Google Sheets API: Import Data to Xano

Hey there! In this tutorial, we'll learn how to consume data from a Google Sheets spreadsheet and add or update it in a Xano database. This can be really handy if you work with Google Sheets frequently and need to integrate that data with your Xano application.

Prerequisites

Before we get started, you'll need to set up a Google Service account with the Google Cloud Console. This is a separate process that won't be covered in this tutorial, but I'll make sure to link the instructions in the video description.

Setting up the Google Service Account

First, let's install the Google Service account snippet in our Xano instance. Once installed, we need to configure a couple of environment variables:

1. Google JSON Key: Go to your Google Cloud Console, navigate to the Service Accounts section, and create a new JSON key. Copy the contents of this JSON file and paste them into the `Google JSON Key` environment variable in Xano.
2. Scopes: The scopes define the permissions for your Google Service account. For this tutorial, we'll use the scope `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/spreadsheets`, which grants read, edit, create, and delete access to your Google Sheets spreadsheets.

After setting these variables, we can test the authentication by running the `Google service account token` function included in the snippet. This should return an access token that we'll use later.

Calling the Google Sheets API

Next, we'll create a new function called `Google Sheet API` and start building our API call. Here are the steps:

1. Get the Spreadsheet ID: Open your Google Sheet and copy the ID from the URL. It's the long string of characters after `/d/` in the URL.
2. Make the API Call: Use the `GET` method and the following URL structure to retrieve the spreadsheet data:

Replace `%S` with your Spreadsheet ID using the `sprintf` filter.

1. Add Authentication Header: In the headers section, add an `Authorization` header with the value `Bearer %S`, where `%S` is the access token we retrieved earlier.
2. Include Grid Data: Add a `params` entry with `includeGridData=true` to ensure we get the actual spreadsheet data in the response.
3. Field Masking: To improve performance and reduce noise, use the `fields` parameter to specify exactly which data you want to retrieve. In our case, we'll use `fields=sheets(data(rowData(values(formattedValue))))` to get only the formatted values from the spreadsheet.

After making the API call, we'll have the raw spreadsheet data in the response. However, it might contain some empty rows or cells that we'll need to handle.

Formatting the Data

To make the data more manageable, we'll create a formatted object with the column headers as keys and the row values as values. Here's how:

1. Extract Headers: Use the `removeFromBeginningOfArray` filter to separate the headers from the data rows and store them in a separate variable called `headers`.
2. Create Formatted Object: Introduce a `forEach` loop to iterate through each data row. Within the loop, use the `createObject` filter to create a new object with the `headers` as keys and the current row's values.
3. Handle Empty Cells: Some cells in the spreadsheet might be empty, which can cause issues when adding data to Xano. We'll use the `setConditional` filter to replace any empty cells with an empty string before creating the formatted object.

After these steps, you'll have a nicely formatted list of objects representing each row in the spreadsheet, ready to be added or updated in your Xano database.

Adding or Updating Records

The final step is to add or update the records in your Xano database using the formatted objects we created. You can either use the `addRecord` function to insert new records or the `addOrEditRecord` function to update existing records based on a unique identifier (like an account ID or email address).

For `addOrEditRecord`, you'll need to specify the field to look up the record on (e.g., `accountId`) and provide the corresponding value from the formatted object.

Running as a Background Task

Working with large amounts of data is best done through a background task in Xano. This way, you can schedule the task to run periodically (e.g., every night at midnight) and process the data without overloading the system.

To set up a background task, simply add your `Google Sheet API` function to a new background task and configure the desired schedule.

Wrapping Up

That's it! You now have a solid foundation for consuming data from Google Sheets and integrating it with your Xano application. Remember, this is a base layer, and you might need to adapt it based on the structure and nuances of your specific spreadsheet.

Feel free to use the `stopAndDebug` function liberally to inspect the data at different stages and make any necessary adjustments. And don't forget to check the Google Sheets API documentation for any limitations or additional features you might want to incorporate.

Happy coding, and let me know if you have any questions!