Data Connectors for Google Sheets
Introduction
Most spreadsheet work starts with an export. Data Connectors remove that step. Pull an Airtable table, a SQL query result or a Salesforce object into Flookup Staging inside your own spreadsheet, clean it with Standard Data Cleaning or Data Cleaning Automation, then send back only the rows you changed, after a preview.
Nothing is exported to a file, nothing is re-imported and no record is deleted. Credentials stay with your Google account and the pulled rows stay in your spreadsheet.
What makes this different. Write-back sends only the fields that differ, never the whole row, and rows missing from the staging sheet are left alone. A preview lists the new, changed and unchanged rows before anything is sent.
Open the sidebar from Extensions > Flookup Data Wrangler > Data Connectors.
Included with the 1-Year Pass and the Team Pass. The 1-Month Pass, the free trial and the free tier do not include connectors. See pricing for details.
Before You Begin
Three things decide whether a pull succeeds: your pass, your permission on the source, and where the rows land.
- Pass. Connectors are part of the 1-Year Pass and the Team Pass. The 1-Month Pass and the trial do not include them.
- Permission. The token, database user or Salesforce profile needs read access to everything you intend to pull, and write access only if you plan to send changes back.
- Destination. Each pull writes to Flookup Staging. Keep your own analysis on a separate tab, because pulling again clears that sheet.
A one-off look at a source is usually faster as a CSV export. Connectors pay off when the same source is pulled repeatedly, or when cleaned rows have to return without a manual re-import.
How It Works
- Connect the source. Add an Airtable token, a SQL connection or a Salesforce Connected App in the sidebar. Credentials stay with your Google account.
- Pull to staging. Choose the base and table, run a read-only query, or pick a Salesforce object. Up to 5,000 rows land in Flookup Staging with a bold header row.
- Clean, then write back. Run Standard Data Cleaning on the staging sheet. When you are ready, preview the differences against the source and confirm the write.
Pulling again replaces the staging sheet. Write-back never deletes source records.
Available Connectors
Airtable
Pull a base and table with a personal access token, keep record ids for safe updates, and write changed fields back in batches.
SQL Database
PostgreSQL, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle through Apps Script's JDBC service, with a read-only query and a key column for write-back.
Salesforce
Connect with OAuth through a Connected App, pick objects and fields, run a SOQL query and pull records into the staging sheet. Read only in this version.
Every connector writes into a hidden staging sheet, so cleaning and matching use the same tools as any other tab. Salesforce is read only; Airtable and SQL databases can send changed rows back.
Typical jobs:
- Clean an Airtable base in a sheet where the whole table is visible at once. Airtable dedupe walkthrough
- Deduplicate Salesforce leads and contacts before a merge, then review the groups in the staging sheet. Salesforce dedupe walkthrough
- Reconcile orders, invoices or supplier records against a database query. Order reconciliation guide
Which connector fits
| Source | Sign-in | Write-back | Reach for it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airtable | Personal access token | Yes, changed fields only | The base holds operational records and the same people report on them in a sheet. |
| SQL database | JDBC URL with user and password | Yes, through a key column | The table is large, a query already narrows it, and the key is stable enough to match on. |
| Salesforce | OAuth through a Connected App | No, read only | Leads, contacts or custom objects need a cleanup pass before a merge or an import. |
How Write-Back Works
Write-back compares the staging sheet with the live source and reports three numbers: new, changed and unchanged. A sample of the first rows is shown before anything is written.
- New rows: staged rows with no matching source record are inserted.
- Changed rows: only the fields that differ are sent, so untouched columns are not overwritten.
- Unchanged rows: compared field by field and skipped entirely.
- Missing rows: source records that are not in the staging sheet are left alone. Nothing is deleted.
The write only starts after you click Apply changes on the preview. Each run applies at most 500 changes and tells you when the cap stopped the rest.
Limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Rows per pull | 5,000. The pull reports when the cap stopped it. |
| Changes per write-back | 500. Preview and apply again for the remainder. |
| SQL connections per day | Google's JDBC quota applies to your account: 10,000 connections for consumer accounts, 50,000 for Workspace. |
| Airtable rate limit | 5 requests per second per base. Flookup pauses between pages and honours 429 responses. |
Credentials and Privacy
Tokens and database passwords are stored in the Apps Script user properties of the Google account that set them up. They are never returned to the sidebar, and you can remove them with Clear in the connector card.
Pulled rows exist only in your spreadsheet. The connector calls the source API or database directly; Flookup does not receive a copy of your data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which plan includes Data Connectors?
Data Connectors are included with the 1-Year Pass and the Team Pass. The 1-Month Pass and the free trial do not include them, and the free tier is unchanged. Compare passes.
Does write-back delete records?
No. Write-back sends new rows and changed fields only. Rows that are missing from the staging sheet are left untouched in the source.
Where is the pulled data stored?
In a sheet called Flookup Staging inside your own spreadsheet. Credentials are stored in your own Apps Script user properties and are never shown back in the sidebar.
Can I schedule connector pulls?
Not yet. This version pulls on demand from the sidebar. Scheduling pulls is planned next, alongside the existing Data Cleaning Automation.