Feature
Sometimes small updates can go a long way. One recent example is a new feature Google introduced in Data Studio called Report Publishing, which brings version control to the popular cloud dashboard. Version control manages a document so people know they can work with the most current information without risking loss of potentially important information in previous versions.
Report Publishing allows marketers to decide how viewers see real-time changes made to a report. This allows reports to be updated without cutting off access to the latest version for readers. The result is a better workflow centered around useful information.
Getting Started With Google Report Publishing
To turn on report publishing, access the feature when you open your Data Studio report. You go to the File menu, then select Publishing Settings from the dropdown menu. You can then switch Report Publishing feature on.
When you turn on Report Publishing, Data Studio issues the current version of the report. As an editor you can then develop an updated draft version while other stakeholders see the published version.
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Viewers will only see the published report. Report editors can switch back and forth between draft and published reports in view mode. To do so, there is a selector in the upper left of the screen on which the report appears, next to the report name. You can do a number of adjustments: stylize reports, edit data sources, add or delete pages, or rearrange report components. When you are finished editing your draft, you can then let viewers see the new published version.
Related Article: Conditional Formatting Comes to Google Data Studio
Version Control: Protecting Information While Work Continues
The idea of keeping a central version of a report isn't new. Developers have created their document workflow around version control in their favorite software for years. For example, GitHub allow developers to work on branches of a repository hosting a main programming code. This allowed other collaborators to view the version that appear in the hosting repository while debugging work continues. Once finished with the branch, the developers can then merge the code changes into the main version. The expanded application of programming over the years has drawn more varied collaborators to a code, encouraging the adoption of version control as a necessity in support documents, such as the reports analysts create in Data Studio. Thus you will see version control and document history included in popular business software.
If you are a marketer who collaborates around Google Data Studio every day, Report Publishing is a great way to keep your team moving forward. Reports stay up-to-date without slowing down workflows — something everyone will welcome.
