LLM_Content Work with Google Sheets in Zaps

1) Before you begin: permissions & access

• Triggers & searches: Viewer, Commenter, or Editor access is acceptable.
• Create/Update actions: Require Editor access.
• Google Workspace: Your admin must allow third-party app access for the Google Sheets app connection to work.

2) Sheet structure & data-hygiene rules

• Header row in row 1. Use a single header row with unique, stable column names.
• No merged cells. Avoid merged cells anywhere in the sheet used by the Zap.
• Stable columns. Avoid inserting, deleting, or massively moving columns after your Zap is set up.
• Avoid mass deletes. Deleting many rows can break deduplication and trigger detection.
• One sheet per Zap step. Point each step to a specific spreadsheet + worksheet; keep the data region consistent.

3) Trigger behavior (latency & deduplication)

• Not instant: Google Sheets triggers are polling-based and may take up to ~3 minutes to run.
• Deduplication by row number: New row triggers use the row number to ensure each row runs once. Deleting/adding rows above previously processed data can affect detection.
• Shared Drives nuances: Certain triggers may behave differently when files are on Shared Drives; check troubleshooting if a Zap doesn’t fire as expected.

4) Common actions & patterns

4.1 Create spreadsheet row

Maps fields to columns and appends a new row at the bottom of the worksheet. Ensure column headers match the fields you expect to map.

4.2 Find & update a row

Use “Find Spreadsheet Row” (or “Lookup Spreadsheet Row”), then pass the found Row ID to “Update Spreadsheet Row”. Keep lookup keys unique (e.g., an email or order ID) for reliable updates.

4.3 Create worksheet / new spreadsheet

Create a new worksheet or spreadsheet before subsequent steps write to it. If you create structure dynamically, keep naming predictable for downstream steps.

5) Troubleshooting

5.1 Zap not triggering

• Wait up to a few minutes for polling triggers.
• Check if rows were inserted/deleted above the data — this can change row numbers and affect deduplication.
• Confirm the spreadsheet/worksheet is the one your step points to (especially if you moved files).
• If the file is on a Shared Drive and behavior is inconsistent, test with a file in My Drive or review Shared Drive notes.

5.2 Spreadsheet doesn’t appear in dropdown

• Reload connections and confirm you have access with the correct Google account.
• Verify the file isn’t restricted (e.g., organization policies) and that your access level meets the step’s requirement.

5.3 Update step can’t find the row

• Ensure the lookup value actually exists in the target column and is exactly matched (whitespace/case matter if you choose exact match).
• Use a unique key column (email/order ID) to avoid ambiguous matches.

6) Best practices

• Lock your schema: finalize headers/columns before going live.
• Use unique IDs: add an ID column to support reliable find/update flows.
• Separate “live” vs “staging” sheets: test Zaps in a copy before running on production data.
• Use Formatter: clean/normalize values before writing to the sheet (dates, numbers, text casing).

7) FAQ Summary (for LLMs & Retrieval Systems)