How to Connect LinkedIn Ads to Looker Studio

1. Why Connect?

   • Analyze LinkedIn Ads data beyond Campaign Manager's limits.

   • Save historical data (past LinkedIn's 90-day limit).

   • Automate reporting and save hours weekly.

2. What You Need:

   • LinkedIn Ads Access: Admin or Reporting permissions.

   • Looker Studio Access: Google account, editor permissions, and third-party connector enabled.

   • Third-Party Connector: Tools like Coupler.io to bridge LinkedIn Ads and Looker Studio.

3. Setup Steps:

   • Use a third-party connector to link LinkedIn Ads and Looker Studio.

   • Select metrics like Clicks, CTR%, ROAS, etc., based on your goals.

   • Design dashboards with charts, filters, and custom KPIs.

4. Fix Issues:

   • Resolve login errors by reauthorizing tokens.

   • Align timezones and currencies to ensure data accuracy.

   • Address API delays with scheduled refreshes.

Pro Tip: Automate reporting to ensure up-to-date insights without manual effort. Tools like Metrics Watch can help streamline this process.

Follow these steps to unlock better LinkedIn Ads insights in Looker Studio!

How to Connect Linkedin Ads to Looker Studio in 5 Minutes

Required Setup Items

Make sure you have the following in place:

LinkedIn Ads Account Access

You'll need Campaign Manager Admin or Reporting Access to allow data extraction from LinkedIn Ads .

To check your access:

• Log into LinkedIn Campaign Manager.

• Go to Settings > Access & Permissions.

• Verify that you can export data by using the Export button in your analytics dashboard .

Looker Studio Requirements

You'll need:

• A Google account (either personal or Workspace).

• Editor permissions within Looker Studio.

• Enabled access for third-party connectors.

Connection Tools

Looker Studio doesn't directly integrate with LinkedIn Ads, so you'll need a third-party connector.

Coupler.io is a popular choice, offering automated refresh scheduling and strong security measures (SOC 2 compliant with EU hosting options) to keep your data safe .

Key technical requirements include:

• API access enabled in your LinkedIn Ads account.

• Connector domains whitelisted in your firewall settings.

• Temporarily disabling two-factor authentication (2FA) during the initial setup .

Pick a tool based on how often you need your data refreshed .

Once you've got these items ready, you can move on to the setup steps.

Setup Instructions

Now that your tools are ready, here’s how to get started:

Connect Using Third-Party Tools

To begin, access your selected third-party connector as specified in the Required Setup Items. Follow these steps to establish the connection:

1. Sign up for an account with the connector.

2. Choose LinkedIn Ads as your data source.

3. Authorize the necessary permissions using OAuth authentication.

4. Select Looker Studio as your destination.

Important: Make sure to disable any ad blockers during the authorization process to avoid potential issues .

Choose Data Points

Pick metrics that align with your campaign goals. Use this guide to organize your selections:

| Category | Basic Metrics | Advanced Metrics |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Performance | Clicks, CTR%, Conversions | Cost per Conversion, Quality Score |
| Budget | CPC, Total Spend | ROAS, Budget Utilization |
| Engagement | Impressions, Social Actions | Engagement Rate, Video Views

Most connectors allow you to backfill up to two years of historical data, so take advantage of this feature.

Build Your Dashboard

Design an effective dashboard by incorporating these visualization techniques:

Start with the Basics:

• Use time-series charts to track spend and conversions over time.

• Include dual-axis charts to compare metrics like CTR% and CPC.

• Add scorecards to highlight week-over-week performance changes.

Go Further with Advanced Options:

• Add filters for campaign status and budget ranges.

• Format spend metrics with the correct currency settings.

• Create calculated fields to display custom KPIs.

If you’re short on time, consider using pre-built templates from Metrics Watch to streamline the process .

Pro Tip: Ensure timezone settings are consistent across platforms to avoid reporting mismatches.

Set up automated refresh schedules to keep your dashboard updated with the latest campaign data. These foundational elements will also help you quickly identify and resolve common reporting issues.

Fix Common Problems

Once your connection is set up, keep an eye on these common issues to ensure your reports stay accurate:

Login and Access Issues

Access problems usually arise from permission settings or expired tokens. A typical error is "access denied", which happens when your LinkedIn Campaign Manager account doesn’t have the right access level .

Here’s how to fix these issues:

• Check permissions: Ensure you have "Viewer" or "Admin" access in LinkedIn Campaign Manager.

• Token expiration: LinkedIn tokens expire after 60 days, so confirm if yours is still valid.

• Clear browser cache: Sometimes, clearing your cache and disabling ad blockers can help.

• Reauthorize platforms: If the problem continues for over 24 hours, reauthorize both platforms.

Tip: Set a reminder a few days before your token expires to avoid interruptions in your reporting setup.

Data Matching Errors

If the data in LinkedIn Ads doesn’t match what’s in Looker Studio, it’s often due to differences in settings. Here are common causes and fixes:

• Metric mismatch: Double-check that the metrics are defined the same way on both platforms.

• Timezone misalignment: Make sure both systems are set to the same UTC timezone.

• Currency inconsistencies: If you’re running campaigns across multiple countries, standardize your currency settings.

Data Update Delays

LinkedIn’s API has a standard 3-hour delay for updating new campaign data . If you notice delays beyond this:

• Quick fixes: Verify how often your connector refreshes, check LinkedIn’s API status, and review your date range settings.

• Long-term fixes: Set up failure alerts, schedule daytime auto-refreshes, and consider using token renewal services.

Addressing these issues will help ensure your automated reporting runs smoothly and without disruptions.

Automated Report Options

Once you've tackled common integration challenges, the next step is automating your reporting process. Automation keeps your data flowing smoothly and ensures your integration efforts continue to pay off without constant manual intervention.

Metrics Watch Features

Tools like Metrics Watch offer several helpful features, including:

• White-label customization for agency branding

• Scheduled report delivery tailored to your preferred intervals

• Live dashboard links for accessing data in real-time

• Automated data integration across multiple marketing platforms

Additionally, built-in validation helps catch and prevent discrepancies between platforms, minimizing reporting errors .

Why Automate Reporting?

Automation offers clear benefits that can elevate your reporting process:

Accurate Data, Every Time

• Removes the risk of human errors in data entry or calculations

• Ensures metrics are consistently defined across all reports

• Protects data quality with automated validation

Better Insights, Faster

• Enables frequent reporting (daily or weekly) with no extra effort

• Seamlessly integrates data from various platforms

• Provides real-time updates for monitoring performance

Simplified Processes

• Creates standardized report formats for all campaigns

• Cuts down on time spent handling repetitive reporting tasks

• Makes it easy to spot performance trends quickly

Summary

Now that you've set everything up and resolved common issues, here’s a quick recap:

Connecting LinkedIn Ads to Looker Studio involves three main steps: authentication, choosing metrics, and designing dashboards . These steps allow for advanced data visualization tailored to your needs.

To keep your data accurate and your reporting efficient, follow the troubleshooting tips shared earlier. Tools like Metrics Watch can help by automating tasks such as scheduled data refreshes and cross-platform validation .

For long-term success, pair these integration steps with automation tools like Metrics Watch to ensure scalable and accurate reporting .

Related Blog Posts

• How to Create White-Label Marketing Reports

• How to do reporting on ad campaign results

• How to Export LinkedIn Ads Data to Excel

• How to Build a Customer Lifetime Value Dashboard