Google Sheets as a Data Source
- Justin Shackelford
As a Google Sheets user, you've probably already used the option to download the entire spreadsheet into an Excel file or a specific sheet/tab as a CSV/TSV file (under File > Download).
To use a Google Sheet as a data source in HootVid, we require a direct download link of a CSV file. There are currently two methods for doing so:
Publish to web (recommended)
Edit URL manually
Option 1) Publish to Web
To make a spreadsheet available for a large audience to see, the file needs to be published. The same logic follows for HootVid, as we will need access to the sheet in order to configure the URL.
After the sheet is published, you can add your new URL as a data source in the HootVid platform.
Based on your account’s settings, when you publish a file, you can make it visible to everyone on the web, everyone in your organization, or a group of people in your organization. Be careful when publishing private or sensitive info.
For more information, please refer to Google’s Help Documentation:
https://support.google.com/docs/answer/183965?hl=en&ref_topic=2818998&sjid=13834523542021907431-NA
In Google Sheets, open your file.
At the top of the sheet, click File > Share > Publish to Web.
Choose a publishing option. The default is set to “Web page.” Change this to “Comma-separated values (.csv).”
Click “Publish.”
The updated URL will populate.
Copy the URL and add as a data source in HootVid.
Option 2) Edit URL Manually
A very straightforward option, simply rremove the section of the URL starting from /edit and replace it with /export with some additional text.
Example Starting Google Sheet URL:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gztm9o8JEPibPWEDwH54qBG5kwj51ILDOk_dxK6uTSY/edit#gid=1330027783
- /edit#gid=1330027783
+ /export?format=csv&gid=1330027783
Downloadable Google Sheet URL (HootVid Data Source):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gztm9o8JEPibPWEDwH54qBG5kwj51ILDOk_dxK6uTSY/export?format=csv&gid=1330027783
Notice that the difference is we included &gid=1330027783 to the URL. This is basically the "Sheet ID" and as you switch sheets/tabs in Google Sheets. This value can be copied and appended to the URL if you want that specific sheet exported.
Adding a Google Sheet in HootVid
Navigate to the Data Sources menu.
On the right-hand side, you will see an option to “Create New”.
Data Builder
This sub-menu will guide you with building the new data source. You can contact support in this menu for additional guidance as well. Here, we will select our data source, attach data, and add filters.
Google Sheet Formatting
The formatting of your Google Sheet will entirely depend on the dynamic inventory that you’d like to display in your data source. For example, different verticals will require different fields. You may also want to display more or less fields depending on the nature of your dynamic inventory. However, there are some basic components and best practices to follow for a basic data source.
Example: A Real Estate vertical and data
There are 6 inventory records listed in this sheet (rows 2-7). Each of which, has it’s own set of fields designated by the columns of the sheet (columns A-E).
Again, the number of rows and columns will always vary, as the client could also want to display things like the city, state, neighborhood, etc. in their ad, and these would require their own respective columns/fields. Additionally, they could also want to have more than six records for their data source.