Google Sheets: triggers unexpectedly or too soon

If your Zap, which uses a Google sheet trigger, runs too soon or expectedly, the subsequent steps might receive missing or incomplete information from the latest created or updated row.

Causes

This can happen for a few reasons:

  • “Any column” monitoring: Selecting “Any column” for monitoring with the New or Updated Spreadsheet Row trigger causes the Zap to execute with every row edit, even minor cell edits, such as filling a blank cell.
  • Incomplete row data: The New Spreadsheet Row trigger can send incomplete data to subsequent Zap steps if Google Sheets autosaves while a row is still being populated.
  • Mid-spreadsheet modifications: Adding or removing a row within the spreadsheet while the Zap is turned on can disrupt the Zap’s data processing.

How to fix it

To resolve this issue, follow these steps:
    • Update the “Trigger column” field. Selecting a specific column to monitor will trigger the Zap only when that column changes.
      • (Optional) Add a column called "Send to Zap" to your spreadsheet and specify it as your column to monitor. Update that column to run the Zap.
    • Enter data for the entire row at once. This prevents Google Sheets from autosaving while you are still filling it out the row.
      • If you cannot enter the entire row at once, switch to the New or Updated Spreadsheet Row trigger and specify a trigger column.
    • Turn off the Zap while making changes to your spreadsheet, such as adding or removing rows. Once you’ve completed your changes, turn your Zap back on.
ratingStar icon Tip

You can add a filter to avoid the Zap triggering on blank rows.

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