Publish, republish and unpublish
Updated 2026-11-13
How to put a service online, how to bring later changes to your callers, how to take a service offline, and what callers see at each step.
Draft and published
A service has two states. A Draft (Entwurf) exists only in your account and cannot be called. A Published (Veröffentlicht) service answers API calls, AI assistants, web apps and automation tools.
Publishing takes a copy of the saved service. Later edits change the draft, not that copy. Callers get your changes only after you publish again.
Publish a service
- Define at least one input, output or AI area. Without one, the Publish button is disabled.
- Click Save (Speichern) if the button shows it. See Save your changes.
- Click Publish (Veröffentlichen) at the top right.
- Wait for the message "Service published.".
The button now shows Published (Veröffentlicht) with a green dot. The API, Apps and Usage (Nutzung) tabs open up. The service answers at its address at once; see Call a service over the API.
On a small screen the same actions are in the menu with the three dots: Publish this service, Republish this service, Unpublish this service.
Republish after changes
- Make your changes and click Save. Next to the Published button an orange dot with Unpublished changes (Unveröffentlichte Änderungen) appears: callers still get the published version. In a narrow window only the dot is shown.
- Click Published and choose Republish (Neu veröffentlichen).
- Wait for the message "Service republished. New calls use the new version.". The orange dot disappears.
The address, the service ID and the tokens stay the same. Callers do not need to change anything unless you renamed or removed inputs or outputs; see Rename, reorder, remove.
The next call is answered by the new version: results stored for the previous version are no longer used, and answers are not stored by browsers or networks. See Caching and performance.
Unpublish
- Click Published and choose Unpublish (Deaktivieren).
- The service is a draft again, right away. There is no extra confirmation.
From then on every call answers HTTP 404 with "Service not found or not published". The workbook, the parameters, the settings and the tokens stay in your account. Publish again and the service answers at the same address with the same tokens.
What callers see
| Your action | What callers get |
|---|---|
| Edit and save, no republish | The published version, unchanged |
| Publish | Answers from the service, from now on |
| Republish | The new version, from the next call on |
| Unpublish | HTTP 404 "Service not found or not published" |
| Create the first token, or revoke the last one | The token requirement changes at once, without republishing |
When publishing is refused
- "Please save your changes before publishing": click Save first.
- "Please define at least one input, output, or editable area": add a parameter in the Configuration (Konfiguration) tab.
- Workbook Required for Publishing: the workbook is not loaded in this session. Click Switch to Configuration (Zur Konfiguration wechseln), wait for the workbook, then click Publish again.
- "Your plan includes one published service": the Basic plan has one published service. Unpublish the other one or upgrade. See The published services limit.
Republishing a service that is already published is always possible within your plan. More cases are in Publish problems.
Related
For developers and agents
- Only a published service can be called. A draft, an unpublished service and an unknown ID all answer
404with{"error": "Not found", "message": "Service not found or not published"}. - Publishing again keeps the service ID, the execute address
https://spreadapi.io/api/v1/services/{serviceId}/execute, the short addresshttps://spreadapi.run/{serviceId}and all tokens. - Results stored for the previous version are not used after a republish. Answers are not stored by browsers or networks (
Cache-Control: no-store), so the next call gets the new version. - Settings such as name, description, caching and Excel export reach callers with the next publish. The token requirement is the exception and applies immediately.
FAQ
How do I publish my service?
Save your changes, then click Publish at the top right of the service page. The button turns into Published and the service can be called at once.
I changed my workbook but the API still returns the old result. Why?
Saving changes the draft only. Click Published, then Republish, and callers get the new version with their next call.
Does the address or the token change when I republish?
No. The service ID, the address and all tokens stay the same.
What happens to callers when I unpublish?
Every call answers HTTP 404 with "Service not found or not published" until you publish again. Nothing in your account is deleted.
Are my tokens lost when I unpublish?
No. The tokens stay with the service and work again as soon as you publish it again.
Why is the Publish button grey?
The service has no input, output or AI area yet. Add at least one in the Configuration tab, save, then publish.
Why can I not publish a second service?
The Basic plan includes one published service. Unpublish the other service or upgrade to Pro; see The published services limit.
How long does it take until a republished change is visible?
The new version is used from the next call on. Results stored for the previous version are no longer used.
As an agent, how do I tell a draft from a wrong service ID?
You cannot from the call alone: both answer HTTP 404 "Service not found or not published". Ask the owner to check the ID and that the service shows Published.
Where is Republish? I only see a Published button.
Click the Published button; it opens a menu with Republish and Unpublish. If the button shows Save instead, save first.