How to show a Looker Studio report in Zendesk for each customer

By Jake Marsh · Updated

To show a Looker Studio report in Zendesk for the customer on each ticket, install Panewell, open Panewell > Set up > New panel and paste the report link or its embed link (in Looker Studio, File > Embed report with embedding on). Add a filter on a report URL parameter, such as ds0.customer_id = the requester's external ID, preview on a real ticket and click Save panel. In the report, the parameter must allow changes from the report URL.

Before you start: prepare the report

  1. Turn on embedding. In Looker Studio, open the report and choose File > Embed report, then turn on Enable embedding.
  2. Create a parameter for the customer. Use a parameter that filters the report's data source, for example a customer id parameter on data source ds0.
  3. Allow it in the URL. For that parameter, turn on Allow to be modified in report URL. Without it, Looker Studio ignores the value Panewell sends.
  4. Share the report with the people who should see it. Agents see what the report's sharing allows them to see.

Steps

  1. Open Panewell from the left navigation bar in Zendesk, choose Set up, then New panel.
  2. Name the tab and paste the report link under Dashboard link. Panewell turns a normal report link into the embed link.
  3. Allow the hosts. Allow lookerstudio.google.com when asked. If the report needs agents to sign in, the editor also offers accounts.google.com.
  4. Add the filter. Under Filter to the customer on screen, enter the parameter name as Looker Studio shows it, for example ds0.customer_id, and choose the Zendesk value.
  5. Pick a place and height. Ticket sidebar, user or organization profile, or the Panewell page.
  6. Preview with a real record, then Save panel.

Good Zendesk values to filter on

If your report keys customers byUse this token
Your own customer id stored in Zendeskrequester.external_id
Email addressrequester.email
Company domainrequester.email_domain
Company id stored on the organizationorganization.external_id or organization.field.<key>
An order or account number on the ticketticket.field.<id>

Choose a value every customer has. If it is empty, the panel isn't loaded and says which value is missing, instead of showing the whole report.

Show different reports for different customers

  • Tabs. Add several panels to the ticket sidebar and they become tabs, in the order of the panel list. Only the open tab loads.
  • Conditions. Use Only show when a value matches, for example Organization field: Plan is one of enterprise, premium.
  • Brands and groups. Limit a panel to tickets of certain brands, or to agents in certain groups. Admins always see every panel so they can check them.

Troubleshooting

What you seeWhat to do
The report shows everyone's dataThe parameter doesn't allow changes from the report URL, or the name is misspelled.
A Google sign-in or access messageThe agent's Google account isn't shared on the report, or they aren't signed in. Use Open full size to sign in once.
A blank frameTurn on Enable embedding under File > Embed report.
"... is empty here, so this dashboard is not shown"Fill in that value in Zendesk, or filter by a value every customer has.

What it costs

Panewell is $5 a month per agent, billed monthly by Zendesk, with a 14-day free trial (Zendesk asks for a card at install). The Panewell documentation covers Looker, Tableau, Metabase and Grafana too.

Panewell

Customer BI dashboards in the ticket, filtered to the customer on screen. Looker, Power BI, Tableau. $5 a month per agent.

Install PanewellAbout PanewellDocumentation

Questions

Can I use a Looker Studio report that isn't public?

Yes. Agents see it if the report is shared with their Google account and they are signed in to Google.

Does Panewell send Zendesk data into Looker Studio?

No. It only adds the filter values to the report link, which the agent's browser loads.

Can I use Google Sheets charts instead?

Yes, a published chart or sheet link works, but it shows the same chart everywhere: Google Sheets links can't be filtered by customer.

Is the URL parameter a security control?

No. Anyone who can open the report can change the parameter. Limit data through the report's sharing and data source permissions.

More Panewell guides

More Zendesk guides