Re: Are Pivot Tables completely broken?

detcarpo · 12-26-2024 05:56 AM

Hi there, is there a problem going on with pivot tables in Looker Studio?

Each table I've created (and I've created many of them) is broken, and they have been broken for a few days.

Clients are starting to get angry about it, and I don't know what to tell them.

I'm using various connectors, but primarily GA4 and Search Console, and I'm encountering numerous errors, such as broken tables, empty tables, and more.

What's happening?

filipemacedo

Hello @detcarpo . Can you explain better what you see broken? Is the data? Can you check the filters that you've applied and confirm that they are not showing any error?

detcarpo

I create a new Looker Studio report. Add the data from Search Console. Create a Pivot Table with date as columns and query as files. That's it: it never shows. It says "connection error", and it's been doing it for the last month or so, with every report that I have. More than 30 reports from different sites.

mbrar

I have been having the same issues, sometimes it just gets stuck loading the data but the never displays the data, sometimes it shows up but if I make changes it disappears again, also when aligning the column spacing it does not update properly, adding and removing the sub total and grand total functions seems to break it as well. It has been going on for a few weeks at least and I have seen others mention it but have not come across any solutions or if this is being worked on at all.

detcarpo

Yes, exactly! What's going on??

spsav0

I'm encountering errors as well. In some cases the pivot table will simply stop working and show a system error (with no corresponding error number). In other cases formatting is lost, sort fields will change, or row/column fields themselves will be different. The problems are varied and intermittent, and I inevitably end up recreating the table. I've verified the data schemas and ensured that no data is missing. I'm not sure what else to try and would appreciate any insights or suggestions.

detcarpo

I'm having the same issues again, at first I tought it was a Chrome Extension but is still not working

spsav0

Hey detcarpo, I know you're pulling data from GA4 and Search Console, but I'm not sure if you're doing any blends. I am using blends on some of my reports and discovered that the type of join I was using appears to affect the occurrence of errors. I was originally using a left outer join to connect two tables and switched to an inner join. Since then I've not experienced any problems, although I'm really not sure why that would be. -Scott

Karan2958

I am having the same error as well I have been using Google Sheets as my source and have created different Pivot tables from different sheets

And the issue encountered is that when I open the dashboard one of the Pivot table goes blank like there is nothing and no error is displayed since I have enabled cross-filtering on applying nay filter the data is visible for the specific selection and when the filter is removed the the data in pivot does not change

I have tried reconnecting the dashboard, creating new pivot, applying a debugger in the URL and also tried changing fields but the pivot issue is never solved

EdgarA

Hi everyone,

Our team is investigating the issues you have reported. If possible, if you are seeing an issue could you send a message to data-studio-help@google.com with the subject "Pivot Table" and include details about the issue you are seeing, and how long the issue has persisted? There are possibly a few different issues here so I will work with you to gather more details.

Thank you!

dataperson36523

Hi Edgar, I got an autoresponder on that email address "You've sent a message to an unmonitored email address. We apologize, but we can't respond to questions or help requests posted here."

bogdan_marek

The same issue for BigQuery based dashboards. So it is pivot table issue, probably connected to the last release note.

lvuvan

Hi,

We also got this issue, on BigQuery based dashboards.
- It occurs only on pivot tables,
- the issue is intermittent, and when it happens, all the pivot tables of our lookers are broken.

PaulCeb

We are also having this issue which affects majority of our users.

GDEQUE02

+1 !!
I got the same issue with a flat BigQuery table, populated from scratch every day:
- no Schema change
- no Data type issue
and same issue on ALL previous Snapshots
(Database and Dashboard both copied several Months ago = no change at all)

Please note this:
Data location = EU (Multi-Region)

BenBau

+ 1

Alapinka

I have been experiencing the same issue since at least last Friday, January 31st, 2025. The Pivot Tables started showing this error for no apparent reason.

The same or even a much smaller amount of data works perfectly in a normal table, but as soon as it is switched to a Pivot Table visualization, it shows an error. Sometimes, after refreshing the page or duplicating the visualization, it works, but most of the time it doesn't.

My team and I have tried everything: switching to another data source with a much smaller data amount, reducing the complexity and scope, but nothing has helped.

mdryjanski

Hello!

We also have problems with pivot tables in Looker Studio. The error occurs when switching additional optional dimensions. One moment the data is displayed without a problem, and a moment later, after switching to another dimension - we get a system error: "System error. A system error occurred in the Looker Studio service. We could not complete the request because an error occurred."

The problem manifests itself both in new reports that use the pivot table, but also in reports created a long time ago, which until now worked without a problem.

Is it already known what the problem is and when it will be solved?

EdgarA

Hello,

We released a change to Pivot Tables yesterday that may have resolved issues you were experiencing. If you are still seeing issues today, please let us know. You can reach out to data-studio-help@google.com and let us know you are still seeing the issue today, with a description of the specific issue.

Thank you!

GDEQUE02

Indeed !
Unchanged Reports are working again correctly !!!
Modified Reports (recently) were corrected with my manual action of "remove/add" dimension or mesure.

Thanks for your quick action and feedback !

abrat4

I just sent an email to that address and got a response saying that it was not monitored. I am still having an issue. My issue seems to lie in the sorting of the pivot table. I have a Column dimension (Month), and I want to sort the columns by Month in ASC order. However, when I click on the Month field from the "Column #1" sort, it aggregates it making it SUM(MONTH). I can't "un-aggregate" it and it breaks the Pivot Table. Any suggestions??

mdryjanski

You're right! The problem is in the sorting. In some sorting cases the table completely crashes.

A huge request to the support team to solve this problem!

SSmithBISD

Here is another post about the sorting. It fixed my issues.

https://www.googlecloudcommunity.com/gc/Looker-Studio/System-Error-when-sorting-pivot-table-rows-by-...

mdryjanski

Hi!

Unfortunately in my case it is still not correct. The change did not make any improvement. In the attachment I am sending an example of when the pivot table works correctly when two dimensions are selected and an example when the same table stops working after selecting one dimension.

I would like to emphasize that the problem affects many different reports that have worked so far, and I am sending only one example below.

Correct operation:

Error:

I will send additional detailed information to data-studio-help@google.com.

Alapinka

Hello,

Our PivotTables finally worked yesterday when modified, e.g. changed dimensions and then changed back.

Thsnks for the fix.

Alapinka

Hello again,

strangely the same error appears in the export as PDF in one of the Report pages, although the PivotTable on this page is working now. I tried the download twice, the error came twice.

Also, the sorting by date used to work and now in most of the pages of my report it doesn't.

Looking forward to a permanent solution.

mdryjanski

Pivot tables are working for me now, but any information from the Looker Studio team would be useful, that something has or hasn't been fixed and what is or was the cause of the problem. I also sent a description of the problem to data-studio-help@google.com, but unfortunately I have not received any response to this day...

robertmocanu

Having the same issue with Pivot Tables. The already existing ones have no issues (though I am afraid to touch them for now), but when I tried to create a new Pivot Table I have the issue that the UI is hiding it somehow. You can still click on it and get access to the configurator, but it does not show in the canvas. Only shows if I add a new dimension (yet if I just remove it does not change in the canvas). Also, any changes to the size of the columns do not do anything. Hoping for a permanent fix to the issue. Thank you @EdgarA!

Nadia_Barnachea

I am having the same issue since last week. My dashboard contains tables, charts, scorecards, filters and only the pivot table is breaking (System Error). It works on my end but when shared with others it shows the error on the pivot table only.

Nadia_Barnachea

The issue is with Pivot table but when I replaced it with pivot table with heatmap it is not breaking. Hope this also works on your end as a quick fix.

SSmithBISD

I am having pivot table issues as well. The Pivot Table works for editors, but will not load for viewers. Every other visual (Score Cards, Sankey, Regular Table) works except the two pivot tables for viewers. Does anyone have an idea how to make the data in the Pivot Table seen by viewers?