How to refresh connected spreadsheet tables in Google Docs using API

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1

I need help with updating spreadsheet-linked tables in Google Documents using the API. When I use the API explorer to get document data in JSON format, I can find the tables, but I don’t see any connection info to the original spreadsheet. The JSON only shows the actual text content from the cells, not the link itself.

Here’s a sample table structure I got from the API response with 2 rows and 1 column containing “Math Score” and “Science Score”:

{
  "dataTable": {
    "totalRows": 2,
    "totalColumns": 1,
    "rowData": [
      {
        "rowStart": 45,
        "rowEnd": 62,
        "cellData": [
          {
            "cellStart": 46,
            "cellEnd": 62,
            "cellContent": [
              {
                "contentStart": 47,
                "contentEnd": 62,
                "textBlock": {
                  "textElements": [
                    {
                      "elementStart": 47,
                      "elementEnd": 57,
                      "textContent": {
                        "text": "Math Score",
                        "formatting": {
                          "bold": true,
                          "textColor": {
                            "colorValue": {
                              "rgbValues": {
                                "redValue": 0.2,
                                "greenValue": 0.4,
                                "blueValue": 0.9
                              }
                            }
                          },
                          "textSize": {
                            "sizeValue": 18,
                            "sizeUnit": "PT"
                          }
                        }
                      }
                    }
                  ]
                }
              }
            ]
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Basically I want to do the same thing as clicking the “UPDATE” button on linked tables but through code. Any ideas on how to make this work?

2

had this same headache a few months back! the trick is finding the objectId for your linked table - it’s buried in the document elements but not where you’d think. search for inlineObjectElement types instead of just the table data. once you find it, the objectId will be right there and you can use UpdateInlineObjectImageRequest in batchUpdate to refresh it programmatically.

3

This is super common with linked content in Google Docs. I hit the same issue building a reporting system that had to update dozens of docs with live spreadsheet data. You’re missing that linked tables store their connection info separately from what you see. The API only shows you the rendered table data, not the actual link reference. Don’t parse the table content directly. Look for linkedContentReference objects in the document structure instead. These have the source spreadsheet ID and range info that’s hidden from the standard table JSON. Once you find the linkedContentReference object, use batchUpdate with a refreshLinkedContentReference request. This basically automates that UPDATE button you’re trying to replicate. Just grab the correct objectId from the linked content reference first, then pass it to your refresh request.

4

You’re dealing with linked tables that don’t show their connection info through the normal document API calls. I hit this same issue last year on a document automation project. Here’s the thing - linked tables in Google Docs are special objects that keep their spreadsheet connection separate from what you see on screen. Use the refreshChartImage method from the Google Docs API. Yeah, the name’s misleading but it works for linked tables too, not just charts. You’ll need the linked table’s object ID first. Get this by walking through the document structure and looking at the content elements. Look for elements with type LINKED_CONTENT_REFERENCE - don’t just parse the table data. Once you’ve got the object ID, call batchUpdate with a refreshChartImageRequest. This’ll trigger the same refresh as manually clicking UPDATE.