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      Understanding the behaviour of the Google Trends connector

      In this article, we will explain everything you need to know to start working properly with our Google Trends connector.

      Google Trends works differently from other connectors across all Dataslayer destinations, including Looker Studio, Google Sheets, Power BI, and our API Query Manager.

      Unlike most data sources, Google Trends offers several distinct report types, and each report type has its own exclusive set of metrics and dimensions.
      This means that the metrics and dimensions valid for one report type cannot be used with another.

      Why Google Trends works differently

      The way Dataslayer handles this difference depends on the destination:

      • In Google Sheets and our web destinations, Dataslayer automatically limits your selection to only the metrics and dimensions compatible with the selected report type, preventing errors before they happen.

      • In Looker Studio, however, the platform allows you to mix and match metrics and dimensions freely. This means you could accidentally select elements from different report types. If you do, the Google Trends API will reject the query and return an error.

      For example, in Looker Studio, you might configure a widget with the “Interest over time” report type but mistakenly select a metric from “Related queries” report. This combination is invalid, and the query will fail.

      This behaviour comes from the Google Trends API itself and applies to all platforms, but only in Looker Studio do you need to manually check the compatibility, since it doesn’t restrict your selections.

      Choosing the right Report Type

      The first thing you need to select in the Google Trends connector configuration is the report type. These are the available options across all destinations:

        • Interest by region

        • Interest over time

        • Related queries

        • Related suggestions

        • Related topics

      There are specific metrics and dimensions for each of the reports, which we will explain later.

      Configuring reports in your destination

      The way you configure the report type depends on the destination:

      • In Google Sheets and our web destinations, the report type applies to the entire query, and only compatible metrics and dimensions will be available for selection.
      • In Looker Studio, you can configure the report type at two levels:

          • Data source level: applies to the entire report.

          • Widget (or chart) level: applies only to that element.
            This lets you combine different report types across widgets in the same dashboard.

      Important

      • If you change the report type in the data source configuration, it applies to the entire Looker Studio report.

      • If you change it in a specific widget or chart, it only affects that element.

      General and specific configuration options

      1. General Options (all reports):

      • Region: select the region from which you'd like to pull data

      • Type: select between Web, Images, News, YouTube, Shopping.

      • Category: select the category you'd like to pull data.

      • Search term (mandatory for all reports)

      2. Specific Option for Related queries reports:

      • Result type: lets you refine the query output.

      Which metrics work with each Report Type

      In Google Sheets and web destinations, Dataslayer limits your selection to the correct options.

      In Looker Studio, you have to ensure compatibility yourself. If you combine metrics and dimensions from different report types, you will get an incompatibility error from the Google Trends API similar to the following:

      Google Looker Studio Community Connector Error message showing incompatibility between the "city_name" dimension and the "interest_over_time" call type, requiring adjustment to use "interest_by_region" instead

      If the error displayed relates to Error Code 429, please refer to this article.

      To avoid this, here’s a reference of which metrics and dimensions are compatible with each report type:

      • Interest by region
      Interest by region
      Metrics
      Interest
      Dimensions
      Hub Account
      Connector name
      Search term
      Country code
      Country name
      Region code
      Region name
      DMA code
      DMA name
      City name
      • Interest over time
      Interest over time
      Metrics
      Interest
      Dimensions
      Hub Account
      Connector name
      Date
      Day of week(Sun-Sat)
      Week(Sun-Sat)
      Week(Mon-Sun)
      Month
      Day of month
      Year
      Year-Week
      Year & week(Mon-Sun)
      Year-Month
      Year of week(Mon-Sun)
      Search term
      Country
      • Related queries
      Related queries
      Metrics
      Interest
      Dimensions
      Hub Account
      Connector name
      Search term
      Related query
      • Related suggestions
      Related suggestions
      Metrics
      Interest
      Dimensions
      Hub Account
      Connector name
      Mid code
      Title
      Type
      • Related Topics
      Related Topics
      Metrics
      Interest
      Dimensions
      Hub Account
      Connector name
      Search term
      Topic title
      Topic type
      Topic code

       

      As always, please contact us via our live chat on our website or via email if you still have doubts or questions. We are happy to help!