--- title: "Google Sheets data source | Grafana Plugins documentation" description: "The Google Sheets data source lets you visualize Google spreadsheet data in Grafana dashboards." --- # Google Sheets data source The Google Sheets data source lets you visualize your Google spreadsheets in Grafana. It uses the [Google Sheets API](https://developers.google.com/workspace/sheets/api/guides/concepts) to read data that you can view in dashboard panels or [Explore](/docs/grafana/latest/explore/). Watch the following video to learn more about the plugin: Give it a try using Grafana Play With Grafana Play, you can explore and see how it works, learning from practical examples to accelerate your development. This feature can be seen on [Google Sheets data source demo](https://play.grafana.org/d/ddkar8yanj56oa/visualizing-google-sheets-data). [Try it](https://play.grafana.org/d/ddkar8yanj56oa/visualizing-google-sheets-data) ## Supported features Expand table | Feature | Supported | Notes | |--------------------|-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Query data | Yes | Query spreadsheets by ID and range; cache by (spreadsheet + range). | | Annotations | Yes | Use a sheet as an annotation source (time, text, tags). | | Template variables | Yes | Query variables from a sheet; use variables in Spreadsheet ID or Range. | | Explore | Yes | Ad-hoc queries without building a dashboard. | | Alerting | Yes | Create alert rules from Google Sheets queries. | ## Requirements Before you start, ensure you have: - **Grafana 11.6.0 or newer** (plugin requirement) - A [Google account](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/27441?hl=en) to use Google Sheets - One of these Grafana editions: [Grafana OSS](/oss/grafana/), [Grafana Cloud](/pricing/), or self-managed [Grafana Enterprise](/docs/grafana/latest/administration/enterprise-licensing/) with an activated license ## Get started The following documents help you get started: - [Configure the data source](configure.md) – Set up authentication and connect to Google Sheets. - [Query editor](query-editor.md) – Query spreadsheet data and build panels. - [Template variables](template-variables.md) – Create dynamic dashboards with variables. - [Alerting](alerting.md) – Create alert rules from Google Sheets queries. - [Troubleshooting](troubleshooting.md) – Solve common configuration and query errors. [Install the plugin](/docs/grafana/latest/administration/plugin-management/#install-a-plugin) if you haven’t already. Try the [Quick start](#quick-start-create-a-sample-dashboard) below to build a sample dashboard in a few steps. ## Quick start: create a sample dashboard You can try the data source using a [public demonstration spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TZlZX67Y0s4CvRro_3pCYqRCKuXer81oFp_xcsjPpe8/edit?usp=sharing). 1. [Configure the data source](configure.md) (API key is enough for this public sheet). 2. Go to **Dashboards** → **New** → **New Dashboard** → **Add visualization**. 3. Select the **Google Sheets** data source. 4. In the query editor, paste the spreadsheet ID: `1TZlZX67Y0s4CvRro_3pCYqRCKuXer81oFp_xcsjPpe8`. You can leave **Range** empty to use the first sheet, or set a range (e.g. `Sheet1!A1:E100`). 5. Run the query. Grafana will detect time series data and suggest a time series panel; you can switch to other visualizations (e.g. bar gauge, table) from the panel. The embedded Grafana Play dashboard at the top of this page shows a full example you can open and edit. ## Key capabilities - With JWT (service account) authentication: choose spreadsheets from a drop-down list of sheets shared with the service account - Paste a Google Sheets URL (including **Get link to this range**) and the editor extracts spreadsheet ID and range automatically - Use [template variables](template-variables.md) in **Spreadsheet ID** or **Range** for dynamic dashboards - Cache responses by (spreadsheet ID + range) with configurable **Cache Time**; apply the dashboard time range with **Use Time Filter** ## Additional features After you configure the data source, you can: - Add [annotations](annotations.md) to overlay events on panels - Set up [alerting](alerting.md) to create alert rules from your queries - Use [template variables](template-variables.md) in queries - Use [Explore](/docs/grafana/latest/explore/) for ad-hoc queries without building a dashboard - Apply [transformations](/docs/grafana/latest/panels-visualizations/query-transform-data/transform-data/) to query results ## Quota The Google Sheets API uses per-minute quotas that refill every minute. For limits and usage, refer to the [Google Sheets API usage limits](https://developers.google.com/sheets/api/limits). ## Known limitations - **Read-only:** The data source only reads from spreadsheets; it does not write or edit data. - **GCE authentication:** [GCE Default Service Account](configure.md#authenticate-with-the-default-gce-service-account) is only supported when Grafana runs on a Google Compute Engine VM. It is not supported in Grafana Cloud or other hosted environments. - **API key:** With API key authentication, spreadsheets must be publicly viewable (e.g. “Anyone with the link”). The **Select Spreadsheet ID** drop-down is only available when using JWT (service account) authentication. - **Provisioning:** Provisioning the data source using a local private key file (`privateKeyPath`) is not supported in hosted environments such as Grafana Cloud. ## Related resources - [Google Sheets API documentation](https://developers.google.com/sheets/api/guides/concepts) - [Grafana community forums](https://community.grafana.com/) - [Report bugs and request features](https://github.com/grafana/google-sheets-datasource/issues) (GitHub) ## Plugin updates Ensure your plugin version is up to date so you have access to all current features and improvements. Navigate to **Administration** > **Plugins and data** > **Plugins** to check for updates. > Note > > Plugins are automatically updated in Grafana Cloud.