Documentation
Google Content Ops

Google Sheets Integration

Read, write, and generate spreadsheet content with AI. Create data from natural language prompts and automate your spreadsheet workflows.

Overview

The Google Sheets integration enables you to work with spreadsheets directly from ARKA AI. List your sheets, read data from specific ranges, write data programmatically, and even generate entire datasets from natural language descriptions.

Sheet Browser

Browse all Google Sheets in your Drive:

  • List All Sheets: View all spreadsheets in your Drive
  • Search: Find sheets by name or content
  • Sheet Details: See tabs, row/column counts, and metadata
  • Quick Access: Open sheets directly in Google Sheets

Reading Data

Read data from any sheet or range in your spreadsheets:

1

Select a Spreadsheet

Browse or search for the spreadsheet you want to read from.

2

Specify the Range

Enter the range you want to read using A1 notation (e.g., A1:D10, Sheet1!A:B, or just the sheet name for all data).

3

Choose Format

Select how values should be rendered: Formatted (as displayed) or Raw (underlying values).

4

View Results

Data is displayed in a table view. You can copy, export, or use it in your AI conversations.

Range Notation Examples

NotationDescription
A1:D10Cells from A1 to D10 in the first sheet
Sheet1!A1:D10Cells from A1 to D10 in 'Sheet1'
A:DAll rows in columns A through D
1:10All columns in rows 1 through 10
Sheet2!A:AAll of column A in 'Sheet2'
'My Sheet'!A1:B5Range in a sheet with spaces in the name

Batch Reading

Read multiple ranges at once for efficiency. Provide a comma-separated list of ranges:

Multiple Range Example
A1:B10, D1:E10, Sheet2!A1:A20

Writing Data

Write data to any cell or range in your spreadsheets:

1

Select Target Spreadsheet

Choose the spreadsheet you want to write to.

2

Specify the Starting Cell

Enter the cell or range where data should be written (e.g., A1 or Sheet1!C5).

3

Enter or Generate Data

Either enter data manually or use AI generation (see below) to create content from a prompt.

4

Confirm and Write

Review the data preview and click Write to update the spreadsheet.

Overwriting Data

Writing to a range will overwrite any existing data in those cells. Make sure you're targeting the correct range before confirming.

AI Content Generation

Generate spreadsheet data from natural language prompts. Describe the data you need, and the AI will create structured content ready to insert.

Generating Content

1

Click Generate Content

In the Sheets view, select a spreadsheet and click "Generate with AI."

2

Describe Your Data

Write a natural language description of the data you want. Be specific about columns, data types, and number of rows.

3

Specify Target Range

Enter where the generated data should be written (e.g., A1).

4

Review and Confirm

Preview the generated data, make any adjustments, then confirm to write it to the spreadsheet.

Prompt Examples

Here are effective prompts for generating spreadsheet content:

Example: Sales Data
Create a table of 20 fictional product sales with columns:
- Product Name
- Category (Electronics, Clothing, Home, Food)
- Quantity Sold (10-500)
- Unit Price ($5-$200)
- Total Revenue
- Sale Date (last 30 days)
Example: Contact List
Generate a contact list with 15 rows containing:
- Full Name
- Email Address
- Phone Number
- Company
- Job Title
- City
Example: Project Tracker
Create a project tracking table with 10 tasks:
- Task Name
- Assignee
- Priority (High/Medium/Low)
- Status (Not Started/In Progress/Complete)
- Due Date (next 2 weeks)
- Estimated Hours

Data Format

Generated data is returned as a JSON array of arrays, which maps directly to spreadsheet rows and columns:

Generated Formatjson
[
  ["Name", "Email", "Department"],
  ["John Doe", "john@example.com", "Sales"],
  ["Jane Smith", "jane@example.com", "Marketing"]
]

Write History

All write operations are logged for reference:

  • Timestamp: When the write occurred
  • Spreadsheet: Which file was modified
  • Range: Where data was written
  • Prompt: The AI prompt used (if AI-generated)
  • Status: Success or failure

Best Practices

Be Specific in Prompts

Include column names, data types, value ranges, and row count for more accurate generation.

Test with Small Ranges

When trying new prompts, generate a small dataset first to verify the format before creating larger datasets.

Include Headers

Ask for column headers in your prompt so the generated data is self-documenting.

Back Up Important Data

Before writing to sheets with important data, consider duplicating the sheet as a backup.