Template Data Sources

A template data source is a BigQuery table or Google Sheets tab you register once with a shared schema, then reuse across clients in report templates. Turn on Make this data source a template when you create the source so every linked client report can resolve the same fields — while each client still points at its own project, table, or spreadsheet.

This is different from custom fields with Enable for All Clients. That toggle makes a formula available account-wide. Template data sources make an external dataset safe for templates, then bind a physical location per client in Client Config.

At a glance

• Use Make this data source a template when the dataset should appear in report templates.
• The definition (name, columns, types, roll-ups) is shared. Client Config holds each client's BigQuery or Sheets location.
• Active Data Sources shows Configured or Needs setup based on whether Client Config is complete.
• Client-only sources (toggle off) stay on one client and cannot be used in report templates.
• Native platforms (Google Ads, GA4, Meta, …) do not use this toggle — only BigQuery and Google Sheets external datasets.

Why templates need this

Report templates can only reference fields and data sources that resolve for every linked client. If a template chart used a BigQuery source that only existed for one client, linking the template to other clients would break.

Turning Make this data source a template on:

1. Saves an account-wide definition (shared schema).
2. Makes the source selectable when editing a report template.
3. Still requires each client to complete Client Config (their own table or sheet).

Leaving the toggle off keeps the source on the current client only. It will not appear in template field pickers.

Concepts

• Dataset definition — Shared schema: display name, columns, types, roll-ups / aggregations, and which columns are hidden.
• Make this data source a template — Create-time toggle. On = account-wide and template-safe. Off = client-only.
• Client Config — Per-client physical location (GCP project + BigQuery dataset + table, or spreadsheet + worksheet). Same schema; different data.
• Configured / Needs setup — Status on the Active Data Sources card — whether that client's Client Config is complete.

End-to-end flow

1. Define the schema — From Data Sources, add BigQuery or Google Sheets. Turn on Make this data source a template. Load columns, set types and roll-ups, hide unused columns, then save.
2. Client Config — On each client's Active Data Sources, open the highlighted card → Client Config. Bind that client's project/table or spreadsheet/tab.
3. Edit a report template — Use fields from the template data source in charts and tables (alongside native and custom fields).
4. Link the template to a client — Jepto checks that every template data source has a complete Client Config for that client. If a binding is missing, linking is blocked until you finish setup.

Create a template data source

From All Clients

1. Set the client switcher to All Clients.
2. Go to Data Sources → BigQuery or Google Sheets.
3. Pick the client to start from (same client-select flow as other data sources).
4. Connect the account, enter the location used to discover columns, load columns, and map types / roll-ups.
5. Turn on Make this data source a template.
6. Save.

From a specific client

1. Select the client.
2. Go to Data Sources → BigQuery or Google Sheets.
3. Complete the create drawer as above.
4. Turn the template toggle on if the source should be reusable in report templates; leave it off for a one-client source only.

BigQuery location fields

• Google Cloud Platform account — Active GCP connection with BigQuery access
• Project — GCP project (from your connected account)
• Dataset — BigQuery dataset name
• Table — BigQuery table name

Use a representative table when discovering columns. Each client can later bind a different project/dataset/table in Client Config as long as the column schema matches.

Google Sheets location fields

• Google account — Connected Google account with Drive / Sheets access
• Spreadsheet — Spreadsheet ID (or picker when available)
• Worksheet — Tab / sheet name
• Header row — Row that contains column headers

Same pattern: discover schema once; bind each client's spreadsheet or tab in Client Config.

Client Config

Client Config does not redefine measures. It only stores where that client's data lives.

1. Open the client → Data Sources.
2. Find the template data source card (status may show Needs setup).
3. Open Client Config.
4. Choose the account / project (or spreadsheet) and enter dataset + table (or worksheet).
5. Save. Status should move to Configured.

Do this for every client that will receive a linked report from a template that uses the source.

Using template data sources in report templates

While editing a template report:

• Field pickers include native sources, custom fields that are account-wide, and template data sources.
• Client-only external datasets stay unavailable so the template cannot depend on one client.

When you link the template to a client, Jepto verifies:

• Required native sources are connected for that client.
• Every template data source used by the template has complete Client Config.

If something is missing, finish Client Config (or connect the native source) before creating the linked report. Jepto fails closed — it will not create a half-broken linked report.

Template data source vs Enable for All Clients

• Make this data source a template — BigQuery / Sheets create drawer. Shares an external dataset schema. Each client still completes Client Config (table / sheet). Used for report templates that query customer BigQuery or Sheets.
• Enable for All Clients — Data Model → custom field. Shares a formula field definition. Usually no per-client location step. Used for shared custom metrics / dimensions.

See also: Data Model — Enable for All Clients.

Tips

1. Turn the template toggle on early if you know the source will power a multi-client report template.
2. Keep schemas aligned across client tables or sheets — same column names and types so Client Config stays a location swap.
3. Finish Client Config before linking — Configured status means that client is ready.
4. Name definitions for humans — "Offline orders" beats a raw table id in Active Data Sources and the field picker.
5. Don't confuse this with Data Warehouse — Warehouse pipelines export to BigQuery. Template data sources register a customer table or sheet as a Jepto analytics source.

Troubleshooting

• Toggle off and cannot use source in a template — Recreate with Make this data source a template on, or keep the source client-only.
• Card shows Needs setup — Open Client Config and complete project/table or spreadsheet/worksheet.
• Cannot link template to a client — Complete Client Config for every template data source the template uses; confirm native sources are connected.
• Columns look wrong after binding another client's table — Confirm the client table/sheet matches the shared schema (names and types).
• Looking for warehouse export tables — Use Data Warehouse docs — that flow is separate from registering an external dataset here.