Automate Recurring API Calls to Google Sheets — No-Code Tutorial

If you find yourself repeatedly fetching data from an API into Google Sheets, this guide will save you hours of work. With Data Toolkit for Sheets, you can create, schedule, and visualize API calls — all without writing a single line of code.

In this tutorial, we'll walk you through setting up recurring API calls so that your Sheets are always updated with the latest data.

Try the API Tool

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

• Have a Google Sheet ready.
• An API endpoint you want to pull data from.

Step 1 — Create Your API Request

• Go to the API Tool.
• Choose the HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH).
• Enter your API endpoint URL.
• If required, add:
• Headers (for authentication or content type)
• Query Parameters (for filtering or pagination)
• Body (for POST or PUT requests)
• Use the Preview Response button to test the request.

Tip: You can import a request from cURL if you already have one.

Step 2 — Preview and Map Data

• Review the Raw JSON or Pretty View to confirm the API is returning the right data.
• (Optional) Use the JSON Mapping feature to map response fields directly to columns in Google Sheets.
• You can also view response headers and response time.

Step 3 — Connect Google Account

• In the API Response section, click Write to Google Sheet.
• Sign in with your Google account to establish a connection between Data Toolkit for Sheets and your Google Sheets.
• This connection allows the API response data to be written directly into your selected Sheet.

Step 4 — Schedule Your API Calls

• Click Schedule.
• Select the frequency:
• Every 15 minutes
• Hourly
• Daily
• Custom interval (in minutes) — e.g., every 45 minutes, every 120 minutes, etc.
• Set your preferred start time.
• Save the schedule.

Note: Scheduling ensures your Sheet stays updated automatically at your chosen interval.

Step 5 — Write Data to Google Sheets

• Choose Write to Sheet.
• Decide whether to append data to existing rows or replace the Sheet's content.
• Confirm and save your settings.

Step 6 — Visualize and Export Your Data

• After the data is in Sheets, click Visualize to create charts and graphs.
• You can also Export to CSV for offline use or sharing.

Step 7 — Save and Reuse API Requests

• Save your request with a name.
• This allows you to run it again without rebuilding it from scratch.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can keep your Google Sheets automatically updated with the latest API data, freeing you from repetitive copy-paste work.