Youtube to Looker Studio: setup guide

Looker Studio is a free, powerful way to visualize and share your YouTube performance. You can connect your channel with either the native YouTube Analytics connector (free) or a paid partner connector like Catchr for more flexibility and automation.

If you want to track views, watch time, subscribers, traffic sources, and revenue (if applicable) directly in Looker Studio, this guide is for you.

Why connect your YouTube data to Looker Studio

Connecting YouTube to Looker Studio centralizes your analytics, so you can answer questions faster and share results easily.

With Looker Studio, you can:

• Combine YouTube with Google Ads, GA4, or CRM to see how content impacts acquisition and revenue.
• Automate reporting and stop exporting CSVs.
• Customize dashboards to monitor views, watch time, average view duration, subscribers, CTR, impressions, and revenue (if monetized).
• Share live dashboards with your team or clients instead of static reports.

In short, this setup turns raw YouTube analytics into clear, actionable insights.

Method 1: Use the native YouTube Analytics connector (free)

This is the fastest way to get started. The native connector is built by Google and is free.

How it works

The YouTube Analytics connector pulls data directly from your channel via your Google account. You select the channel (or content owner) and the connector exposes standard metrics and dimensions (views, watch time, subscribers, traffic sources, geography, device, etc.).

Steps

1. Create a new data source on Looker Studio
   • Go to the Looker Studio homepage.
   • Click on Create → Data source.

2. Search for Youtube
   • In the search bar, type Youtube.
   • From the list, select the native connctor.

3. Authorize your Youtube accounts in Looker Studio
   • Click Authorize to link your Youtube account with Looker Studio.

4. Choose your Youtube channel
   • Select one account to include in your report.

5. Click Create report
   • Click Create Report to finish the setup.
   • Your YouTube data, including views, watch time, subscribers, and impressions, will automatically load into Looker Studio and refresh daily.

Method 2: Use a partner connector (e.g., Catchr)

A paid connector gives you more flexibility, especially if you manage multiple channels or need automation and blended reporting.

How it works

Catchr connects to YouTube’s API and sends your data into Looker Studio with daily automatic refresh. It’s ideal for agencies or teams who need multi-channel, client-ready dashboards and want to blend YouTube with ads/analytics data seamlessly.

Steps

1. Create a new data source on Looker Studio
   • Go to the Looker Studio homepage.
   • Click on Create → Data source.

2. Search for Youtube
   • In the search bar, type Youtube.
   • From the list, select a certified connector such as Catchr.

3. Authorize your Catchr and Youtube accounts in Looker Studio
   • Click Authorize to link your Catchr account with Looker Studio.
   • Then, authorize again to sign in to Youtube and allow access to your accounts.

4. Choose your Youtube Channel
   • Select one or multiple channel to include in your report.
   • (Optional) Start from a prebuilt Looker Studio template to save time.

5. Click Create report
   • Click Create Report to finish the setup.
   • Your YouTube data, including views, watch time, subscribers, and impressions, will automatically load into Looker Studio and refresh daily.

Which method should you use?

If you manage one channel and need a quick dashboard, the native connector is perfect. If you manage multiple channels or want advanced automation and blended views, choose Catchr.

Common Use Cases

Connecting YouTube to Looker Studio allows you to analyze your channel performance, understand audience behavior, and automate your reporting process.

• ‍Content creators track views, watch time, engagement rate, and subscriber growth to identify which videos perform best.‍
• Agencies centralize multiple YouTube channels into automated, white-labeled dashboards to report performance to clients.‍
• Marketing teams combine YouTube data with Google Ads or GA4 to evaluate how video campaigns support conversions and brand awareness.‍
• Businesses monitor top-performing videos, audience retention, and traffic sources to optimize their content strategy.

To help you get started faster, Catchr provides ready-to-use Looker Studio templates for YouTube:

• YouTube Responsive Dashboard Template
• YouTube Performance Dashboard Template

Youtube responsive dashboard template

Start tracking your key metrics  (views, watch time, subscribers, and engagement) on any device with the YouTube Responsive Dashboard Template.

Youtube performance dashboard template

Analyze your top-performing videos, traffic sources, and audience behavior with the YouTube Performance Dashboard Template.

FAQ: YouTube and Looker Studio

Can I connect multiple YouTube channels?

‍Yes. The native connector is one channel per data source (or a Content Owner setup for CMS). Catchr supports multiple channels within a single Looker Studio report.

Are data updates automatic?

‍Yes. Both Youtube connectors refresh data daily.

Can I combine YouTube with other platforms?

‍Absolutely. You can blend Youtube data with GA4, Google Ads, Meta Ads, or CRM to analyze the full funnel.

What metrics can I track?

‍Views, watch time, average view duration, impressions, CTR, subscribers, top videos, traffic sources, geography, device, and revenue. You can find the full list of Youtube available fields on Catchr documentation.

Is the Catchr YouTube connector free?

‍Catchr offers a free trial, then a paid plan for continuous synchronization and advanced automation.

Making YouTube work with Looker Studio

Whether you choose the native connector for a fast free setup or Catchr Youtube connector for multi-channel automation, Looker Studio gives you a clear, shareable view of your content performance, so you can grow faster with data.