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Question

Issue with Formulas in Google Sheets - Look Up and Update spreadsheet row

  • 11 July 2023
  • 7 replies
  • 84 views
SarahPiano

Hi Zapier Community!

I’m having issues with a basic lookup and updated google sheet feature and I am not sure if it is because I am using a formula in the spreadsheet or not. 

Background: I am trying to connect a recital program spreadsheet with a recital award database spreadsheet. I want to be able to pull the number of recitals a student has done from the database to the program spreadsheet. I have part of the process working, but pulling the number of recitals from the database to the program spreadsheet. 

So far, I have the trigger as a new spreadsheet row added to the program spreadsheet. The first action is looking up the spreadsheet row in the recital database spreadsheet and creating a row in the database if a student isn’t found (their first recital). The formula I am using is a CountIf formula with the range always staying the same and the criteria is the student’s name. Every time they play in a recital, there name is added to the list and then the CountIf formula counts how many times their name is listed to generate the number of recitals they performed in. This step of the process works, and generates the formula correctly. 

The final action is updating the program spreadsheet to add the number of recitals to the matching student’s row. 

I have tried adding a formatter option to generate the formula, but I also get an error message with that. Does CountIf formulas not work with Zapier or is there something else I am missing?

Here are screenshots of my zap setup:

 

 

7 replies

Troy Tessalone
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

Hi @SarahPiano 

Good question.

Can you post detailed screenshots with how each of your Zap steps are configured to give us more context?

 

As an alternative, you may want to explore Airtable, which is a relational database app.

Airtable has these field types:

  • Link
    • Link records across Tables
  • Rollup
    • Perform formulas to rollup data for linked records from another table
⚡ Troy Tessalone - AutomationAce.com | Premier Certified Zapier Expert | #1 Zapier Community Contributor
SarahPiano

I updated the post to include screenshots. As you can see it appears that the formula generates a number, 1, but when I try to test the final zap, I get the following error:

“

Failed to create a spreadsheet row in Google Sheets

There was an error writing to your Google sheet. Unable to parse range: 'Template'!Adrika Zen:Adrika Zen”

Troy Tessalone
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

@SarahPiano 

The Row field expects the Row ID.

 

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

While that worked to remove the error message, it still isn’t doing what I need it to do. First problem, is the formula that I typed in is supposed to include the name of the student, but it didn’t put anything in-between the quotes. I should be able to lookup a row in one google sheet and then update a row in another? 

Troy Tessalone
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

@SarahPiano 

We’d need to see updated screenshots with how your Zap steps are configured.

 

 

As an alternative, you may want to explore Airtable, which is a relational database app.

Airtable has these field types:

  • Link
    • Link records across Tables
  • Rollup
    • Perform formulas to rollup data for linked records from another table
⚡ Troy Tessalone - AutomationAce.com | Premier Certified Zapier Expert | #1 Zapier Community Contributor
SarahPiano

@SarahPiano

We’d need to see updated screenshots with how your Zap steps are configured.

 

 

As an alternative, you may want to explore Airtable, which is a relational database app.

Airtable has these field types:

  • Link
    • Link records across Tables
  • Rollup
    • Perform formulas to rollup data for linked records from another table

Here is the updated step 3. All the other steps are the same. 

 

Troy Tessalone
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

@SarahPiano 

You mentioned “formula”, which I’m guessing is from Step 2.

 

 

Have you tried turning on your Zap and testing live?

Then check the Zap Runs to see the DATA IN/OUT for each Zap step to help you troubleshoot.

https://zapier.com/app/history/

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

Reply


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