Why Use Google Sheets as a Data Source?
Google Sheets is one of the most common ways teams manage operational data, tracking spreadsheets, and quick-reference tables. By connecting a Google Sheet to clariBI, your dashboards and reports stay up to date whenever the spreadsheet changes.
Step 1: Start the Connection
Navigate to Data Sources and click Add Source. Select Google Sheets as the data source type.
Click Connect with Google. This opens the Google sign-in and authorization window.
Step 2: Authorize Access
Review the permissions requested:
- See and download your Google Drive files -- read access to the spreadsheet files
- See, edit, create, and delete your spreadsheets -- clariBI requests edit scope for future features but currently uses read-only access
Click Allow. You will be redirected back to clariBI.
Step 3: Select a Spreadsheet
clariBI shows a searchable list of spreadsheets in your Google Drive. You can:
- Search by name to find the spreadsheet quickly
- Browse recent files listed in order of last modified
- Paste a Google Sheets URL directly if you know the exact spreadsheet
Select your spreadsheet and click Continue.
Step 4: Select Sheets (Tabs)
If the spreadsheet has multiple tabs, choose which ones to import. Each tab becomes a separate data table in clariBI.
For each selected tab, clariBI shows a data preview with auto-detected column names and types.
Column Detection
clariBI reads the first row as column headers. If your sheet does not have headers in the first row, toggle First row is data and generic column names will be assigned.
Step 5: Configure Sync
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Sync Frequency | Manual, Hourly, Daily, Weekly |
| Include Empty Rows | On or Off (off by default) |
| Max Rows | Limit the number of rows imported (default: all rows) |
Click Connect to start the initial sync.
Google Drive Files
You can also connect individual Google Drive files (Excel, CSV) stored in Drive:
- Choose Google Drive as the data source type.
- Authorize with the same Google OAuth flow.
- Browse or search for the file.
- The import process works the same as a direct file upload, but clariBI re-pulls the file from Drive on each sync.
This is useful when someone else maintains a file in Drive and you want clariBI to always have the latest version.
Tips for Reliable Connections
- Keep column names consistent. If you rename a column in Google Sheets, dashboards referencing the old name will show errors. Update the column mapping in the data source settings after renaming.
- Avoid merged cells. Merged cells do not translate well to tabular data and can cause column misalignment.
- Use a dedicated data range. If your sheet has notes, headers, or charts above the data, set a named range (e.g.,
DataRange) and specify it in the advanced settings. - Do not move or delete the spreadsheet. If the file is moved to trash or a different Drive location, the sync will fail with a "File not found" error. Reconnect the source if this happens.
Troubleshooting
Authorization fails repeatedly: Clear your browser cookies for accounts.google.com and try again. Some browser extensions interfere with OAuth.
No spreadsheets appear: Make sure you authorized the correct Google account. If the spreadsheet was shared with you (rather than owned by you), it should still appear as long as you have at least Viewer access.
Data does not update: Check the sync frequency setting. If set to Manual, you need to click Sync Now each time the sheet changes.
Wrong columns or data types: Edit the data source settings and adjust column mappings. Re-syncing after mapping changes updates the data immediately.