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Overview

What it does

Google Sheets integration connects AI tools directly to your Google Sheets, enabling natural language interactions with spreadsheets, data analysis, and automation.Key Features:
  • Create and manage spreadsheets
  • Read and write cell data
  • Execute SQL queries on sheet data
  • Create charts and visualizations
  • Apply formatting to cells
  • Manage worksheets and tabs
  • Aggregate and analyze data
  • Clear and update values by filters

Use Cases

Data Management:
  • Import and organize data from various sources
  • Update records programmatically
  • Maintain inventory and tracking sheets
  • Sync data across multiple sheets
Reporting & Analysis:
  • Generate automated reports
  • Create dashboards with charts
  • Aggregate data with SQL queries
  • Calculate statistics and summaries
Automation:
  • Auto-populate sheets from other systems
  • Create templated spreadsheets
  • Bulk update records
  • Format data for consistency

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Quick Start

1

Connect Your Google Account

NimbleBrain Studio uses OAuth2 to securely connect to your Google account.
  1. Navigate to Connections in the sidebar
  2. Click Browse Catalog
  3. Search for “Google Sheets”
  4. Click Install
  5. Click Connect and authorize with your Google account
  6. Grant the requested permissions for Google Sheets access
OAuth2 provides secure, token-based authentication. You’ll need to authorize access to your Google Sheets data.
2

Verify Connection

Once connected, test the integration:
"List all worksheets in my Sales Report spreadsheet"
Other test prompts:
  • “Create a new spreadsheet called ‘Q4 Budget’”
  • “Get data from cells A1:D10 in my inventory sheet”
  • “Add a new row to my contacts spreadsheet”

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Available Tools

The Google Sheets connection provides 38+ tools organized into the following categories:

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Spreadsheet Management

Create and manage Google Sheets spreadsheets.
ToolDescription
GOOGLESHEETS_CREATE_GOOGLE_SHEET1Create a new Google spreadsheet in Google Drive with a specified title
GOOGLESHEETS_GET_SPREADSHEET_BY_DATA_FILTERRetrieve spreadsheet data filtered by criteria (A1 notation, metadata, grid ranges)
Example Usage:
"Create a new spreadsheet called 'Monthly Expenses 2025'"

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Worksheet Management

Create, find, and manage individual worksheets (tabs) within spreadsheets.
ToolDescription
GOOGLESHEETS_ADD_SHEETAdd a new worksheet to a spreadsheet with optional title, index, and size
GOOGLESHEETS_DELETE_SHEETRemove a worksheet from a spreadsheet
GOOGLESHEETS_FIND_WORKSHEETFind a worksheet by its exact, case-sensitive title
GOOGLESHEETS_LIST_WORKSHEETSList all worksheet names from a spreadsheet
Example Usage:
"Add a new worksheet called 'March Data' to my budget spreadsheet"
Worksheet titles are case-sensitive when using the find operation.

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Data Reading

Retrieve data from spreadsheets using various methods.
ToolDescription
GOOGLESHEETS_BATCH_GETRetrieve data from specified cell ranges using A1 notation
GOOGLESHEETS_GET_SPREADSHEET_BY_DATA_FILTERGet filtered data based on criteria
Example Usage:
"Get all data from cells A1:F100 in my Sales sheet"
Use A1 notation for ranges (e.g., “Sheet1!A1:D10” or “A1:Z100”).

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Data Writing

Write, update, and append data to spreadsheets.
ToolDescription
GOOGLESHEETS_BATCH_UPDATEUpdate cell ranges with new values or append as new rows
GOOGLESHEETS_BATCH_UPDATE_VALUES_BY_DATA_FILTERUpdate values in ranges matching data filter criteria
GOOGLESHEETS_CREATE_SPREADSHEET_ROWInsert empty rows at specified indices
GOOGLESHEETS_CREATE_SPREADSHEET_COLUMNInsert new columns at specified positions
GOOGLESHEETS_APPEND_DIMENSIONAdd empty rows or columns to expand sheet size
Example Usage:
"Add a new row with data: John Smith, [email protected], Sales, $75000"
Use BATCH_UPDATE without a starting position to append data as new rows.

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Data Manipulation

Clear cell contents and delete rows/columns.
ToolDescription
GOOGLESHEETS_CLEAR_VALUESClear cell content (preserves formatting and notes) from a range
GOOGLESHEETS_DELETE_DIMENSIONRemove specified rows or columns from sheets
GOOGLESHEETS_CLEAR_BASIC_FILTERRemove basic filters from a sheet
Example Usage:
"Clear all data from cells B2:D50 in the Report sheet"
Clearing values preserves cell formatting and notes. Use delete operations to remove entire rows/columns.

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SQL Queries

Execute SQL queries against spreadsheet data for powerful data manipulation.
ToolDescription
GOOGLESHEETS_EXECUTE_SQLExecute SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE queries on sheet data
Example Usage:
"Run SQL: SELECT name, email FROM Customers WHERE status = 'Active'"
Supported Operations:
  • SELECT - Query and filter data
  • INSERT - Add new records
  • UPDATE - Modify existing records
  • DELETE - Remove records
Tables are automatically detected from spreadsheet structure. Column headers become field names.

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Data Analysis

Perform calculations and analysis on spreadsheet data.
ToolDescription
GOOGLESHEETS_AGGREGATE_COLUMN_DATASearch rows by column value and perform math operations (sum, avg, count, min, max, percentage)
Example Usage:
"Calculate the sum of column D where column A equals 'Completed'"
Supported Operations:
  • Sum
  • Average
  • Count
  • Minimum
  • Maximum
  • Percentage

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Charts & Visualization

Create visual representations of your data.
ToolDescription
GOOGLESHEETS_CREATE_CHARTGenerate charts using specified data ranges and chart types
Supported Chart Types:
  • BAR
  • LINE
  • AREA
  • COLUMN
  • SCATTER
  • COMBO
  • STEPPED_AREA
Example Usage:
"Create a bar chart from columns A and B showing sales by region"

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Formatting

Apply visual formatting to cells and ranges.
ToolDescription
GOOGLESHEETS_FORMAT_CELLSApply text and background formatting to cell ranges
Example Usage:
"Format cells A1:D1 with bold text and blue background"
Formatting helps create professional-looking reports and dashboards.

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Example Workflows

Scenario: Generate a weekly sales reportPrompt:
"Create a new spreadsheet called 'Weekly Sales Report', add columns for Date, Product, Quantity, Revenue, and add a chart showing revenue by product"
What happens:
  • Creates new spreadsheet
  • Sets up column headers
  • Generates chart visualization
  • Returns spreadsheet link

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Authentication

OAuth2 Authentication: This connection uses OAuth2 for secure authentication.

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How It Works

When you connect Google Sheets in NimbleBrain Studio:
  1. You’ll be redirected to Google’s authorization page
  2. Log in with your Google account
  3. Review and grant permissions
  4. You’re automatically redirected back to Studio

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Required Scopes

The integration requests the following Google Sheets scopes: Spreadsheet Scopes:
  • spreadsheets - Full read/write access to spreadsheets
  • spreadsheets.readonly - Read-only access (if limited access preferred)
Drive Scopes (for spreadsheet creation):
  • drive.file - Access to files created by the app
  • drive - Full Drive access (for browsing existing files)
You can manage connected apps in your Google Account under Security → Third-party apps with account access.

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Rate Limits

Google Sheets API enforces quota limits:
Limit TypeRestriction
Read requests300 per minute per project
Write requests300 per minute per project
Per-user limit60 requests per minute per user
Studio automatically handles rate limiting with exponential backoff for retries.
Best Practices for Rate Limits:
  • Batch multiple operations when possible
  • Use BATCH_GET instead of multiple individual reads
  • Use BATCH_UPDATE for multiple writes
  • Implement appropriate delays for bulk operations

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Troubleshooting

Issue: OAuth authorization didn’t completeSolutions:
  • Ensure you’re logged into the correct Google account
  • Try a different browser or incognito mode
  • Check popup blockers aren’t interfering
  • Verify your Google account is active
  • Clear browser cache and cookies
Issue: Insufficient privileges errorSolutions:
  • Reconnect to grant additional scopes
  • Check you have edit access to the spreadsheet
  • Verify the spreadsheet isn’t restricted
  • For organization accounts, check admin policies
Issue: Cannot find specified spreadsheetSolutions:
  • Verify the spreadsheet ID is correct
  • Ensure you have access to the spreadsheet
  • Check if the spreadsheet was moved or deleted
  • Try using the full spreadsheet URL
Issue: A1 notation range errorSolutions:
  • Use correct A1 notation format (e.g., “Sheet1!A1:D10”)
  • Include sheet name if not using first sheet
  • Verify the range exists in the spreadsheet
  • Check for typos in sheet names (case-sensitive)
Issue: Too many requests errorSolutions:
  • Wait for rate limit to reset (1 minute)
  • Reduce frequency of requests
  • Batch operations together
  • Studio automatically handles retries
Issue: SQL query returns errorSolutions:
  • Verify table/column names match sheet headers
  • Check SQL syntax is correct
  • Ensure data types are compatible
  • Use quotes around string values

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Best Practices

Data Organization

  • Use consistent column headers
  • Keep one data type per column
  • Avoid merged cells in data ranges
  • Use separate sheets for different data types
  • Name sheets descriptively

Performance

  • Batch read/write operations
  • Limit range sizes when possible
  • Use specific ranges vs. entire columns
  • Cache frequently accessed data
  • Use filters to reduce data transfer

Data Integrity

  • Backup important spreadsheets
  • Use data validation where appropriate
  • Test queries on sample data first
  • Avoid concurrent writes to same cells
  • Document sheet structures

Collaboration

  • Set appropriate sharing permissions
  • Use named ranges for clarity
  • Add comments for complex formulas
  • Maintain version history
  • Coordinate updates with team

Google Sheets API Reference

Official Google Sheets API documentation

A1 Notation Guide

Learn about cell range notation

Google Cloud Console

Manage API quotas and credentials
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