Geo dimension reference

Understand the supported geographic field types.

Geographic fields help you visualize your data in maps. The type of geographic dimension selected for a chart determines how your data will be plotted on the map. For example, to plot your data by city, select a dimension containing city names or valid city codes. To see your data plotted by country, select a dimension containing country names or codes. The actual values used to encode the geographic information must conform to the relevant standard used for that dimension, if any. Some geographic types can only be used in specific data source types.

This article defines the geo dimension types supported by Data Studio, along with notes for how to use these in Geo maps and Google Maps.

Address
  • Available in: Google Maps
  • Encoding: n/a

Usage notes

For accuracy, addresses should be complete, for example: 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043. For a partial address ("1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy"), Google Maps might not be able to resolve the city, region, or country.

City
  • Available in: Geo maps, Google Maps
  • Encoding: n/a (Specify the city by name, e.g., "Paris")

Usage notes

Geo maps plot the City field types with map markers, rather than shaded regions, with larger markers representing greater metric values than smaller markers as shown in the image below.
Geo map example showing city markers.

Geo map zoom areas supported

World, Continent, Sub Continent, Country, Region

Because city names are not unique, you should use the Geo maps zoom area to narrow down the map area and avoid duplication.

Data limits

For Geo maps using non-Google Analytics data sources, only the top 50 rows of data are plotted. This helps minimize the chance of erroneous data due to city name duplication.

Google Analytics data sources automatically provide the latitude and longitude for the city dimension. This lets Data Studio accurately map city locations, which in turn allows it to plot the top 500 rows of data.

Google Maps have a limit of 1,000 geocoded locations.

City Code

Usage notes

Similar to the City dimension, Geo maps plot the City ID field types with map markers, rather than shaded regions, with larger markers representing greater metric values than smaller markers.

Geo map zoom areas supported

World, Continent, Sub Continent, Country, Region

Data limits

Only the top 500 rows of data can be plotted for this field type in a Geo map.

Google Maps have a limit of 1,000 geocoded locations.

Continent
  • Available in: Geo maps, Google Maps
  • Encoding: n/a

Usage notes

Setting a field to type Geo > Continent in non-Google Analytics data source types will cause charts using that field to display the error message, "Specified data cannot be rendered."

Geo map zoom areas supported

World

Continent ID

Geo map zoom areas supported

World

Country
  • Available in: Geo maps, Google Maps
  • Encoding: n/a (Specify the country by name, e.g., "France")

Usage notes

Geo map zoom areas supported

World, Continent, Sub Continent

Country Code

Usage notes

Geo map zoom areas supported

World, Continent, Sub Continent

Latitude Longitude
  • Available in: Geo maps, Google Maps
  • Encoding: Comma separated latitude and longitude decimal values (e.g., "51.5074,-0.1278" specifies to London, England)

Usage notes

Geo map zoom areas supported

World, Continent, Sub Continent, Country, Region

Data limits

Google Maps supports up to 10,000 latitude-longitude values.

Metro Code

Usage notes

Metro Code is only available in Google Analytics data sources. Setting a field to type Geo > Metro Code in other data source types will cause charts using that field to display the error message, "Specified data cannot be rendered."

Metro and Metro codes are used to plot media markets (also known as DMA Regions). These geo field types are only available for the United States. Metro codes for the US start with 200.

Geo map zoom areas supported

Country, Region

Metro
  • Available in: Geo maps, Google Maps
  • Encoding: n/a

Usage notes

Metro is only available in Google Analytics data sources. Setting a field to type Geo > Metro in other data source types will cause charts using that field to display the error message, "Specified data cannot be rendered."

Metro and Metro codes are used to plot media markets. These geo field types are only available for the United States.

Geo map zoom areas supported

Country, Region

Postal Code
  • Available in: Google Maps
  • Encoding: n/a

Usage notes

Postal Code can be a U.S. ZIP code (for example, 94043) or an international postal code (example: L4L 9H8).

Region
  • Available in: Geo maps, Google Maps
  • Encoding: n/a (Specify the region by name, e.g., "California")

Usage notes

Regions correspond to province or state.

Geo map zoom areas supported

Country

Region is not available for the following countries:

Region excluded countries

  • AC
  • AI
  • AQ
  • AS
  • AW
  • AX
  • BL
  • BM
  • BV
  • CC
  • CK
  • CP
  • CW
  • CX
  • DG
  • EA
  • EH
  • FK
  • FO
  • GF
  • GG
  • GI
  • GP
  • GS
  • GU
  • HK
  • HM
  • IC
  • IM
  • IO
  • JE
  • KE
  • KY
  • MC
  • MF
  • MO
  • MP
  • MQ
  • MS
  • MT
  • NC
  • NF
  • NU
  • PF
  • PM
  • PN
  • PR
  • PS
  • RE
  • SG
  • SJ
  • SX
  • TA
  • TC
  • TF
  • TK
  • TW
  • UM
  • VA
  • VG
  • VI
  • WF
  • WS
  • XK
  • YT

Region Code
  • Available in: Geo maps, Google Maps
  • Encoding: ISO 3166-2 code (e.g., "US-AL" for Alabama)

Usage notes

Regions correspond to province or state.

Geo map zoom areas supported

Country

Region Code is not available for the following countries:

Region Code excluded countries

  • AC
  • AI
  • AQ
  • AS
  • AW
  • AX
  • BL
  • BM
  • BV
  • CC
  • CK
  • CP
  • CW
  • CX
  • DG
  • EA
  • EH
  • FK
  • FO
  • GF
  • GG
  • GI
  • GP
  • GS
  • GU
  • HK
  • HM
  • IC
  • IM
  • IO
  • JE
  • KE
  • KY
  • MC
  • MF
  • MO
  • MP
  • MQ
  • MS
  • MT
  • NC
  • NF
  • NU
  • PF
  • PM
  • PN
  • PR
  • PS
  • RE
  • SG
  • SJ
  • SX
  • TA
  • TC
  • TF
  • TK
  • TW
  • UM
  • VA
  • VG
  • VI
  • WF
  • WS
  • XK
  • YT

Sub Continent
  • Available in: Geo maps, Google Maps
  • Encoding: n/a

Usage notes

Sub Continent is only available in Google Analytics data sources. Setting a field to type Geo > Sub Continent in other data source types will cause charts using that field to display the error message, "Specified data cannot be rendered."

Geo map zoom areas supported

World, Continent

Sub Continent Code

Usage notes

Geo map zoom areas supported

World, Continent
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