How to fix an error caused by an invalid field combination in Looker Studio | Porter Metrics

How to fix an error caused by an invalid field combination in Looker Studio

What should I do with an invalid combination of dimensions and metric

If you're seeing an error message in your charts that says invalid combination of dimensions and metrics, don’t worry. This error is pretty common and pops up when you’re trying to show data in the same table that doesn’t belong to the same category or entity. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you fix it.

Step 1: Spot the error

Click on “View details” in the error message on your table.
Looker Studio will tell you that the problem is an invalid combination of fields.

Step 2: Check your table setup

Click "OK" to close the message and check which dimensions and metrics you're using.

In this example, the report includes fields like:

  • Post date

  • Video image

  • Reel image

  • Post image

Step 3: Fix the field combination

The connector APIs work like separate tables.
That’s why you can’t mix metrics and dimensions from different types, like:

  • Page data with post data

  • Video data with reel data or post

To fix the error:

  1. Change Post Date to its generic version (date only).

  2. Remove video and reel fields if you're only working with posts.

  3. Remove page metrics (like page visits) if they're not related.

Step 4: Check that the error is gone

Once you've adjusted the fields correctly, your table should load up just fine.

Step 5: Add relevant metrics (optional)

If you want to add more info to the report, do it carefully.
For example, you can add post reach, as long as you keep the match between dimensions and metrics.

Key tip:

Make sure all the metrics and dimensions in your table come from the same dataset.

You can check this on the right side of your report, under data properties.

If you get an error message saying you mixed non-valid metrics and dimensions, you can do this:

  • Check your table combinations: You can't combine page metrics and dimensions with those from posts or videos.

  • Make sure the data you're trying to show comes from the same set. You can check this on the right panel of the report, in the data properties.

  • Check out our field lists by data source, available in the Products tab on our main page.

  • Read this article with the basics to build charts the right way:
    How to create charts in Looker Studio

Still got questions?

Think it might be a bug?
Contact us by chat or write to us at support@portermetrics.com.
We'll help you out as soon as possible.

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