If Looker Studio displays “Data source not available” after sharing, the recipient lacks access permissions for the data source. Furthermore, data source permissions are managed separately from the report. Additionally, there are different sharing options that solve this issue. In this article, we explain why Looker Studio displays “Data source not available” and how to fix it.

First of all, report and data source permissions in Looker Studio are managed independently. When Looker Studio displays “Data source not available”, the recipient has access to the report but not to the underlying data source. Moreover, embedded data sources may require different permissions than reusable ones. Therefore, you should check the sharing settings at both levels. Find more tips in our guide on GA4 discrepancies.

How to Solve the “Data Source Not Available” Problem

First, you should enable the ‘Owner credentials’ option in the data source settings. Additionally, you can share the data source directly with the recipient if viewer credentials are preferred. Furthermore, you should check whether the data source is embedded or reusable. According to Google’s documentation, owner credentials are the simplest solution for shared reports.

Our Recommendation

If Looker Studio displays “Data source not available” after sharing, you should switch the credentials option to ‘Owner’. Moreover, we recommend checking all data sources before sharing a report and enabling owner credentials where needed. Additionally, you should test the report in incognito mode. This way, you prevent Looker Studio from displaying “Data source not available” for the recipient.

Conclusion

In summary, the “Data source not available” error is almost always due to missing permissions. Owner credentials solve the problem in most cases. Need assistance? Our Looker Studio service team is happy to help.