Google Sheets Data Selection
Overview
Google Sheets activities use spreadsheet, sheet, cell, and range settings to identify where data should be read, written, updated, or deleted.
This page explains the common selection patterns used across Google Sheets activities.
Spreadsheet Selection
The Spreadsheet field identifies the Google Spreadsheet used by the activity.
You can:
- Select a spreadsheet using the Custom Picker Dialog.
- Provide a spreadsheet identifier dynamically through Process Data.
A Google Sheets connection is required to select spreadsheets and access their data. See Google Sheets Connection Setup and Resource Selection for setup and selection instructions.
Sheet Selection
The Sheet Name field identifies the sheet tab within the spreadsheet.
When Sheet Name is optional, the activities use the first tab as their default. This is a server-side default, not the tab currently selected in a user's browser. Set Sheet Name explicitly when tab order must not affect processing.
Examples:
| Sheet Name |
|---|
| Sheet1 |
| Orders |
| Monthly Report |
Cell Address
A cell address identifies a single cell using A1 notation.
Examples:
| Cell Address | Description |
|---|---|
| A1 | First column, first row |
| B5 | Second column, fifth row |
| AA10 | Column AA, row 10 |
Range Selection
A range identifies a group of cells using A1 notation.
Examples:
| Range | Description |
|---|---|
| A1:C5 | Cells from A1 through C5 |
| A:A | Entire column A |
| 1:1 | Entire first row |
| A1 | Single-cell range |
From and To Selection
Some activities use separate From and To fields instead of a single range field.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| From | Starting cell address |
| To | Ending cell address |
Example:
| From | To | Selected Range |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | C5 | A1:C5 |
Selection Type
Some activities allow choosing between a single cell and multiple cells.
| Selection Type | Required Fields |
|---|---|
| Single | Cell Address |
| Multiple | From and To |
Common Usage
| Activity Type | Typical Selection |
|---|---|
| Read Cell | Cell Address |
| Read Range | Range or From/To |
| Write Cell | Cell Address, or Column Letter / Row Number with Append to End |
| Write Range | Starting Cell Address, or Append to End |
| Delete Cells | Cell Address or From/To |
| Clear Range | Range |
| Find | Sheet or Range |
Notes
- Cell and range values can be provided statically or dynamically using Process Data.
- Sheet names must match the sheet tab name in the spreadsheet.
- If a sheet name contains spaces or special characters, use the exact sheet name.
- Activities may fail if the specified sheet, cell, or range does not exist.
Row and range conventions
A1 addresses use 1-based row numbers: row 1 is the first row. Column letters identify columns; sheet indexes, where exposed, are zero-based.
The visible From and To endpoints are inclusive. For example, rows 2 through 4 identify three rows; columns B through D identify three columns.
Set Active Sheet moves the selected tab to index 0. It changes the spreadsheet's tab order rather than a particular user's browser selection. Prefer explicit Sheet Name values when reordering tabs is not intended.