How to Connect Instagram Ads to Looker Studio and Automate Your Reports

If you’re still hammering Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V on Instagram campaign data at 11 p.m. the night before a client meeting, something’s broken. Every marketing agency knows this grind you’re buried in Facebook Ads Manager exports while clients wait impatiently for real-time performance updates, and you’re losing time trying to get it all into a neat and pretty report.

Meta makes Instagram reporting clunky compared with Google’s plug-and-play integrations. But you’ve got options. In this guide, we’ll break down the connectors worth your time, the reporting platforms that actually deliver, and the Instagram Ads metrics that carry weight (spoiler: not likes).

Connect Instagram Ads to Looker Studio

Before you jump into Instagram Ads reporting, cover these basics:

• Get Facebook Ads Manager access. You’ll need at least Advertiser permissions for the ad accounts you manage. Every Instagram ad runs through Facebook’s platform, so this is your master key.
• Set up a Looker Studio account. It’s free with any Google account. If you don’t have one, create it now.
• Choose a connector or storage solution. Instagram doesn’t plug into Looker Studio natively, so you’ll need either a third-party connector or a storage option for your Facebook Ads Manager data.

How to Set Up Looker Studio

If you’re coming from another reporting platform, here’s how to set up Looker Studio:

1. Go to the Looker Studio website.
2. Click Use it for free.
3. Sign in with your Google account (or create one if you don’t have one yet).
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to finish setup.

Once you’re done, you’re ready to build your first report.

Check Facebook Ads Manager Permissions

Once your Looker Studio account is ready, you need to ensure access to your client data in Facebook Ads Manager. Permission issues are the number one reason people get stuck here.

Facebook Ads Manager has a few permission levels: 

• Admin unlocks full control over budgets, ads, billing, and reporting. This is what most agencies give their campaign managers.
• Advertiser role can create and manage campaigns, see reports, edit ads, but can’t tweak the billing or account settings.
• Analyst has read-only access to campaign data and reports. They see everything, but can’t change anything.

To check or change permissions:

1. Log in to Meta Ads Manager and select the advertising account. If you don’t see the right ad account, click See more ad accounts.
2. In the ad account, press the gear icon or Settings. You might need to re-enter your Facebook password for verification.
3. Scroll down to the Ad account section and find your name.

You’ll see your role for the specific ad account. For example:

Quick Reminder: Ads Manager ≠ Business Account.

You need a Facebook Business Account to pull Instagram ads.

• You can have Ads Manager without Business Manager, but not vice versa. 
• People often try to pull Instagram ad metrics into Ads Manager without linking an Instagram account to a Business Manager. Result: Ads either don’t appear in the interface, or data is incomplete — leading to confusion.
• To see Instagram Ads data in Ads Manager, you must link your Instagram account through a Business Manager.

How to Connect Instagram Ads Data to Looker Studio

Instagram doesn’t have a direct connection to Looker Studio, which creates a challenge agencies must solve before building reports. Unlike Google’s ecosystem, where properties link together seamlessly, pulling Instagram data into Looker Studio requires a few extra steps.

Luckily, you have a couple of options: one is free but requires some manual work, while the other is automated but will ask your agency to commit to a monthly budget.

Option 1: Manual CSV Export

This is the most basic to get IG Ads data into Looker Studio. It’s free, but it can eat up a lot of time, especially when you’re working with dozens of clients.

To manually export Instagram data from Meta Ads Manager:

1. Log in to Meta Ads Manager for the ad account.
2. Go to Ads Manager or directly to Reports (the interface may show Reports, Custom Reports, or Ads Reporting).
3. Select the campaigns, ad sets, or ads you want to include.
4. Apply filters: set the start and end dates, choose only Instagram campaigns, and select relevant metrics.
5. (Optional) Add breakdowns by day, placement, or device.

Headsup: This process gets messy with multiple clients. If you forget a filter or a date range, your Looker Studio charts won’t match client KPIs — a rookie mistake that hurts trust fast.

Once you’ve got your files:

1. Upload them to Google Sheets.
2. Clean up the data — remove wonky formatting, extra columns, or unwanted data points.

Connect Google Sheets to Looker Studio:

1. Open Looker Studio and hit Create, then Report.
2. Click Add data in your new report.
3. In the data connector marketplace, find the Google Sheets connector.
4. In the authorization window, select the sheet with the Instagram ads data.
5. Choose your metrics and dimensions, then click Add.

Option 2: Third-party Connectors

Third-party connectors do the heavy lifting for you — they pull your Instagram data and push it straight into Looker Studio automatically. No manual exports, no CSVs, or broken tables due to that extra column in the sheet.

Depending on the data connector you’ve chosen, the setup might vary a bit, but the main steps are the same:

1. In Looker Studio, click Add data and then search for your connector.
2. To authorize your connector, log in to the platform. 
3. You might also need to verify your Meta and Google accounts.
4. Choose the ad account, metrics, dimensions, and set the data-refresh schedule.
5. Click the Add to Report button to pull Instagram Ads data into Looker Studio.

Best Instagram Ads Connectors

Not all connectors are the same, and some have very different features. Some are expensive, some are buggy, and some are missing key features marketing agencies need. Here’s the breakdown of what’s actually worth your time and money:

Budget-Friendly Instagram Connectors

Connector	Key Features	Pricing
Google Sheets	Flexible, supports advanced calculations, manual but customizable	Free
Windsor.ai	No-code setup, wide metrics coverage, refreshes in minutes	Free plan; paid from $23/mo
Porter Metrics	Pre-built templates, easy setup, multi-connector subscription	Free plan; paid from $15/mo
Reporting Ninja	Simple cross-channel reporting, pre-made templates	From $20/mo

Enterprise Instagram Connectors

Connector	Key Features	Pricing
Funnel.io	Advanced custom metrics, attribution, currency conversion	From $600/mo; custom pricing
NinjaCat	AI-powered features, cloud storage, white-labeling	From $1,500/mo; custom pricing
Dataddo	300+ connectors, auto-syncing, no-code setup	From $129/mo; free plan avail

Windsor.ai and Funnel.io are two popular third-party connectors for Meta accounts

Handy Instagram Ads Dimensions

Instagram’s visual posts and social features give you tracking tools other platforms can only try to copy. By following the right dimensions, you can see which audiences, ad types, and placements actually drive results for each client.

Campaign Structure Dimensions

These show how each layer of your Instagram campaigns — from overall campaign to individual ad sets and creatives — is performing, so you can see what’s actually working and where to focus your efforts.

Dimension	What It Shows	How It Helps Your Clients
Campaign name	Performance across different Instagram campaigns	Shows which campaign strategies work
Ad set name	Individual audience and targeting performance	Shows which audiences convert most
Ad name	Individual creative performance	Identifies which messages and visuals resonate
Objective	Performance by campaign goal (awareness, traffic, conversions)	Shows which Instagram goals drive the best ROI

Creative and Format Dimensions

Instagram offers a wide mix of ad formats — from single images to carousels to Reels — but not every format works the same for every audience. Tracking which creative types actually capture attention and drive action lets you stop guessing and start putting your ad dollars where they count.

Dimension	What It Shows	How It Helps Your Clients
Ad format	Single image vs. carousel vs. video vs. collection performance	Shows which creative formats work best
Creative type	Static vs. video vs. carousel breakdown	Helps optimize ad creatives and use only the best-performing types
Call-to-action	Performance by CTA button, like Learn more or Shop now	Shows which CTAs convert users best
Ad placement	Feed vs. Stories vs. Reels vs. Explore performance	Shows where on Instagram’s platform ads perform best

Audience Demographics

These dimensions don’t just spit out numbers — they show you who is paying attention and actually reacting to your ads. Without them, you’re just guessing which audiences matter and which ones are wasting your client’s budget.

Dimension	What It Shows	How It Helps Your Clients
Age	Performance by age groups, for example, 18-24 years old	Shows which age ranges engage most with ads
Gender	Male vs. female performance	Informs creative and targeting decisions for gender-specific ads
Location	Geographic performance breakdown	Highlights high-performing regions for budget allocation
Language	Performance by audience language	Helps optimize campaigns for multilingual or international markets

Device and Technical Dimensions

Technical dimensions reveal how your Instagram audience engages with ads across devices, placements, and formats to show what works best and help optimize campaigns.

Dimension	What It Shows	How It Helps
Device type	Mobile vs. desktop (though Instagram is mostly mobile)	Helps optimize creatives for mobile usage
Platform	Instagram vs. Facebook performance for cross-platform campaigns	Shows where to allocate budget between platforms
Publisher platform	Breakdown by Meta property (Instagram, Facebook, Messenger)	Optimizes placement mix across Meta’s ecosystem

Time-based Dimensions

Time-based dimensions show when your audience is actually paying attention. It’s not just about who sees your ads, but whether they see them at the right moment to click, sign up, or buy.

Dimension	What It Shows	How It Helps
Date	Daily ad performance trends	Identifies trends and helps adjust campaigns in real time
Day of week	Which days generate the best Instagram engagement	Guides scheduling to focus on the most responsive days
Hour	When Instagram audiences respond best	Fine-tunes delivery for peak user activity
Month	Seasonal performance trends	Helps plan budgets and campaigns around seasonal spikes

How to Automate Instagram Ads Reporting in Looker Studio

Nobody ever started a marketing agency just to spend hours fixing broken spreadsheets. If you’re still pulling numbers from Ads Manager by hand, you’re wasting time you could spend on strategy or performance optimization. To start saving time, follow these steps:

Step 1: Automate Data Refreshes

Get your Looker Studio reports to update automatically so you’re not manually refreshing data every all the time.

1. Open your Instagram report in Looker Studio.
2. Select Resource from the top menu, then click Manage added data sources.
3. Find your Instagram connector and click Edit.
4. Scroll to Data freshness settings.
5. Set your refresh frequency. For time-sensitive campaigns, choose 15 minutes. To save resources, select 12 hours.
6. Click Set data freshness and save.

Step 2: Schedule Report Delivery

Set up automated delivery and let Looker do the work. Your client will automatically get their reports straight to their email inbox.

1. Choose the report that you want to send automatically.
2. Click the arrow button next to Share, then select the Schedule delivery icon.
3. Choose a date and preferred time you want to start sending your performance reports.
4. Tweak the Repeat options to adjust delivery frequency.
5. Enter all the emails that need to get the report.
6. Click Schedule, and your report will go out automatically at the set time.

Step 3: Use Calculated Fields

Most connectors give you only basic metrics. When clients want zero in on more granular data like Reels engagement rates, calculated fields are your friend. 

Here’s an example:

1. Open your client report in Looker Studio.
2. In the top menu, click Resource → Manage added data sources.
3. Find the Instagram Ads data source and click Edit.
4. In the upper right, click + Add a Field.
5. Name your field (e.g., Reels Engagement Rate).
6. Enter the formula: (Reel_likes + Reel_comments + Reel_shares) / Reel_views * 100
7. Click Save, then Done.

Tip: Use this version when some Reels might have zero views. Without it, Looker Studio would throw an error: 

CASE

  WHEN Reel_views = 0 THEN 0

  ELSE (Reel_likes + Reel_comments + Reel_shares) / Reel_views * 100

END

This ensures the engagement rate returns 0 instead of causing an error.
Also set the Type to Percent for charts.

Step 4: Automate Cross-channel Reporting

Combine Instagram data with data from Google Ads, TikTok, LinkedIn Ads, and other platforms to show complete performance without manual data merge.

1. Open your report in Looker Studio.
2. Click Resource → Manage added data sources.
3. If needed, click + Add a Data Source to add other platforms.
4. Ensure your metrics align across platforms.
   Click Manage blends → + Add a Blend.
5. Pick your primary source (for example, Instagram).
   Choose your alignment dimension (for example, Date) and add all relevant metrics.
6. Click Join another table to add another platform.
7. Repeat Step 8 for any additional platforms you want to include.
8. Click Save.

How to Fix Common Instagram Integration Errors

Since Google leaves Instagram integration to third-party data connectors, you might run into mismatched fields, broken connections, or missing metrics. Fix these issues with a few quick checks and adjustments.

Missing or Incomplete Data

When your connector stops working or Facebook’s API faces clitches, you’ll see gaps in your data. Instagram data can take 24-48 hours to finalize, but you can check a few things while waiting for data to refresh.

Start by checking your data connector:

1. Log into your connector’s dashboard.
2. Try refreshing data manually to see if there’s an issue.
3. If data is still outdated, disconnect your Instagram account from the connector and reconnect it.

If everything’s set on your third-party connector’s side, then move to the Looker Studio side:

1. Open your report.
2. Click Resource > Manage added data sources.
3. Find your Instagram connector, click Remove, then reconnect it.
4. Wait for data to load and verify the latest numbers.

Authorization and Permission Errors

Authorization and permission errors usually happen when Facebook permissions change or Instagram Business accounts disconnect.

First of all, check for authentication issues:

Check for authentication issues:

1. Log in to your connector’s platform.
2. Disconnect your Facebook account and reauthorize it.
3. If the report still shows issues, verify that your ad account permissions on Meta haven’t changed. You need at least an Advertiser or Admin role.
4. Make sure the ad account is connected to the Instagram account you’re running ads from.
5. Clear your browser cache and reauthenticate your connector.

Timeouts and Slow Loading

Looker Studio is infamous for its crashes and laggy performance when working with bigger datasets. To speed things up:

1. Limit reports to 60–90 days of data.
2. Review metrics and blended data sources, removing fields that aren’t used or reported frequently.
3. Split large reports into separate pages — for example, create tabs for Stories campaigns, Reels performance, and a general overview.

Missing Data Source Error

Your report is working fine, then it suddenly shows a Missing data source error. This means Looker Studio can’t find the data feeding your charts.

The easiest way to fix this issue is by reconnecting your data source:

1. Open your report.
2. Go to Resource > Manage added data sources.
3. Find the broken source and click Edit.
4. Click Edit Connection or Reconnect.
5. Re-authenticate your Instagram connection.
6. If the data structure has changed, click Refresh Fields, then Apply.
7. Ensure the source is connected to all widgets in the report.
8. For multiple affected charts, select them (Ctrl+Shift) and assign the source to all at once.

Alternatives to Instagram Ads and Looker Studio Reporting

Marketing agencies have enough demands on their time without dealing with manual CSV imports or troubleshooting Looker’s Missing data source errors every few days. Imagine running 20 Instagram ad accounts and losing hours just untangling connector issues — his is where smarter, purpose-built platforms save your sanity and your team’s time.

Platforms Built for Agencies

Looker Studio works for a handful of clients, but managing 20 or more Instagram ad accounts requires a platform that scales without drowning you in spreadsheets. Swydo, for example, is built for marketing agencies, streamlines reporting, and makes Instagram Ads reporting way less painful. Instead of building everything from scratch like in Looker Studio, Swydo does a lot of the work for you with these built-in features: 

• Ready-to-use templates save hours of setup.
• Automated data import and report scheduling keeps metrics up-to-date without manual downloads.
• Cross-platform reporting lets you combine Instagram data with TikTok Organic, Google Analytics 4, Facebook Insights, and other platforms in a single dashboard.

Facebook Ads Manager

Facebook Ads Manager is another alternative for Instagram ad reporting that skips all the issues with third-party connectors. Since Instagram ads run through Facebook’s advertising platform, Ads Manager gives you native access to all your Instagram campaign data.

Use it to download campaign reports with precision:

1. Log in to Facebook Ads Manager and select the correct ad account.
2. Click the left-side menu and choose Ads Reporting.
3. Filter by Instagram under Placements or Platforms.
4. Customize columns to track the metrics you need, e.g., impressions, reach, conversions.
5. Click Export in the top-right corner.
6. Name your file, choose a format, and optionally include a summary row.
7. Click Export again to download your report.

Remember: While Ads Manager gives precise Instagram campaign data, it doesn’t combine metrics from TikTok or Google Analytics 4. For agencies managing multiple platforms, a connector-based tool still saves time.

Specialized Instagram Tools

Several platforms specialize in social media monitoring and reporting. Most focus on organic Instagram content, so they’re best suited for agencies managing both content marketing and paid ad campaigns. Explore these alternatives:

Reporting Platform	Features	Pricing
Social Status	Social media reporting, ads tracking, competitor benchmarking, and influencer performance tracking in one platform	From $9/month, free plan available
Brandwatch	Collects data from social media platforms, daily conversation tracking, AI-powered data segmentation, and analysis	Custom pricing, contact Sales
YouScan	Visual listening, image recognition, sentiment analysis, and brand mention tracking	From $299/month
Hootsuite	Social media scheduling, content management, team collaboration, basic analytics dashboard, and post engagement tracking	From $99/month, free trial available

Work Less, Know More: Instagram Reporting That Scales

Integrating Instagram ads with Looker Studio can be tricky because Meta doesn’t provide a direct connection. You have two main approaches:

1. Manual CSV export: free but time-consuming and error-prone
2. Third-party connectors: automate data flow but require setup and monitoring

Facebook Ads Manager provides direct access to Instagram campaign data without connectors, while social media marketing platforms offer specialized reports — most focusing on organic content rather than paid ads.

Choose a platform based on your agency’s needs:

• Test tools across different price points, including Looker Studio’s free version.
• Evaluate how well each platform integrates with your workflow.
• Match reporting capabilities to client expectations, e.g., some clients want multi-platform dashboards, others only Instagram campaign data.

Want to see how a reporting tool made for marketing agencies can speed up and optimize social reporting? Give Swydo a try free for 14 days. 

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