Import from Google Sheets

How to start a service from a Google Sheets link, how the service stays linked to that sheet, and how to bring in the latest version later.

What you need

• A Google Sheet that is shared as Anyone with the link. Viewing rights are enough. A sheet that needs a sign-in cannot be read.
• The link of the sheet from your browser's address bar, for example https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/…/edit.

Import a Google Sheet

1. Create a new service and open it. The empty Configuration (Konfiguration) tab shows the ways to begin.
2. Click Import from Google Sheets (Aus Google Sheets importieren).
3. Paste the link into the dialog and click Import sheet (Sheet importieren).
4. Wait for the import to finish. The whole spreadsheet with all its tabs is loaded into the editor.
5. Click Save (Speichern).

A service that still has its automatic name takes the title of the Google Sheet.

The import copies the sheet into the service. From then on calculations run on that copy, on SpreadAPI's servers. Later changes in Google Sheets do not reach the service until you sync.

The link to the sheet

The service remembers which Google Sheet it came from. This link is saved with the workbook when you click Save. While it exists, the three-dots menu (⋮) in the header shows Sync from Google Sheets (Aus Google Sheets synchronisieren).

The link is removed when you replace the workbook with an Excel file through Import from Excel (Excel importieren). The menu entry then disappears.

Refresh from the sheet

A sync is started by you; there is no automatic refresh. It goes one way, from Google Sheets to SpreadAPI.

1. Open the service on the Configuration tab.
2. Open the three-dots menu (⋮) at the right end of the header and choose Sync from Google Sheets.
3. Confirm with Sync now (Jetzt synchronisieren). The dialog reminds you that the workbook data is replaced and that your parameters and settings are preserved.
4. Wait for Synced with the latest Google Sheets version.
5. Click Save, then publish again so callers get the new version.

A sync replaces the whole workbook. Edits you made to the workbook inside SpreadAPI are overwritten, so make lasting changes in the Google Sheet. Your inputs and outputs keep their cell addresses; if you moved cells or renamed tabs in Google Sheets, check them as described in Replace the workbook.

Limits

• Public sheets only. The sheet must be shared as Anyone with the link.
• Size. The imported workbook must fit your plan's workbook size limit; see File size limits.
• Google-only functions. Functions that exist only in Google Sheets, such as GOOGLEFINANCE, IMPORTRANGE or QUERY, are not available and show #NAME?. Replace them with fixed values or with standard functions such as XLOOKUP, FILTER and SUMIFS.
• Apps Script. Scripts attached to the sheet do not run. Rebuild the logic with formulas.

Messages you may see

For developers and agents

• Accepted input: a full Google Sheets link containing /spreadsheets/d/<id>, or the document id alone.
• The import is a one-time copy. Syncing is manual and one-way; nothing is written back to Google Sheets.
• A sync changes the draft only. The published service keeps its published workbook until you save and publish again; see Publish and republish.
• To use a service as a data source inside Google Sheets instead, see Excel and Google Sheets as clients.

FAQ

How do I import a Google Sheet?

Open a new service, click Import from Google Sheets, paste the sheet's link and click Import sheet. The sheet must be shared as Anyone with the link. Then click Save.

Why can't SpreadAPI read my Google Sheet?

The sheet is most likely private. In Google Sheets, open Share and set general access to Anyone with the link, then import again.

Does my service update when I change the Google Sheet?

No. The service works on a copy. To bring in changes, choose Sync from Google Sheets in the three-dots menu (⋮), then save and publish again.

Where is "Sync from Google Sheets"?

It is in the three-dots menu (⋮) at the right end of the header, on the Configuration tab. It only appears for a workbook that was imported from Google Sheets and saved with that link.

Will a sync delete my inputs and outputs?

No. Parameters and settings are preserved; only the workbook data is replaced. If cells moved in the Google Sheet, check that each parameter still points at the right cell.

Can I import a private Google Sheet?

No, only sheets shared as Anyone with the link can be imported. As an alternative, download the sheet from Google Sheets as an Excel file and use Import an Excel file.

Does SpreadAPI write anything back to my Google Sheet?

No. Import and sync only read the sheet. Your Google Sheet is never changed.

Why does a cell show #NAME? after the import?

The cell probably uses a function that exists only in Google Sheets, such as GOOGLEFINANCE, IMPORTRANGE or QUERY. Replace it with a fixed value or a standard function and sync again.

The sync entry disappeared from the menu. Why?

The link to the Google Sheet is removed when the workbook is replaced by an Excel file. To link the service again, import the Google Sheet into a new service.