How to add info to Google Sheets using Python and the Sheets API?

Other Questions Google Sheets
1

I’m trying to put some data I got from the Places API into a Google Sheet. I’ve tried a bunch of ways, like using gspread and setting up a service account. Right now, I’m using the service account method. I got the credentials, made a service request, and tried to run it. But I keep getting this error: Invalid JSON payload received. Unknown name.

I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. Here’s a simplified version of my code:

from googleapiclient import discovery
from google_auth_oauthlib.flow import InstalledAppFlow

SCOPES = ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/spreadsheets']
SHEET_ID = 'my_sheet_id_here'

creds = InstalledAppFlow.from_client_secrets_file('secret.json', SCOPES).run_local_server(port=0)

service = discovery.build('sheets', 'v4', credentials=creds)

data_to_add = ['new_data']

request = service.spreadsheets().values().append(
    spreadsheetId=SHEET_ID,
    range='Sheet1!',
    valueInputOption='RAW',
    body=data_to_add
)
response = request.execute()

Can anyone spot what’s wrong? I just want to add some rows to my sheet, but it’s not working. Thanks for any help!

2

hey mate, i’ve had similar probs. try this:

body = {‘values’: [data_to_add]}

request = service.spreadsheets().values().append(
spreadsheetId=SHEET_ID,
range=‘Sheet1!A1’,
valueInputOption=‘RAW’,
body=body
)

the api’s picky bout how u format the data. this should work. good luck!

3

I’ve dealt with this exact issue before, and it can be frustrating. The problem lies in how you’re structuring the body of your request. The Google Sheets API expects a specific format for the data you’re sending.

Try modifying your code like this:

data_to_add = [['new_data']]  # Note the extra brackets
body = {
    'values': data_to_add
}

request = service.spreadsheets().values().append(
    spreadsheetId=SHEET_ID,
    range='Sheet1!A1',  # Specify a more precise range
    valueInputOption='RAW',
    body=body
)

The key changes are wrapping your data in an extra set of brackets (making it a 2D array) and putting it inside a dictionary with the key ‘values’. Also, specifying a more precise range like ‘Sheet1!A1’ can help.

This should resolve the ‘Invalid JSON payload’ error. If you’re still having trouble, double-check your SHEET_ID and make sure your service account has edit access to the spreadsheet. Good luck!

4

I’ve encountered similar issues when working with the Google Sheets API. One thing that often gets overlooked is the structure of the request body.

In your code, try modifying the request body like this:

body = {
    'values': [data_to_add]
}

request = service.spreadsheets().values().append(
    spreadsheetId=SHEET_ID,
    range='Sheet1!A1',
    valueInputOption='RAW',
    insertDataOption='INSERT_ROWS',
    body=body
)

This structure ensures that your data is properly formatted for the API. Also, adding the ‘insertDataOption’ parameter can help specify how you want the data inserted.

If you’re still facing issues, double-check your authentication setup and make sure your service account has the necessary permissions for the spreadsheet you’re trying to modify.