> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.workshop.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Google Sheets

> Connect public or private Google Sheets to Workshop for spreadsheet data access.

## Overview

Workshop supports two modes for connecting Google Sheets:

| Mode              | Authentication           | Best For                                             |
| ----------------- | ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| **Public Sheet**  | Sheet URL only           | Non-sensitive data shared via "Anyone with the link" |
| **Private Sheet** | GCP Service Account JSON | Confidential data restricted to specific accounts    |

Choose the tab below that matches your use case.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Public Sheet">
    ## Public Google Sheet

    Use this mode when your sheet is shared with **"Anyone with the link"** and contains non-sensitive data. No API keys or service accounts required — just the URL.

    ### What You'll Need

    | Credential          | Description                                  |
    | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
    | **Spreadsheet URL** | The sharing link to your public Google Sheet |

    ### Making Your Sheet Public

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open your Google Sheet">
        Navigate to your Google Sheet in the browser.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Open sharing settings">
        Click the **Share** button in the top-right corner.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Set to public">
        Under **General access**, change from "Restricted" to **"Anyone with the link"**. Set permission to **Viewer**. Click **Done**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Copy the URL">
        Copy the URL from your browser's address bar. It looks like:

        ```
        https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BxiMVs0XRA5nFMdKvBdBZjgmUUqptlbs74OgvE2upms/edit#gid=0
        ```
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    ### Connecting to Workshop

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open Hub > Connectors">
        Open the **Workshop Hub** and click **Connectors**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Select Public Google Sheet">
        Click the **Public Google Sheet** card.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Enter details">
        Enter a **Connection Name** (e.g., "Product Catalog") and paste your **Spreadsheet URL**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Save">
        Click **Add Connection**.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    Workshop accepts URLs in any standard Google Sheets format (`/edit`, `/view`, or just the sheet ID path).

    ### Security Considerations

    <Warning>
      When you make a sheet public, anyone with the URL can view all data in it. Treat the URL as a credential.
    </Warning>

    Public sheets are appropriate for sample datasets, publicly available information, and shared reference materials. Avoid making sheets public if they contain personal information, financial data, or business-sensitive content.

    To revoke public access, change the sheet back to **Restricted** in sharing settings.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Private Sheet">
    ## Private Google Sheet

    Use this mode when your sheet is restricted to specific users and contains sensitive or confidential data. Requires a Google Cloud Platform (GCP) service account.

    <Warning>
      **Requires a Google Cloud project.** Accessing private sheets requires a GCP service account, which involves creating a project and sharing your sheet with the service account email. If you prefer simpler setup, consider making your sheet public and using the Public mode instead.
    </Warning>

    ### What You'll Need

    | Credential               | Description                                |
    | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
    | **Spreadsheet URL**      | The full URL of your Google Sheet          |
    | **Service Account JSON** | A JSON key file from Google Cloud Platform |

    ### Setting Up Access

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Create a GCP project">
        Go to the [Google Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.com). Click **Select a project > New Project**, enter a name (e.g., "Workshop Sheets Access"), and click **Create**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Enable the Google Sheets API">
        Go to **APIs & Services > Library**, search for **"Google Sheets API"**, and click **Enable**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Create a service account">
        Go to **IAM & Admin > Service Accounts**, click **Create Service Account**, enter a name (e.g., "Workshop Sheets Reader"), and click **Create and Continue**. Select the **Viewer** role, then click **Done**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Download the JSON key">
        Click on the service account, go to the **Keys** tab, click **Add Key > Create new key**, select **JSON**, and click **Create**. The file downloads automatically. Note the `client_email` field inside it.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Share your sheet with the service account">
        Open your Google Sheet, click **Share**, paste the service account's `client_email` (looks like `name@project.iam.gserviceaccount.com`), set permission to **Viewer**, uncheck "Notify people", and click **Share**.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    <Info>
      The `client_email` in your JSON file looks like: `your-service-account@your-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com`. You must share your sheet with this email for the connection to work.
    </Info>

    ### Connecting to Workshop

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open Hub > Connectors">
        Open the **Workshop Hub** and click **Connectors**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Select Private Google Sheet">
        Click the **Private Google Sheet** card.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Enter details">
        Enter a **Connection Name**, paste the **Spreadsheet URL**, and paste the full contents of your **Service Account JSON** key file.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Save">
        Click **Add Connection**.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    ### Security Considerations

    * The service account only has access to sheets explicitly shared with it
    * Share with **Viewer** permission unless Workshop needs to write data
    * Once connected, you can delete the JSON key file from your downloads — Workshop stores credentials securely
    * To revoke access, remove the service account email from the sheet's sharing settings
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Using Your Connection

Once connected (either mode), ask Workshop to work with your spreadsheet data:

```
Show me the first few rows from my spreadsheet
```

```
Using my Google Sheet connection, create a summary of all entries in column A
```

```
Create a chart from my Google Sheet data showing sales by month
```

### Working with Multiple Tabs

If your spreadsheet has multiple tabs, specify which one:

```
Show me data from the "Sales Q4" tab in my spreadsheet
```

By default, Workshop reads from the first sheet if no tab name is specified.

<Info>
  Workshop works best with spreadsheets under 10,000 rows. For very large datasets, consider using a [database connector](/connectors/databases) or [BigQuery](/connectors/data-warehouses) instead.
</Info>

## Troubleshooting

| Issue                                     | Solution                                                                                       |
| ----------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| "Unable to access spreadsheet" (public)   | Verify the sheet is set to "Anyone with the link". Try opening the URL in an incognito window. |
| "Permission denied" (private)             | Ensure the sheet is shared with the service account `client_email`.                            |
| "Invalid JSON" (private)                  | Verify you copied the entire JSON file contents without extra characters.                      |
| "Google Sheets API not enabled" (private) | Enable the Google Sheets API in your GCP project and wait a few minutes.                       |

## Learn More

* [Google Sheets API Documentation](https://developers.google.com/sheets/api)
* [Creating Service Accounts](https://cloud.google.com/iam/docs/service-accounts-create)
* [Sharing Google Sheets](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/2494822)