Hey everyone, I’m trying to pull data from my Gqueues task list into Google Sheets. I’m using the ImportXML function, but I’m hitting a wall with the XPath query.
Here’s what I’ve tried:
=importXML(A1, "//div[@class='task-name']/text()")
A1 has my Gqueues public list URL. I thought this would grab the task names, but I’m getting errors. Sometimes it’s #N/A, other times it’s a parse error.
I’ve tried a few different XPath variations, like using IDs instead of classes, but no luck. I’m pretty new to XPath, so I’m probably missing something obvious.
Can anyone help me figure out the right XPath to get my task names? Or is there maybe a better way to do this that I’m not thinking of?
Thanks in advance for any help!
hey mate, i had similar issues with importxml before. have u tried using a different browser? sometimes that helps. also, check if the website allows scraping - some block it. if nothing works, maybe look into using google apps script like FlyingLeaf suggested. its a bit more work but can be more reliable for tricky sites.
I’ve encountered similar challenges with ImportXML and dynamic content. One workaround that’s often overlooked is using a service like Apify or Parsehub to create an API for your Gqueues data. These tools can handle JavaScript-rendered content and provide a stable endpoint for your Google Sheet to query.
Alternatively, if you’re comfortable with coding, consider building a simple web scraper using Python and Beautiful Soup. You can host it on a platform like PythonAnywhere and set up a scheduled task to update a CSV file. Then, in your Google Sheet, use ImportDATA to fetch the CSV instead of scraping directly.
These methods require more initial setup but can be more reliable long-term. They also circumvent potential rate limiting or IP blocking that direct scraping might trigger.
I’ve actually been in a similar situation with Gqueues and Google Sheets. From my experience, the issue might not be with your XPath, but with how Gqueues loads its content. Many task management apps use JavaScript to render their content dynamically, which means ImportXML can’t always grab it directly.
What worked for me was using a Google Apps Script to fetch the page content first, then parse it. It’s a bit more complex, but it’s much more reliable. You’d write a custom function that uses UrlFetchApp to get the page HTML, then use XmlService to parse it.
If you’re set on using ImportXML though, you might try waiting a bit after loading the page before running the import. Sometimes that helps with dynamically loaded content. Also, double-check that your Gqueues list is truly public and accessible without login.
Hope this helps point you in the right direction!