Using your connector for the first time is an exciting moment that can come with some anxiety and discomfort - especially if you're not used to Looker Studio.
Thankfully, we put together some tips and templates to help you navigate your first steps with your new connector.
Here are 5 things you need to know when getting started
#1: Start with a template
Instead of building a dashboard from scratch, start with a Magic Template which is already included in your plan.
A template will have a bunch of pages, each with different charts, tables, filters and sorting options. Use it as inspiration to build your own views!
#2: The data will take a while to load at first
Your charts will take a while to load in your first experience.
That happens because the first time you access your Looker Studio connector is also the first time we connect and download your data for you.
Once that happens, your data will be cached, which helps a lot with the loading speeds.
#3: Watch out for "hidden" filters
For example, you'll notice there's no "installs" or "sales" metric on the Trends Report - only "Units". They use that metric to store everything from Updates, App Installs, Re-downloads, and In-App Purchases Sales.
So make sure you add the ProductTypeName as a dimension so you know how to filter your data and get the metrics you need the most.
Is your data still not matching what you see on App Store Connect?
If your data doesn't match, we can assure you that it's a matter of clicking on a couple of buttons so you can compare apples to apples. Read more.
You'll find the description of all fields available on our connectors there. We do recommend you to take a look at it to understand where to find what and which filters you might be missing.
#4 Apple limits your Trends API to 365 days, but we don't :)
One of the best advantages of using Easy App Reports is that we start storing your data once you complete your setup. That's a huge long-term advantage, as you can now play with that data even after Apple archives it. How cool is that?
#5: Always use a paid Google Workspace account if you can
Unfortunately, Google limits your experience if you're not using a paid Google Workspaces account. Consider upgrading if you start getting blocked or logged out after your connectors while using a free account.
Looking for tips on App Store Analytics?
We recorded a video covering all details on how to use the Analytics API data for the first time for both Looker Studio and BigQuery.
Resources made by Data Viz and App Specialists especially for you
1) Explore our templates gallery to give you a headstart and spark your inspiration!
2) Our articles cover all the questions we get from customers like yourself.
3) Reach out; we're always happy to help. Just click on the bubble on the lower right corner of our website to talk to us.
Other Questions
"What happens if I already tried to download loads of data on my first experience with the tool"
No worries, we can still turn it around. Here's what you can do:
Shorten your date range to one week. Once it works, slowly expand the date range.
Reduce the number of charts you have in your dashboard.
If you can't download a single new line of data, we recommend you wait a few hours, or even a whole day and start over.
"Looker Studio is running too slow for me; how can I speed it up?"
Solution #1 (free)
Google provides an Extract Data connector (search for "Extract Data," it should be one of the first options on the list) which enable you to cache your data which makes it everything much faster.
Putting it shortly, it downloads up to 100MB worth of data to you and even automatically refreshes it every day, so you don't have to. The downside is that you must create one of these for each source you have.
Solution #2 (paid)
You can upgrade to BigQuery and enjoy instant dashboards even if you're pulling multiple years of data at once.
If you still need help, message us on the chat, and we'll gladly help.