I am attempting to develop a web form that sends information directly to my Google Sheets document. Currently, it seems that the only method available involves utilizing OAuth2, which requires the client to authenticate with Google. Is there an alternative approach that would allow me to post data to my own sheet without needing OAuth? I’m looking to eliminate the Google authentication popup when submitting the form. Is there a legitimate way to achieve this? Also, if server-side implementation is necessary, I’m working with PHP. Any guidance would be appreciated!
You can utilize the Google Sheets API with a service account which doesn’t require OAuth2 for user authentication. You will need to create a service account through the Google Cloud Console, grant it write access to your Google Sheets, and then use PHP to authenticate through the service account credentials JSON file. This way, the server can interact with Google Sheets directly without requiring individual user authorization. This approach is particularly useful for server-side data management without user intervention.
There’s a neat trick I’ve used involving Google Apps Script. You can create a script within Google Sheets that runs a web app, allowing you to interact with the sheet via HTTP requests. Essentially, your PHP will send a POST request to the web app URL, and the Google Apps Script handles updating the sheet. While it might not bypass authentication entirely, it can simplify some processes since you manage permissions and requests within the script itself. Just ensure to configure the script’s access permissions properly.