Looker Studio vs. Looker for Embedding

[emilydetmer]

The following is a summarization of key capabilities for embedding in a pros and cons list for Looker Studio vs. Looker, with links to supporting documentation. I hope you find this useful!

Looker Studio

Pros:

• Ease of Embedding: Looker Studio provides a straightforward way to embed dashboards using either an iframe embed code or a simple link for Google Sites.
• Interactive Filtering: Users can interact with the embedded dashboard through filters, date ranges, and drill-downs.

Cons:

• Limited Interactivity: While filtering is available, you might have less control over customizing specific interactions compared to Looker.
• Branding: Embedded dashboards will typically display the Looker Studio logo and a link back to the Looker Studio site, potentially impacting the seamlessness of your UI.
• Lack of Data Definitions & Metric Consistency: Without a central semantic model, defining metrics consistently across different dashboards and reports can be challenging, leading to potential discrepancies and misinterpretations of data.

Looker

Pros:

• Ease of Embedding: Looker provides private or SSO embedding via iframe
• Extensive Customization: Looker offers comprehensive APIs and SDKs (Software Development Kits) that allow you to embed dashboards with almost complete control over their appearance, behavior, and interactions.
• Single Sign-On (SSO): Looker supports SSO, allowing seamless authentication and authorization for users viewing embedded dashboards within your application.
• White-Labeling: You can completely remove Looker branding from the embedded dashboard, ensuring a consistent look and feel within your application.
• Component Embedding: Embed individual charts or components rather than entire dashboards, giving you greater flexibility in UI design.
• Advanced Interactivity: Looker allows you to create highly interactive dashboards with custom actions, drill-throughs, and even custom visualizations.
• Centralized Definitions & Metric Consistency: A semantic model in Looker ensures that all embedded dashboards and reports use consistent definitions for metrics and dimensions, eliminating discrepancies and ensuring accurate insights across your organization.

Embed Cons:

• Technical Complexity: Leveraging Looker's powerful embed capabilities might require more development effort and expertise compared to Looker Studio.
• Cost: Looker's embed functionality is generally part of its enterprise licensing, making it a more expensive option.

Overall:

If your primary goal is simple, easy embedding with basic interactivity, Looker Studio will likely meet your needs.

If you require metric consistency, customization, white-labeling, and a high degree of control over the user experience of your embedded dashboards, Looker provides the necessary tools, albeit at a potentially higher cost and development investment.

[MichaelP]

Hi Emily. Are you aware of any known issues with embedding Looker Studio table visualisation in a website.  See my issue here https://www.googlecloudcommunity.com/gc/Looker-Studio/Embed-on-Website-Not-Working-For-Safari-Browse...