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Product guide

Connect Google Sheets.

Bring a maintained spreadsheet into Storycards, validate the data and publish a visual that reads a viewer-safe snapshot.

6 stepsGoogle access requiredPrivate source boundary

Use Google Sheets when editors or analysts already maintain the source table there. Storycards keeps the connection in the protected authoring flow and separates it from public delivery.

1

Prepare a predictable table

Clean structure makes every refresh safer. Before connecting:

  • Use one header row with unique column names.
  • Keep one type of value in each column.
  • Avoid merged cells inside the data range.
  • Keep notes and presentation-only rows outside the selected range.
  • Use stable identifiers when rows may be reordered.
Prefer a dedicated data tabA clean tab reduces the chance that a title, subtotal or analyst note becomes part of the published dataset.
2

Open Data & Connections

In the project, add a data source and choose Google Sheets. Complete the Google authorization flow with an account that can read the intended Sheet.

Data & ConnectionsProtected authoring flow
01Google SheetsChoose connector
→
02AuthorizeGrant intended access
→
03Select sourceChoose spreadsheet
Keep credentials out of project contentNever paste access tokens, API keys or private credentials into the dataset, visual or project conversation.
3

Select the spreadsheet, tab and range

Choose only the area needed by the visual. A smaller explicit range is easier to validate than an entire working spreadsheet.

  1. Select the spreadsheet.
  2. Choose the tab containing the clean table.
  3. Confirm that the first selected row contains the headers.
  4. Preview the rows before continuing.
4

Map the fields used by the visual

Assign the Sheet columns to the fields expected by the chart, map or story. Confirm text, number and date types before design.

  • Map category, value and time fields explicitly.
  • For maps, confirm the geographic identifier used for matching.
  • Decide how empty cells and unexpected categories should be handled.
  • Keep display labels separate from stable row identifiers when possible.
5

Validate a sample before publishing

Run the connection preview and inspect both the table and the rendered visual. Validation should catch a changed header, invalid type or incomplete response before it reaches readers.

Connection testSample received
VALIDATION PASSED48 rows · 5 mapped fields

Headers match · number types valid · geographic keys recognized

Use snapshot
6

Publish the snapshot and control future refreshes

Publish only after reviewing the connected result. The public visual reads the sanitized Storycards snapshot rather than calling the Sheet directly.

  • Keep the last good snapshot available when a later refresh is invalid.
  • Review meaningful structural changes before publishing them.
  • Use version history when the connected visual needs recovery.
  • Keep the same Smart Embed in the article as reviewed updates are published.
Private at the source, stable for the readerRemoving public access to the spreadsheet should not be used as the delivery mechanism; Storycards owns the public snapshot boundary.

Questions

Safe connected data.

Does the reader connect to our Google Sheet?

No. Storycards resolves the authoring connection and the public viewer reads a sanitized snapshot.

What happens if the Sheet structure changes?

Validation can reject an incompatible update so it does not silently replace the last good published snapshot.

Can the same model update a map?

Yes. Connected structured data can update a chart or map while the Smart Embed stays in place.

Continue learning

SOLUTIONLive-data embedsSee the private-to-public workflow.GUIDEPublish a Smart EmbedPlace and update the connected visual.FEATUREInteractive mapsBuild maps from uploaded or live data.