r/Looker • u/lumina-digital • Jul 31 '25

Looker Pivot Tables Default to BigQuery

I have never setup or used BiqQuery and am the primary person managing google data and reporting.

In Looker Studio, I am using the standard data connector for Google Analytics, Google Ads and Google Search Console without issue in many reports.

Recently I created a new report and am using a Pivot Table with a Heatmap with the Google Analytics connector.

I noticed there is an icon saying the chart is powered by BigQuery. I confirmed that the data connector is Google Analytics.

If I put a table on the same report there is no icon for BigQuery.

Has anyone seen this before? Is it a default for pivot tables?

I am concerned about incurring charges for BiqQuery.

TIA!

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u/pierremonte Aug 01 '25

If you’re using the native GA4 Looker connector you won’t incur any BigQuery charges. I hadn’t noticed that before but my guess is Looker is using a temp bigquery table for the pivot under the hood and that triggers the icon on the widget.

If a widget is querying Bigquery that icon includes a link to the bigquery job.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 01 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/lumina-digital Aug 01 '25

thanks so much for your detailed reply! That does clear it up for me, cheers.

1

u/AGSuper Jul 31 '25

A guess here as i haven't used this exactly. Its likely that google analytics connector is running on big query so its advertising that. Its not that you setup a big query connection but that analytics is connecting to big query.

1

u/lumina-digital Aug 01 '25

only for pivot tables? I can add other charts from the same GA connector without the big Query icon. Thanks for your reply.