Google Sheets
💪 Difficulty: medium
⏳ Time to complete: approx. 5 minutes
💬 Description
In this context, Google Sheets is one of the most helpful Connectors we’ve built. It helps us bring custom and annoying data into your database every day.
Less’ will not use data transferred from Google API’s (as with any other Less data source) unless explicitly requested by the client. Less thus comply with Google API Services User Data Policy.
🤑 Use Case
We use Google Sheets for budgets, financial projections, costs that don’t exist in our accounting system, and many other things. Essentially the Connector can be used for all data that is maintained manually and can’t be extracted with a Connector.
🛠️ Setup
This one is pretty manageable if you are used to working in Google Sheets. If some parts don’t work or the data doesn’t turn out the way you want, please schedule a call and we’ll figure it out together.
Step #1: Authenticate through Google
Right after you click connect you’ll be redirected to the view below. Select the account your Google Sheet is connected to and click “Allow” in the next step. You’re giving Less permission see view your Google Drive and Sheets data.
Step #2: Name your table
Back in Less, you should input what you want to call the table. You can name it whatever you want.
Step #3: Input the sheet URL
Navigate to the sheet you want to extract data from. Copy/Paste the URL into the field that’s called Input Sheet URL.
Step #4: Input data range
A data range is essentially an area in your Google Sheets that contains the data you want to export. You can do this in two ways:
4.1 Directly input a data range
Simply input {{sheetname}!{{starting_column}}:{{ending_column}} in the Less configuration window. If your Google Sheet is called Budget and you want to extract all data in columns A to D, you should input Budget!A:D. Spaces in sheetnames are not a problem.
Note that the sheet name is in the one bottom left-hand corner. Not the one at the top of the document.
Select how often you want your Google Sheet Connector to update and click Save Changes.
4.2 Create a static data range
If you navigate to Data, click something called Named Range (see below)
After clicking Named Range, you’ll the pop-up to the right below.
First (1) input a Name (this is the one you need to input in Less)
Second (2) click the little grid icon and mark the area you want to export. Here is it important that the first row contains the headers of your data table. Also, make sure there is no formatting on the cells (Format → Number → Automatic).
Lastly (3) click Ok and Done. Take the name from (1) and input in Less (in the screenshot that would be Less_Google_Sheet
Select how often you want your Google Sheet Connector to update and click Save Changes.
Last updated
