Google Data Studio dynamic filters on tables and charts

1. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 1
Data Studio - dynamic filtering - 2 use cases

2. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 2
Make your dashboards interactive
with these techniques
Data Studio Dynamic Filters

3. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 3
Filtering a Table

4. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 4
Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 4
https://media.monks.com/careers
The careers section on
media.monks.com is extremely
popular. We want to make the
user experience optimal so we
measure filter usage.
Users search, choose one or
more locations, and one or more
teams to find roles they want to
apply for.

5. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 5
The data exhaust from the open positions filters
tells us where, and what candidates are looking
for.
The GA4 data exhaust provides rich insights -
how can we democratise the data through a
Data Studio dashboard?
What are
people filtering
on?

6. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 6
Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 6

7. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 7
Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 7
GA4 Config
The chosen filter values are sent as event parameters with the hit.
Each filter type is recorded as a named event parameter that is registered as a Custom
Dimension:

8. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 8
Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 8
Show multiple tables
With 5 filters, we might choose to show
5 tables in one report.
Busy, messy, harder to read and focus
on one filter type.
Filter Options
Filter one table
Choose the custom dimension to show
in the table using a filter.
How can the static table dimension
become dynamic?

9. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 9
Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 9
Control > Fixed-size list
Create a Fixed-size list and populate it
with a parameter.
Add a parameter using the “ADD A
PARAMETER” link at the bottom of the list
of available fields:

10. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 10
Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 10
Parameters are SO useful!
Name it, give it an ID, choose the data type
(Text, number (whole or decimal), Boolean).
Specify permitted values to build a list of
options.
These will then populate the Fixed-size list to
choose from. The label is visible to the user,
the value must match the custom dimension
name.

11. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 11
Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 11
Rename Custom Dimensions if necessary
It doesn’t matter that the original event parameter or CD name choice wasn’t perfect, rename the fields in the
data source so that they match the values specified in the Fixed-item list parameter:

12. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 12
Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 12
Create a formula to choose the dimension
Based on the chosen Filter value, the formula outputs the required Custom Dimension to populate the table:

13. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 13
Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 13
Voila!

14. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 14
Filtering a graph

15. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 15
Choose which metrics you want to visualise.
Add them all, see a pattern in the aggregate.
Add selected metrics to compare.
You don’t need side by side or layered charts
with a filter to help clean the visualisation.
N metrics
1 filtered graph

16. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 16
Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 16
Create a checkbox for each metric
Create a boolean parameter for each metric and assign it to the
appropriate checkbox

17. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 17
Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 17
Create a formula for each metric that references the state of the
appropriate checkbox

18. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 18
Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 18
Create a formula for each metric that references the state of the
appropriate checkbox

19. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 19
Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 19
Voila!

20. Media.Monks Proprietary & Confidential 20
Questions?
Ask your favourite monk
doug.hall@media.monks.com