Google Sheet Reader
⚠️ DEPRECATION WARNING
This component is deprecated and will be removed in a future version of Nappai. Please migrate to the recommended alternative components.
The Google Sheet Reader lets you pull data from a Google Sheet into your Nappai workflow.
Simply point it at the file or folder that contains the sheet, choose the sheet you want, and the component will give you the data in a format you can use later in the dashboard.
How it Works
The component talks to Google’s Sheets API.
First, you must have a Google Sheets API credential set up in Nappai’s credentials section.
When the component runs, it uses that credential to connect to Google, opens the selected spreadsheet, and reads the rows from the specified sheet (or all sheets if none is chosen).
The data is returned in two useful forms: a structured Data object for further processing, and a plain JSON Data string that can be logged or sent to other services.
If the component is used as a tool for an AI agent, it also creates a Tool output that the agent can call.
Inputs
-
Credential: Choose the Google Sheets API credential you created in Nappai.
This is required for the component to access your Google account securely. -
or Select folder: Pick a folder that contains one or more Google Sheets files.
The component will look inside this folder for the sheet you want to read. -
Select Google Sheet: Pick the specific Google Sheet file you want to read.
If you selected a folder above, you can choose any sheet inside that folder. -
Sheet Name: (Optional) Enter the name of the sheet tab you want to read.
If left blank, the component will read the first sheet in the file. -
Tool Name: The name that will appear to an AI agent when this component is offered as a tool.
-
Tool Description: A short description of what the tool does, helping the agent decide when to use it.
-
Tools arguments metadata: Metadata that describes the arguments the tool expects, used by the agent’s toolkit.
Important: Do not include any credential details (Client Id, Client Secret, etc.) in the input list. Those are handled automatically by the credential you selected.
Outputs
-
Data: A structured data object containing the rows and columns from the sheet.
Use this to feed into other components or logic in your workflow. -
JSON Data: A plain text string with the sheet’s contents in JSON format.
Handy for logging, debugging, or sending to services that accept JSON. -
Tool: A tool representation that can be passed to an AI agent so it can call this component on demand.
Usage Example
-
Set up the credential
- In Nappai, go to Credentials → Add Credential → Google Sheets API.
- Enter your Client Id, Client Secret, and grant read access to the spreadsheets you’ll use.
-
Add the component to your dashboard
- Drag the Google Sheet Reader onto the canvas.
- In the Credential field, select the credential you just created.
- Choose the folder or file that contains the sheet you want.
- (Optional) Enter the exact sheet name if you don’t want the first sheet.
-
Connect the outputs
- Link the Data output to a Data Processor component to filter or transform the rows.
- Or connect JSON Data to a Logger to see the raw JSON in the console.
-
Run the workflow
- Click Run and the component will fetch the sheet, output the data, and finish.
Related Components
- Google Sheet Writer – Write data back to a Google Sheet.
- Google Sheet Updater – Update specific cells or ranges in an existing sheet.
- Google Drive File Search – Find files in Google Drive to feed into the reader.
Tips and Best Practices
- Keep your Google Sheets API credential in a secure place; never expose it in public code.
- If you only need a few rows, use the Sheet Name input to limit the data fetched.
- Use the JSON Data output for quick debugging before feeding the structured Data into downstream logic.
- When using the component as a tool for an AI agent, give the Tool Description a clear, concise explanation so the agent can choose it correctly.
Security Considerations
- The component relies on a Google Sheets API credential; ensure that the credential has the minimum permissions needed (read‑only access).
- Do not share the credential or the spreadsheet link publicly.
- If you need to revoke access, do so in the Google Cloud Console and update the credential in Nappai.