Parameter issue - Multi-select not available

Looker Q&A Looker Studio
1

Hi

I am using a BigQuery table as a data source, and I am trying to create a parameter to filter by year/month (f.ex. 202401, 202402…). I want the default selection for the parameter to be year to date.

I create the parameter, choose ‘List of values’, set up the values, set the cardinality to ‘Multi-select’ and select the default values and save the parameter. After this I click ‘RECONNECT’ and apply the changes.

The problem is that once the parameter is saved, the multi-select option is gone and the parameter is only single-select. I am not able to create a parameter with multi-select functionality. In my previously created reports this works fine, so I am not sure if it is a new bug or if I am doing something wrong after all.

RE: Parameter issue - Multi-select not available
2

From this page: “Note that parameter controls only support selecting single values.”

3

Hi

Thanks for the reply.

I don’t think this is true as you can see in this screenshot. Unless this is functionality that has been taken away and is now only available in old reports.

multi_select_looker_studio.png
multi_select_looker_studio.png711×713 40.1 KB

4

Interesting. I’ve never seen that, and I use parameters in all my reports! It would be a great feature.

5

@MikkoM

I confirm that it is available and I used it in the past. I will check later if I can reproduce the problem…maybe a regression.

Mehdi

6

@MikkoM

I’ve just created a new example from scratch and it works correctly. The multi select parameter is correctly saved with the default value and I can go back in the data source configuration, everything is kept as saved.

Mehdi_Oudjida_0-1726770322574.png
Mehdi_Oudjida_0-1726770322574.png1062×1492 68.7 KB

For your information, here the custom query (not relevant functionally, just for the technical test).

Mehdi_Oudjida_1-1726770712717.png
Mehdi_Oudjida_1-1726770712717.png1780×388 41.3 KB

And I succeeded to create a control in the report with the default selection and the possibility to change the filter.

I hope it helps.

Mehdi
PS: Multi select parameter is only possible in a BigQuery Custom Query data source because it is not possible to inject arrays in calculated fields in the other data source types, contrary to the array / unnesting management through the SQL.

1 Like
7

Aha, did not realize the example was not a regular Looker Studio parameter created in the data source. Good to know that multi-select parameters can be created with a custom query. Thanks!

1 Like
8

Hi Mehdi

Thanks for your detailed reply.

My issue seems strange, as I am able to follow your steps through until your second screenshot. However after reconnecting to the data set the multi-select functionality is gone.

multi_select_1.png
multi_select_1.png1258×758 49.1 KB

multi_select_2.png
multi_select_2.png1101×751 35.6 KB

9

Very strange…In the popin of the custom query, the parameter is considered before and after reconnecting as an array of string?
I’ve tried to use numeric values with text type and it didn’t break the multi valued parameter for me. So it is not a problem of typing.

Could you share your SQL query please?