Google-sheets – Import a CSV file from a URL to Google Sheets and update it periodically

csvgoogle sheetsimport

I'm looking to pull data from a CSV file that gets update regularly into a Google spreadsheet that I can format the way I want. I know how to import the CSV as a one time thing but I don't know how to get it to update the data once it changes in the original CSV.

It doesn't have to update in real time, just periodically, i.e. once an hour or so. How can I do this?

Best Answer

Use the IMPORTDATA() built-in function.

AFAIK the refresh of the data is done on the server side, so refreshing or recalculating the spreadsheet very frequently could not make any difference. The time that it takes on the server side is not documented in an canonical source; some sources say that it takes 5 minutes others 1 hour.

References
IMPORTDATA - Docs editors Help
https://productforums.google.com/d/msg/docs/GcDsNPb4NXk/YjE4BzdnZLoJ - Jan 2015 https://productforums.google.com/d/msg/docs/ADZnVj-mFnA/Bonn7xucaK8J - 2010

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Google-sheets – No force-reload tip on Google Sheets

i would suspect that setting the expire-time for the .csv file could help. that would be something for the server to deliver.

OR you can trick the webbrowser by appending something random at the end of the url you are using to fetching the data (see my comment on your question):

http://example.com/myfile.csv?_invalidate_cache_of_browser_XYZ

and then you have to put some random XYZ into the url, maybe by usuing the rand() function.

Google Sheets – How to Escape a Double-Quote in a TSV File for Import

Try four double-quotes, e.g.

""""

According to Wikipedia there is no reliable standard, but some attempts have been made.

A (double) quote character in a field must be represented by two double quote characters.

Best Answer

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Google-sheets – No force-reload tip on Google Sheets

Google Sheets – How to Escape a Double-Quote in a TSV File for Import

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