If you’re just getting started with Conversational Analytics in Looker Studio, one of the most common questions is: “What should I actually ask?”
Powered by Gemini, Conversational Analytics lets you explore data in plain language, no formulas, filters, or complex dashboards required. But like any conversation, the quality of the answer depends on the question you ask.
To help you make the most of this feature, I’ve put together a list of 25+ ready-to-use Looker Studio Conversational Analytics questions. They’re grouped by business goal, so you can jump straight to the ones that matter most to you.
We’ll assume you’re working with a dataset like Superstore Products (with fields such as Order Date, Category, Region, Profit, Net revenue, etc.), but these questions work with almost any data source.\
📊 Revenue and sales performance
These questions help you understand how much money you’re making, what’s driving growth, and where revenue is coming from.
- What is the total revenue this year?
- What is the total revenue by month?
- Which product category generated the highest revenue last quarter?
- What is the average order value by region?
- Show the top 10 products by total revenue.
- Which shipping method contributes the most to revenue?
💡 Pro tip: You can follow up with “show me a trend” or “break it down by category” to get different chart types.
📈 Profitability and margins
Profit tells you if your revenue is actually translating into success. These queries reveal where margins are strongest (and weakest).
- What is the total profit this quarter?
- What is the average profit per order?
- Show profit by category and region.
- Which products have the lowest profit margins?
- Which region is the most profitable overall?
- What is the profit trend over the past 12 months?
💡 Pro tip: Use follow-up questions like “filter for products with profit under £500” to narrow your focus.
🕒 Time-based trends
Time is one of the most powerful dimensions to explore. These queries uncover seasonality, patterns, and growth trends.
- What was the total revenue by month for the past year?
- What was the profit trend by quarter over the last three years?
- Which month had the highest sales in 2024?
- Show the number of orders over time.
- What is the average delivery time per quarter?
💡 Pro tip: If the results feel too granular, refine your question with “by quarter” or “by year” instead of “by month”.
🧑🤝🧑 Customer and region insights
Want to know where your customers are coming from or how they behave? These questions help uncover patterns in customer distribution and performance.
- What is the total revenue by region?
- Which region placed the most orders last quarter?
- Show revenue by country for 2023.
- Which region has the highest average order value?
- What percentage of orders come from each region?
💡 Pro tip: Add a filter to focus on a specific region (e.g. “in Europe” or “in the West region”).
📦 Product and category performance
These are some of the most insightful Looker Studio Conversational Analytics questions for product-focused businesses. They help identify best-sellers and underperformers.
- Which product generated the most revenue overall?
- What are the top 10 products by profit margin?
- Which category has the most orders?
- Show revenue and profit by sub-category.
- Which product had the highest discount rate last year?
💡 Pro tip: Try “show as a bar chart” or “display as a pie chart” to experiment with visualisation types.
🛠️ Operational and logistics insights
If you’re analysing delivery times, order processing, or fulfilment, these queries give you an operational view.
- What is the average delivery time by shipping method?
- Which shipping method is the fastest on average?
- How many orders were delivered in less than 3 days?
- Show the number of late deliveries by region.
- What percentage of orders were delivered on time?
💡 Pro tip: Follow up with “compare to last year” for trend analysis (though remember that period-over-period calculations aren’t yet supported).
💡 Pro tips for better Conversational Analytics questions
Asking the right question is half the battle. Here are a few tips to make sure you always get the best results:
- 🧠 Be specific: Instead of “show revenue,” ask “show total revenue by month in 2023.”
- 🔍 Use business language: Conversational Analytics understands plain English, so write naturally.
- 🔄 Iterate: Start broad, then refine your question with filters or additional details.
- 🗺️ Ask follow-ups: Try “show this by category” or “limit to top 5” to refine the output.
- 🧪 Experiment with chart types: You can usually change the visualisation after seeing the initial result.
FAQs – Looker Studio Conversational Analytics questions
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Q: Can I use these Conversational Analytics questions with any data source?
No, currently Conversational Analytics only supports Looker, BigQuery, Google Sheets and CSV files.
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Q: Can I ask multi-metric questions?
Yes, but keep them simple. Some complex calculations are only supported if the code interpreter is available.
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Q: Will Gemini understand synonyms or business terms?
In most cases, yes. You can use natural language like “sales”, “revenue”, or “turnover” interchangeably.
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Q: Can I export results from a question?
Absolutely, once you’re happy with a result, click Open in report to add the visual to your dashboard.
Final thoughts – Looker Studio Conversational Analytics questions
The power of Looker Studio Conversational Analytics lies in its simplicity. With the right questions, anyone, from marketing teams to operations managers, can uncover insights in seconds without writing a single formula.
These Looker Studio Conversational Analytics questions are just a starting point. As you experiment, you’ll discover even more ways to explore your data, answer business-critical questions, and make smarter decisions. All through the power of conversation. 💬📊
