount of campaign data, but the platform interface is not always the best place to communicate performance to clients, executives or cross-functional teams.

A reporting dashboard gives you a different layer of usability.

With a DV360 reporting dashboard, you can:

• Track campaign performance in one place

• Create client-facing dashboards

• Compare campaigns, insertion orders and line items

• Add date and advertiser filters

• Visualize pacing and trends

• Combine DV360 reporting with other marketing data

• Share reporting without repeatedly exporting spreadsheets

• Reduce manual reporting work

Google's native DV360 connector is designed specifically for this use case and can keep reports current as the underlying data changes.

The most important advantage is not simply automation.

It is consistency.

When the same dashboard structure is used every week or month, teams spend less time rebuilding reports and more time interpreting what the campaign is actually doing.

DV360 to Looker Studio: how the connection works

The native workflow is relatively simple.

A Looker Studio data source connects to DV360, retrieves the available dimensions and metrics, and makes those fields available inside the report editor.

Google allows the connector to work at Partner and Advertiser level.

A simplified reporting flow looks like this:

DV360 → Native DV360 Connector → Looker Studio Data Source → Dashboard

Once connected, you can build:

• Scorecards

• Tables

• Time-series charts

• Bar charts

• Campaign filters

• Date controls

• Advertiser controls

• Calculated fields

• Blended reporting views

The native connector also supports data-source configuration such as field naming, descriptions, data types and aggregations.

What you need before connecting DV360

Before starting, make sure you have:

1. Access to the relevant DV360 Partner or Advertiser

2. A Google account with permission to use the reporting product

3. Permission to view the DV360 data you want to report

4. A clear idea of which advertiser or advertisers should appear in the dashboard

5. A reporting structure planned before adding charts

The last point matters more than it sounds.

A dashboard built without a measurement plan often becomes a collection of charts rather than a useful reporting tool.

Before connecting the data, define the decisions the dashboard needs to support.

Step 1: Create a new data source

Start by creating a new data source in Looker Studio.

Select the native Display & Video 360 connector.

The exact interface wording may vary as Google continues the transition back to the Data Studio name, but the underlying DV360 connector workflow remains the important part.

Once the connector is selected, you will be asked to choose the DV360 account structure you want to use.

Step 2: Select the DV360 Partner and advertisers

The native connector can connect a data source to DV360 Partner and Advertiser data.

Select the Partner that contains the campaigns you want to report.

Then choose the relevant advertiser or advertisers.

This is particularly useful for agencies because one dashboard structure can potentially support reporting across multiple advertisers while still allowing the report to be filtered appropriately.

However, do not automatically include every advertiser available to your login.

Restrict the data source to the advertisers that actually belong in the reporting environment.

This keeps the dashboard cleaner and reduces the risk of exposing irrelevant data.

Step 3: Connect the DV360 data source

After selecting the relevant Partner and advertisers, connect the data source.

The fields panel will then display the dimensions and metrics available through the connector.

At this stage, review the field structure before building the dashboard.

You may want to:

• Rename technical fields

• Add clearer descriptions

• Confirm currency fields

• Check aggregation settings

• Review date fields

• Create calculated metrics

• Hide fields that report users do not need

A clean data source makes the dashboard significantly easier to maintain later.

Step 4: Build the dashboard around decisions, not available fields

One of the most common reporting mistakes is building a dashboard based on whatever metrics are easiest to add.

Instead, start with the questions the report needs to answer.

A useful DV360 dashboard should make it easy to answer questions such as:

• Are campaigns delivering against plan?

• Which campaigns are consuming the most budget?

• Which line items are driving results?

• Is CPM increasing?

• Is CTR changing?

• Are conversions growing?

• Is CPA within target?

• Which devices or formats perform best?

• Is viewability acceptable?

• Are video completion rates improving?

• Which campaign needs optimization?

If a chart does not support a decision, it may not need to be in the dashboard.

For a deeper explanation of metric selection, read our DV360 Reporting Metrics That Really Matter.

The ideal DV360 Looker Studio dashboard structure

A useful dashboard usually works best when information is layered.

Start with the executive view, then allow users to move into campaign detail.

A strong structure could look like this:

This structure allows executives to remain at the top level while traders can move deeper into campaign diagnostics.

Free DV360 dashboard template structure

You do not need to start from a blank report.

Google's official DV360 connector documentation includes a template report that can be copied and connected to your own DV360 data source.

You can also use the framework below as a practical template for building an Ad Geeks-style DV360 reporting dashboard.

Page 1: Executive Overview

Include:

• Media Spend

• Impressions

• Clicks

• CTR

• CPM

• Conversions

• CPA

• Viewability

• Date trend

Recommended filters:

• Date

• Advertiser

• Campaign

• Market

The goal of this page is to answer:

How is the account performing overall?

Page 2: Delivery & Campaign Performance

Include:

• Spend by campaign

• Impressions by campaign

• CPM

• Campaign delivery trend

• Campaign-level conversions

• Campaign-level CPA

• Insertion order breakdown

• Line item breakdown

Recommended filters:

• Campaign

• Insertion Order

• Line Item

• Date

The goal is to identify campaigns that are:

• Underspending

• Overspending

• Losing efficiency

• Delivering strong results

• Requiring optimization

Page 3: Video & CTV Performance

For campaigns using video or Connected TV, add a dedicated view.

Useful metrics can include:

• Video starts

• Quartile completions

• Completed views

• Completion rate

• Cost

• Impressions

• CPM

• Conversions where relevant

Segment performance by:

• Campaign

• Device

• Creative

• Inventory source

• Geography

If CTV is an important part of your strategy, see our Connected TV advertising solution.

Page 4: Creative Performance

Creative-level reporting should answer:

Which assets deserve more delivery, and which need to be replaced or reworked?

Include:

• Creative name

• Impressions

• Clicks

• CTR

• Conversions

• CPA

• Video completion metrics where relevant

Avoid evaluating creative only by CTR.

The right performance metric depends on the objective and format.

Page 5: Conversion & Efficiency

This page should focus on business outcomes.

Depending on the campaign, include:

• Conversions

• CPA

• Conversion rate

• Revenue or conversion value where available

• Cost trends

• Campaign comparison

• Line item comparison

This is the page most likely to matter to performance teams and commercial stakeholders.

Which DV360 metrics should be in the dashboard?

Not every available DV360 metric belongs in the primary reporting view.

A good dashboard should distinguish between:

Executive KPIs
Metrics stakeholders need immediately.

Optimization metrics
Metrics traders use to improve campaigns.

Diagnostic metrics
Metrics used when something is going wrong.

A simple starting framework is:

Do not turn the dashboard into a field dump.

More metrics do not automatically create better reporting.

A useful DV360 dashboard should reduce the number of metrics a stakeholder needs to interpret, not increase them.

For a complete KPI framework, use our DV360 Reporting Metrics That Really Matter.

Calculated fields in DV360 Looker Studio reporting

The data source fields panel supports calculated fields.

This lets you create reporting logic that is not already represented exactly the way you need it.

Common examples include:

• Custom efficiency metrics

• Custom labels

• Campaign groupings

• Funnel-stage classifications

• Conditional categories

• Derived ratios

Calculated fields are especially useful when stakeholders need business-friendly naming rather than raw platform terminology.

However, keep calculation logic documented.

If an important KPI is calculated differently across multiple dashboards, teams can end up reporting different answers from the same campaign data.

Use filters to make one dashboard work for multiple users

Filters are one of the easiest ways to make a dashboard more useful without creating separate reports.

Useful controls include:

• Date range

• Advertiser

• Campaign

• Insertion Order

• Line Item

• Device

• Creative

• Geography

For an agency dashboard, advertiser filtering can be particularly important.

For an internal brand dashboard, campaign and date controls may matter more.

The goal is to let each user answer their own question without rebuilding the report.

Owner's credentials vs viewer's credentials

Data credentials determine who can see the underlying data.

Google supports different credential approaches for connected data sources.

Owner's credentials

The report can use the credentials of the data source owner.

This can allow viewers to access report data without each person independently having access to the original DV360 dataset.

Viewer's credentials

Each viewer must authenticate with their own credentials and have access to the underlying data.

Service account credentials

In supported setups, service account credentials can be used for non-human authentication.

The correct model depends on:

• Client confidentiality

• Internal governance

• Who should see the report

• Who has DV360 access

• How the report will be shared

Do not choose credentials only for convenience.

Reporting permissions are part of your data-governance model.

Can you combine DV360 with Google Ads and GA4?

Yes, one of the main benefits of dashboard reporting is the ability to bring multiple data sources into the same reporting environment.

For example, a broader paid-media dashboard might include:

• DV360

• Google Ads

• GA4

• Search Console

• CRM data

• Revenue data

This can create a more complete reporting view than using DV360 alone.

However, combining sources does not automatically mean the metrics are directly comparable.

Different platforms may use:

• Different attribution logic

• Different conversion definitions

• Different date logic

• Different identity models

• Different counting methods

Before putting two numbers side by side, make sure they represent the same business concept.

Should you blend DV360 and GA4 data?

Sometimes.

Blending can be useful when you want to connect media delivery with site or conversion behavior.

For example:

DV360 can tell you about media delivery.

GA4 can provide additional information about site behavior and analytics outcomes.

But blending should not be used simply because the feature exists.

First define:

1. Which key joins the datasets?

2. Which system owns the conversion definition?

3. Which attribution model should stakeholders use?

4. What happens when the numbers disagree?

Without those rules, a more sophisticated dashboard can actually create more confusion.

DV360 connector limitations you should know

The native connector is useful, but it does not expose every reporting field available inside DV360.

Google states that the dimensions and metrics available through the connector represent a subset of the fields available in DV360 Instant Reporting.

That is an important limitation.

It means a metric available in Instant Reporting may not automatically appear in the native reporting connector.

The native connector is therefore best suited to straightforward campaign dashboards where the required dimensions and metrics are supported.

If your reporting model requires deeper field coverage, more complex transformations or large-scale data integration, you may need a different architecture.

When the native DV360 connector is enough

Use the direct connector when:

• You need straightforward campaign reporting

• The required dimensions and metrics are available

• You want a relatively simple setup

• Your report does not require complex data transformation

• You primarily need visualization rather than warehousing

• The dashboard covers a manageable number of advertisers

For many campaign and client dashboards, this is completely sufficient.

When to use BigQuery instead

BigQuery becomes more useful when your reporting requirements move beyond straightforward dashboard visualization.

Consider a warehouse-based approach when you need:

• More advanced transformations

• Large-scale data storage

• Multiple data sources

• Custom attribution logic

• Historical modeling

• Complex joins

• More control over data governance

• A central source of truth for several BI tools

A typical advanced architecture could look like:

DV360 + Other Sources → BigQuery → Looker Studio / Data Studio

This creates more work initially but gives the analytics team greater control over the reporting model.

Use the native connector for speed. Use a warehouse architecture when control and data modeling matter more than simplicity.

Native DV360 connector vs BigQuery

Neither approach is universally better.

Use the simplest architecture that can reliably answer your reporting questions.

Why DV360 and Looker Studio numbers may not match

A common reporting problem is finding that dashboard numbers do not exactly match another DV360 report.

Before assuming the connector is broken, check:

Date range

Make sure both reports use identical dates.

Time zone

Reporting environments may use different time-zone settings.

Filters

A hidden advertiser, campaign or device filter can change results significantly.

Metric definition

Confirm that you are comparing the exact same metric.

Aggregation

Calculated fields and aggregations can change dashboard totals.

Data freshness

Google notes that DV360 data freshness and availability rules also apply to the data exposed through the reporting connector.

Attribution

Conversion totals may differ depending on the attribution or reporting context.

Currency

Confirm the correct currency when working across advertisers or markets.

A useful troubleshooting rule is:

Reproduce the simplest possible report first. Then add complexity one layer at a time.

Common DV360 dashboard mistakes

Putting every metric on the first page

Executives rarely need 30 KPIs at once.

Keep the opening page focused.

Reporting without a campaign hierarchy

Campaign, insertion order and line item performance should be easy to separate.

Treating CTR as the main KPI for every format

This is especially misleading for video and CTV.

Ignoring pacing

A campaign can have strong efficiency but still fail if it does not spend enough to meet the plan.

Combining platforms without defining attribution

Putting GA4 and DV360 conversions next to each other without explanation can create conflicting reporting.

Giving every stakeholder the same view

Clients, executives and traders usually need different levels of detail.

Using dashboards as a replacement for analysis

A chart is not an insight.

The reporting process still needs to explain:

• What changed

• Why it changed

• What action was taken

• What should happen next

What a good DV360 reporting workflow looks like

A dashboard should be part of an optimization process rather than an isolated reporting deliverable.

A strong workflow looks like this:

Collect → Validate → Visualize → Interpret → Optimize → Measure again

Collect

Bring DV360 data into the reporting environment.

Validate

Confirm that filters, date ranges and metric definitions are correct.

Visualize

Present the data in a structure that makes trends easy to understand.

Interpret

Identify what changed and why.

Optimize

Make campaign decisions based on those findings.

Measure again

Use the dashboard to verify whether the change improved performance.

This closes the loop between reporting and campaign management.

A practical weekly DV360 reporting checklist

Before sending a weekly report, check:

This turns the dashboard into an operating tool rather than a static presentation.

How agencies should structure DV360 client dashboards

Agency reporting usually needs two layers.

Client layer

Keep this focused on:

• Spend

• Delivery

• Main KPIs

• Performance trends

• Business outcomes

• Key insights

• Actions taken

Trader layer

Include deeper operational detail such as:

• Insertion Order

• Line Item

• Device

• Inventory

• Creative

• Audience

• Delivery diagnostics

Do not force clients to navigate a trader dashboard.

The dashboard should match the user's decision-making responsibility.

How to make a DV360 dashboard actually useful

The difference between an average dashboard and a useful one usually comes down to five things.

1. Keep the executive page simple

The first page should answer the most important campaign questions in seconds.

2. Add context

A number without a benchmark or trend is difficult to interpret.

3. Show change over time

Trend charts are often more useful than isolated totals.

4. Make optimization visible

Show where performance changed and what action followed.

5. Build around business outcomes

Media metrics matter, but the dashboard should eventually connect to the outcome the advertiser actually cares about.

DV360 reporting dashboard template checklist

Use this checklist before calling the report complete:

• Executive KPI scorecards

• Date control

• Advertiser control

• Campaign filter

• Spend trend

• Impression trend

• CPM

• Clicks and CTR

• Conversion metrics

• CPA

• Campaign table

• Insertion order table

• Line item analysis

• Creative performance

• Video performance where relevant

• Device breakdown

• Market breakdown

• Reporting notes or commentary

• Clear metric definitions

• Correct data credentials

• QA against DV360 reporting

If most of these elements are relevant and working correctly, you have a strong foundation.

DV360 reporting should answer “what next?”

The biggest mistake in automated reporting is assuming that automation itself creates value.

It does not.

Automation removes repetitive work.

The value comes from using the time saved to make better campaign decisions.

A strong DV360 dashboard should make it easy to identify:

• Where budget should move

• Which line item needs attention

• Which creative is weakening

• Which market is outperforming

• Whether inventory quality has changed

• Whether campaign efficiency is improving

• What should be tested next

That is the difference between reporting performance and simply displaying data.

Build your DV360 reporting stack around the campaign

Reporting architecture should match the complexity of your media operation.

For a straightforward campaign, the native DV360 connector and a well-designed dashboard may be enough.

For complex multi-market, multi-platform or enterprise measurement, a warehouse architecture may be more appropriate.

The best reporting setup is not the one with the most technology.

It is the one that gives the team reliable answers quickly enough to improve the campaign.

If you are building your reporting process from the campaign level upward, start with our step-by-step DV360 campaign setup guide and pair it with the DV360 Reporting Metrics That Really Matter.

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Frequently Asked Questions