What a data setup does
Each recommended setup describes the datasets a common source needs, such as GA4 sessions, events and pages. Lens checks your existing Lens tables first, uses them wherever they can serve a dataset, and creates a new table only when one is really needed. The tables are ordinary Lens tables: you can edit, rename or delete them afterwards.
Nothing is connected to a semantic model by the setup. When you create a model, the tables are suggested for you in the editor; see Create a Semantic Model.
Your own data (BigQuery, CSV files, APIs) needs no setup: add it as a Lens table and use it in a semantic model.
The setups
Open Configure > Data Tables and click Recommended Setups, or follow the link on the empty Models page. Each card shows how many datasets it has, how many are required, the most tables it can create, and how many tables are already set up.
| Setup | Datasets (requirement) | New tables it can create | Before you start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echo Web Events | Echo Events (required) | Echo Events, hourly, 30 days | The property's Echo destination to Lens. No credentials |
| GA4 Web Analytics - Data API | Session Performance (required), Event Performance (required), Page Performance (recommended), Ecommerce Performance (optional, stored with sessions) | GA4 Session, Event and Page Performance, daily, 365 days | The TagPipes service account or a Google connection added as a viewer on the GA4 property; the numeric GA4 property ID |
| GA4 Web Analytics - BigQuery Export | GA4 Events (raw) (required), GA4 Sessions rebuilt from events (recommended) | GA4 BigQuery Events and Sessions, daily, 35 days | A Google connection with BigQuery Data Viewer and Job User on the export project; the project and dataset |
| Adobe Analytics - Reports API | Daily Totals (required), Marketing Channel by Day (recommended), Device Type by Day (optional), Page by Day (optional) | One table per breakdown, daily, 365 days | An Adobe connection; report suite ID, global company ID and report suite timezone |
| Google Ads | Campaign Performance (required), Ad Group Performance (optional) | Google Ads Campaign and Ad Group Performance, daily, 365 days | A Google connection with access to the Ads account; the customer ID, and the manager account ID when needed |
| Meta Ads | Campaign Insights (required), Ad Insights (optional) | Meta Campaign Insights (365 days) and Ad Insights (90 days), daily | A Meta connection with ads_read on the ad account; the ad account ID |
| Olo Order Export | Orders (required), Order Line Items (optional) | Olo Orders and Order Line Items, daily, 30 days | An Olo connection |
| Invoca Calls (through Echo) | Calls (required) | Echo Webhook Calls, hourly, 30 days. Marked Partial | An Invoca webhook to the property's Echo HTTP ingest |
Setups with no Lens connector yet are listed under Not Available Yet. A setup page also lists What this source cannot provide, for example that GA4 Data API user totals cannot be added across rows, or that Meta reach and frequency are not stored.
Apply a setup
- Click a setup card. About This Setup repeats what you need before you start.
- Under Datasets and Tables, each dataset is grouped as Required, Recommended or Optional, with a line that says whether an existing table can serve it. Pick one option per dataset:
| Option | What happens |
|---|---|
| Use existing: table | The table is used as it is. Lens records which dataset it serves; nothing else changes |
| Use table by adding its rows up | A more detailed table serves the dataset by summing its rows |
| Add missing fields to table: fields | The listed fields are added to that table. For some sources a full refresh is queued so past days get them |
| Create table (or Create a separate table) | A new table is created with the history shown |
| Skip | Leave the dataset out. Not offered for required datasets |
Each option says why it fits, how much history the table keeps, and which recommended fields it lacks. Why N other tables do not fit explains rejected tables. Review fields, grain and schedule shows what identifies one row, the date column and its time zone, and every field with whether it is required.
- Fill in What Lens Needs From You: the connection and the account IDs your choices need. If your choices only reuse tables, nothing is asked.
- Click Review and Apply. In Apply This Setup?, click Apply and Start First Sync, or Apply Setup to sync later.
- Tables and First Sync lists each table that was created, extended or reused, with links. Click Continue to Semantic Model Setup to build a model on them.
Check it worked
Back on the setup list, the card shows "N tables already set up". Open each new table from Configure > Data Tables and wait for its first sync to finish before relying on it.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| A table "is queued" or "is syncing" and fields were not added | Fields cannot be added while a table syncs. Wait for the sync to finish, then apply again. |
| "the table no longer exists" | The table was deleted after the page loaded. Reload and pick again. |
| Some tables were created and others failed | The results list each failure. Fix the cause (usually a connection or account ID) and apply the setup again; tables already created are offered as Use existing. |
| An existing table keeps less history than recommended | The option says so. Reuse it anyway, or create a separate table with the recommended history. |