Google Sheets Integration

Automatically populate Google Sheets with survey responses from Formbricks.

The Google Sheets integration allows you to send survey responses directly to Google Sheets as they arrive. Perfect for data analysis, reporting, and sharing insights with your team.

What Gets Synced

When a response is submitted to a linked survey:

• Each response adds a new row to your sheet
• The first row contains question labels (headers)
• Selected questions are mapped to columns
• Data syncs in real-time as responses arrive
• Existing data in the sheet is preserved

Setup for Formbricks Cloud

1. Navigate to Integrations

   In your Formbricks dashboard, go to Configuration > Integrations and click Connect on the Google Sheets card.

   
2. Connect with Google

   Click Connect with Google to start the OAuth flow.

   
3. Authorize Google Account

   Select your Google account and grant Formbricks permission to:

   • View your email address (for identification)
   • Access Google Sheets in your Google Drive
4. Confirm Connection

   After authorization, you’ll return to Formbricks and see a connected status.

   
5. Prepare Your Sheet

   Create a Google Sheet or select an existing one. Formbricks will:

   • Add headers in row 1
   • Append responses starting from row 2

   Formbricks requires edit access to the sheet. Ensure it’s not view-only.

6. Link a Sheet

   Click Link New Sheet to open the configuration modal.

   
7. Configure Sync

   1. Paste the Google Sheet URL

   2. Select the survey to sync

   3. Choose which questions to include as columns

   4. Click Link Sheet

      

   The sheet URL should look like: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/SPREADSHEET_ID/edit

8. Verify Setup

   Your linked sheet appears in the list. New responses will now automatically populate the sheet!

   

Self-Hosted Setup

To enable Google Sheets integration on a self-hosted instance, you need to create a Google Cloud project with OAuth credentials.

This setup requires a Google Cloud account and familiarity with Google Cloud Console.

1. Create Google Cloud Project

   1. Go to Google Cloud Console
   2. Create a new project or select an existing one
2. Enable Google Sheets API

   1. In your project, go to APIs & Services > Library
   2. Search for “Google Sheets API”
   3. Click Enable
3. Configure OAuth Consent Screen

   1. Go to APIs & Services > OAuth consent screen
   2. Select External user type (unless using Google Workspace)
   3. Fill in app information:
      • App name: “Formbricks”
      • User support email: Your email
      • Developer contact: Your email
   4. Add scopes:
      • auth/userinfo.email
      • auth/spreadsheets
   5. Save and continue
4. Create OAuth Credentials

   1. Go to APIs & Services > Credentials
   2. Click Create Credentials > OAuth client ID
   3. Choose Web application
   4. Add authorized redirect URI:
      https://<your-domain>/api/google-sheet/callback
      
      For local: http://localhost:3000/api/google-sheet/callback
5. Copy Credentials

   After creation, copy:

   • Client ID
   • Client Secret
6. Set Environment Variables

   Add to your Formbricks .env file:

   GOOGLE_SHEETS_CLIENT_ID=<your-client-id>
   GOOGLE_SHEETS_CLIENT_SECRET=<your-client-secret>
   GOOGLE_SHEETS_REDIRECT_URL=https://<your-domain>/api/google-sheet/callback
   
7. Restart Formbricks

   Restart your instance to apply the changes.

Data Format

Your Google Sheet will be structured as follows:

Question 1	Question 2	Rating	Submitted At
Answer 1A	Answer 2A	5	2024-03-15 10:30
Answer 1B	Answer 2B	4	2024-03-15 11:45

• Row 1: Question labels (headers)
• Row 2+: Response data (one row per response)
• Headers are updated when you link the sheet
• Long text is automatically truncated if it exceeds Google Sheets’ cell limit

API Implementation

The integration uses Google Sheets API v4:

Authorization Flow

// OAuth2 authentication
const oAuth2Client = new google.auth.OAuth2(
  GOOGLE_SHEETS_CLIENT_ID,
  GOOGLE_SHEETS_CLIENT_SECRET,
  GOOGLE_SHEETS_REDIRECT_URL
);

// Token refresh when expired
const { credentials } = await oAuth2Client.refreshAccessToken();

Writing Headers

sheets.spreadsheets.values.update({
  spreadsheetId: spreadsheetId,
  range: "A1",
  valueInputOption: "RAW",
  resource: {
    values: [["Question 1", "Question 2", "Rating"]]
  }
});

Appending Responses

sheets.spreadsheets.values.append({
  spreadsheetId: spreadsheetId,
  range: "A2",
  valueInputOption: "RAW",
  resource: {
    values: [["Answer 1", "Answer 2", "5"]]
  }
});

Implementation is in apps/web/lib/googleSheet/service.ts:writeData().

Permissions & Privacy

What Formbricks Accesses

Your Email ID

Used for authentication and to identify your Google account. (See code)

Google Sheets Names and IDs

Fetched to show you available sheets for linking.

Write Access to Selected Sheet

Only the specific sheet you link receives write access for adding response data. (See code)

Formbricks stores minimal personal information and only accesses sheets you explicitly select.

Remove Integration

1. Open Integrations

   Go to Configuration > Integrations

2. Manage Sheets

   Click Manage Sheets on the Google Sheets card

3. Delete

   Click Delete Integration and confirm

Deleting the integration removes all sheet links. Existing data in Google Sheets remains untouched, but new responses won’t sync.

Troubleshooting

Permission denied error

Ensure:

• You have edit access to the Google Sheet
• The sheet isn’t protected or restricted
• You haven’t revoked Formbricks’ access in Google account settings

Try disconnecting and reconnecting the integration.

Responses not appearing

Check:

• The survey is linked to the correct sheet
• The sheet URL is valid and hasn’t changed
• Responses are fully submitted (not partial)
• The sheet hasn’t been deleted

Token expired

Formbricks automatically refreshes expired tokens. If you see persistent errors:

1. Delete the integration
2. Reconnect to get a fresh OAuth token

Headers not updating

Headers are set when you link the sheet. If you change survey questions:

1. Unlink the sheet
2. Re-link it to update headers

Alternatively, manually edit row 1 in Google Sheets.

Truncated text

Google Sheets has a 50,000 character limit per cell. Long responses are automatically truncated. Consider:

• Using shorter question types
• Storing full responses in a database instead
• Using the Notion integration for long-form content

Best Practices

Use Dedicated Sheets

Create a new sheet for each survey to keep data organized and avoid conflicts

Add Formulas

Use Google Sheets formulas to calculate averages, NPS scores, or sentiment analysis

Create Charts

Build visualizations to track trends and share insights with stakeholders

Set Up Filters

Use filters and pivot tables to analyze specific segments or time periods

Advanced: Sheets API Limits

Google Sheets API has rate limits:

• Read requests: 300 per minute per project
• Write requests: 300 per minute per project
• Cells: 10 million cells per spreadsheet

For high-volume surveys, consider:

• Using webhooks for custom processing
• Splitting responses across multiple sheets
• Implementing batching logic in your own webhook handler

Need help? Join our GitHub Discussions!