I’m experiencing difficulties with the IMPORTXML function in Google Sheets. Here’s what I’ve tried so far:
=IMPORTXML("http://quotes.morningstar.com/fund/c-header?t=FID215", "//span[@vkey='NAV']")
However, I receive the error message ‘Resource at URL not found.’ My objective is simply to retrieve the NAV for this mutual fund. I’ve made attempts like directly copying XPath from the inspector tool and altering the URL, but it hasn’t resolved the problem. Any advice on how to successfully use this function?
Often, the ‘Resource at URL not found’ issue could be due to the targeted website blocking the request from Google Sheets. Certain websites, especially financial ones, apply restrictions on automated data extraction to protect their data. Consider checking if the website terms allow scraping or if they offer an API for fetching data. You might also try looking into alternative functions or add-ons that could proxy through these restrictions, such as using a third-party web scraper like Apipheny or a custom-built script that can fetch the data for you.
In my experience, sometimes the reasons behind IMPORTXML errors are related to the URL structure itself. Ensure that the URL you are using is a direct link to the data that can be accessed without JavaScript-enabled navigation. Additionally, websites might use dynamic content loading, which IMPORTXML cannot handle since it relies on static HTML. A potential workaround is to check if the website provides a downloadable CSV or data feed that you can link to your Google Sheets directly, bypassing the need for scraping.