If you connect Google Spreadsheets with Slack, you will open up a world of possibilities and automation.
The good thing is to do this, you don’t need to know how to code and you don’t need to hire a professional.
Usually, when people ask about Google sheets with Slack integration, they want to know about connecting with the Google Sheets for Workflow builder.
Step 1: Add Google Sheets to your Slack workflows
The Workflow Builder app on Slack helps in the automation of tasks that you do on and off Slack. You don’t need to have any programming or coding knowledge to do this.
First, you must sign in to your Slack workspace, and then check the left side column, until you find the button for Apps. Under it, there is another tab called Add Apps. Click it.
It will display all the apps available that you can add onto Slack. You are specifically looking for an app called Google Sheets for Workflow Builder. Click the Add button and then click Allow so that it can finish the installation. It connects Google Sheets with Slack.
You only need to install this app just once. Any person that you grant permission to create workflows can then add steps for a Google sheet.
Step 2: Enabling Steps from Apps
If you are the admin or the owner of the workspace for which you are integrating the Google spreadsheets to Slack, you have to enable the Workflow Builder Steps from apps.
To do that, click on the workspace name on the left side, top left. Choose the function for settings and administration. Click on workspace settings.
On the top of the page, there is a tab for permissions. Click it.
Scroll down to find a tab called workflow Builder steps from apps. Click expand when you find it.
You will find a box labeled show steps from apps installed on this workspace. Check that box and then save.
Step 3: Adding steps to a workflow
The Google sheets app has been added successfully. The steps are enabled. In the Step library, there will be options from Google sheets. These are:
Adding a spreadsheet row – You can add a row to your spreadsheet containing your workflow data.
Selecting a spreadsheet row – You can pull the data from a spreadsheet row you select and transfer it to Slack.
Updating a spreadsheet row – Using data from Slack, update the value in any row from your spreadsheet.
Delete a row – This means just that – deleting a row from the spreadsheet.
There is some limitation here because you cannot set the timezone. You will have to use the default UTC+0 timezone.
Step 4: Connecting to Google Account
You must connect your Google account before you can add a Google Workflow step for the first time, in that workspace. There are four things to do before you can start updating, adding or using data in the spreadsheets:
Choose to Add, Select, Delete, or Update a sheet from the Step library. You can do this to the workflow that you are working on.
Click Sign in with Google account, which you can find close to the tab for Connect a new account.
You will get an authorization prompt on your browser. Make sure the boxes for See and download all your Google Drive files, See, Edit, Create, and Delete your Google Sheets Spreadsheets are checked. If yes, click on Continue.
You are done connecting your Google account, and you can now return to the Workflow Builder. You can continue editing your step.
Step 5: If you need to change your Google account
By step 4, you are done connecting Google sheets with the Slack desktop app. But what if you need to access the workflow with another Google account? That is what this step is all about.
From your ongoing workflow, choose to update, add, delete or select a spreadsheet row in the step library.
Next to the connected Google account, there are three dots (…). Click them. Click “Change Account.”
You can now choose to connect with a new account. Click sign in with Google and then follow the guidelines in Step 4.
To connect to an existing account, choose one from the ones populated in the dropdown menu.
Conclusion
When you are working with remote work teams, you will appreciate how good Slack is as a communication app. But to make it more helpful, you must tweak it to automate as many functions as possible.
Connecting Google spreadsheets with Slack is important, and it should be one of the things you do. While it might appear intimidating, you can first familiarize yourself with Slack. Click a few things in your workspace and get a feel of everything.
If you use your Slack workspace with a team, automating the recurring tasks makes things easier for you. Automating data flow between Spreadsheets and Slack makes your work flow faster.
You can add, delete or search for data easily. Doing this manually can be stressful and tedious.
