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TL;DR

  • You can connect any BigQuery table or view (including sm_transformed_v2 tables) to Looker Studio using the BigQuery connector.
  • If you start from a SourceMedium Looker Studio template, it’s usually already connected to your BigQuery project. Adding more data is just adding another data source.
  • If you don’t see data, it’s almost always a permissions or credentials mode issue.

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Connect a BigQuery table (fast)

1

Open your report in Edit mode

In Looker Studio, open your report and click Edit.
2

Add a BigQuery data source

Go to Resource → Manage added data sources → Add a data source, then choose BigQuery.
3

Pick the table (or use Custom Query)

Select your Google Cloud project, dataset (commonly sm_transformed_v2), and the table you want (for example, obt_orders), then click Add.
If you’re new to Looker Studio data sources, the Looker Studio Guide explains connectors, data sources, and credential modes.

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Add more tables to an existing SourceMedium template

Starting from scratch instead? Copy one of SourceMedium’s Looker Studio templates first; they come with the BigQuery connection already configured. When you copy a SourceMedium template, the existing charts are already wired to existing data sources. To use additional tables:
  • Create a new data source pointing at the table/view you want in BigQuery
  • Update a chart to use it: select the chart → Data panel → Data source → choose your new data source

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Data source best practices

  • Name data sources after the table. Orders OBT or [MyBrand] Orders beats Data Source 1 or Copy of Copy of Orders.
  • Keep the original field name in the Description. BigQuery fields are snake_case (for example order_net_revenue). If you rename a field for readability, paste the original name into its Description so you can still look up its definition. Do not edit Descriptions on SourceMedium template data sources.
  • Use a service account as the data credential for anything your team depends on, so access survives when someone leaves. Google’s guide: service accounts in Looker Studio.

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Calculated fields

Chart-level calculated fields live in one chart. Data-source-level fields are reusable in every report on that data source and need Edit access to the data source (Resource > Manage added data sources > Edit > Add a field). Add the formula to the field’s Description so viewers know what it computes. Two formulas that come up often:
The full function list is in Google’s Looker Studio reference.

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Common gotchas

Make sure you’re signed into the same Google account that has access to your BigQuery project, and that you have permission to view datasets and tables.
Check the data source credential mode (Owner vs Viewer). SourceMedium dashboards typically work best with Owner’s credentials so viewers don’t need direct BigQuery access.
Google’s official walkthrough: BigQuery + Looker Studio