Google Sheets connector
Set up the Google Sheets connector in Kaivo: authentication, configuration, the BigQuery tables it syncs, and answers to common questions.
Written By Lauri Raivio
Last updated About 3 hours ago
Kaivo is a fully managed data platform that syncs your Google Sheets data into a Google BigQuery warehouse and keeps it up to date automatically. There is no pipeline to build and no infrastructure to run, so you can spend your time analysing your data from Google Sheets instead of moving it.
What is the Google Sheets connector
Sync your Google Sheets into BigQuery with Kaivo so the data your team keeps in spreadsheets can be reported on and combined with the rest of your data.
Getting started with the Google Sheets connector
- Sign up for Kaivo and create a workspace.
- Connect your Google Sheets account.
- Choose which tables to sync.
- Wait for the initial sync to finish.
- Query your data in BigQuery or your favourite AI or BI tool.
Authenticating Google Sheets
The Google Sheets connector supports 2 ways to connect. Pick the one that fits how you work.
Sign in with Google
Connect by signing in to your Google account. Kaivo runs the connection for you, so you never share a password.
Service account
Authenticate with your Google Sheets credentials. You provide:
Configuring the Google Sheets connector
When you set up the connector, you provide:
Tables and columns synced from Google Sheets
The available streams and columns depend on your account configuration (such as custom fields and objects), so they are determined when the connection runs rather than listed here.
How the Google Sheets sync works
After the first load, Kaivo keeps your BigQuery warehouse up to date for you. Where Google Sheets supports it, each sync pulls only new and changed records so it stays fast; otherwise it refreshes the whole table. Every record keeps its original ID, so you won't get duplicate rows.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the initial sync take for Google Sheets?
It depends on how much history is in your Google Sheets account. Most initial syncs finish within minutes, while large accounts can take a few hours. After that, syncs only fetch new and changed records, so they're much faster.
Can I sync only some tables or columns?
Yes. You pick which tables to sync when you set up the connection and can change the selection later. Tables you don't select are never copied to your warehouse.
What happens when Google Sheets's schema changes?
New fields are never added automatically. You choose which fields to sync, so data you haven't selected (sensitive personal data, for example) never lands in your warehouse. When a new field appears, it becomes available for you to add. What happens to removed or renamed fields depends on a table's sync mode: full-refresh tables always match what's currently in Google Sheets, so dropped fields disappear, while incremental tables keep their existing columns and history, so an old field stays and newly added fields fill in over time.
How do I handle GDPR or data deletion requests?
Your data lives in your own Kaivo-managed BigQuery warehouse, so the most direct option is to delete or anonymise specific records right in BigQuery. If you delete data in Google Sheets instead, full-refresh tables drop it on the next sync, while incremental tables keep it, so you would remove the row in BigQuery or ask us to run a full refresh. To remove everything, delete the Google Sheets connector in Kaivo and all of its synced data is deleted with it.
Common use cases for Google Sheets data
Operational reporting
Turn the figures your team maintains in Sheets into dashboards without manual copy-paste.
Combine with other sources
Join spreadsheet data with your CRM, billing, or product data in BigQuery.
Manual data inputs
Keep budgets, targets, or mappings in Sheets and bring them alongside your automated data.
Historical snapshots
Keep a synced history of your sheets to analyse how the numbers change over time.
Use Google Sheets data in your AI and BI tools
Once Google Sheets data lands in your Kaivo-managed BigQuery warehouse, you can explore it with AI tools or any BI tool that connects to BigQuery. Here's how the most common destinations work with Google Sheets data.
Claude
Use Kaivo's MCP server to give Claude secure, workspace-scoped access to your data. Setup guide →
Power BI
Microsoft's BI tool with a native BigQuery connector. Supports direct query and scheduled refresh. Setup guide →
Data Studio
Free Google BI tool with native BigQuery support. One-click connection to your Kaivo warehouse; great for SMB teams on Google Workspace. Setup guide →
Tableau
The premium analytics standard, with native BigQuery integration. Setup guide →
Google Sheets
Use Connected Sheets to query BigQuery directly from a spreadsheet, with no SQL. Setup guide →
Excel
Connect via Power Query's BigQuery connector. Setup guide →
Metabase
Open-source BI tool with strong BigQuery support. Setup guide →
See our pricing page for Google Sheets connector pricing and plan details.