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Best answer

Google Sheets trigger stopped working out of the blue

  • 7 August 2023
  • 7 replies
  • 237 views
MrCreosote
Userlevel 1

I have a zap that is triggered when a new line is added to a google sheet.

It then
- sends an email
- creates a task in Tookan
- creates a calendar event

It stopped triggering around 0700 this morning for no apparent reason. The triggering spreadsheet has not changed. Only I have access to edit it other than the records that are entered from a web form.

29 records have been added since that time, but they are not triggering the zap.

The zap history does not show any holds or errors. I turned the zap on and off and tested it step by step and it seems to be fine in test mode.

We have other zaps working from google sheets just fine using the same google account and zapier account. 

any idea what could cause this?

icon

Best answer by Troy Tessalone 7 August 2023, 22:31

View original

7 replies

Troy Tessalone
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

Hi @MrCreosote 

Good question.

Check your GSheet Zap app connection here: https://zapier.com/app/connections

How many rows are in the GSheet being used? (over 10k can cause issues)

GSheet help articles to check: https://zapier.com/apps/google-sheets/help

⚡ Troy Tessalone - AutomationAce.com | Premier Certified Zapier Expert | #1 Zapier Community Contributor
MrCreosote
Userlevel 1

Thanks, I have been through all those tips. I don’t see any reported issues with zapier being down or with my connections not working to google sheets. 

I did find another post in here from a couple of years ago with the same issue. That person seemed to report it coming back online in like 8 hours on its own. 

I also submitted a ticket, so we will see what they say. 
 

the sheet has 3900 records but is set up as 21k rows long. I’ll try monkeying with that next. 

Troy Tessalone
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

@MrCreosote

SSLError The read operation timed out

*This error can also look like: ExternalHTTPSConnectionPool(host='sheets.googleapis.com', port=443): The read operation timed out. This usually happens because your spreadsheet is too big.

Google spreadsheets are not optimized for large volumes of information (spreadsheets with around 10,000+ rows), and this can make it a challenge to access them via Zapier. Here are some things to keep in mind:

  1. Consider starting a new spreadsheet with less data in it, or moving/deleting any columns not being used on the Zap. If you choose to move/delete rows, make sure the Zap is off while you do this. Once you're done, you can turn your Zap back on.
  2. If this error pops up with Google Sheets as the trigger, there is little concern about data loss since the Zap will probably catch the data the next time it runs. That said, over time these errors can become more frequent and potentially cause your Zap to be turned off, as there are too many errors.
  3. If this error appears with Google Sheets as the action, then there will likely be data loss. The Zap might not be able to complete sending data to Google Sheets due to the size of the spreadsheet. To recover from this, try replaying that specific task from your task history.

If you're considering an alternate solution, an app like Airtable, or a database, like MySQL, can help better handle large databases.

⚡ Troy Tessalone - AutomationAce.com | Premier Certified Zapier Expert | #1 Zapier Community Contributor
MrCreosote
Userlevel 1

I assume an error like that would show in the zap history? I don’t see anything in the zap history for this zap since 0700 this morning. 

I just cut the size of the sheet being monitored way back and tried to trigger the zap again. no dice. 

Troy Tessalone
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

@MrCreosote

You can try duplicating the Zap to see if that corrects the issue.

Did the file get moved in GDrive?

Did the file permissions change in GDrive?

⚡ Troy Tessalone - AutomationAce.com | Premier Certified Zapier Expert | #1 Zapier Community Contributor
MrCreosote
Userlevel 1

File and permissions did not change. 

I just tried re-triggering the missing records and it worked. 

Not sure if it was the row count thing or just needed some more patience. 

Still a mystery, but we are back in business!

Thanks for the tips :)

ken.a
Userlevel 7
Badge +6

Hi @MrCreosote,

That’s great news! We’re glad to hear you were able to get it sorted!

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Community. We’re always happy to help! 😊

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