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Question

Issue with Updating Multiple Lines in Google Sheets using Tally and Zapier

  • 19 June 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 99 views
StevenY

I utilize Tally ("https://tally.so/") to generate forms. I currently have 2 forms in Tally. The initial form is designed to gather the user's email, while the second form collects other information.

 

In Zapier, I have the following workflows:

[1st FORM]

I have a workflow for the first Tally form, where upon the user completing the form, a new line is created in Google Sheets:

  • Trigger: Tally (New Submission in Tally)
  • Action: Create Spreadsheet Row in Google Sheets

[2nd FORM]

I have a workflow for the second Tally form, where upon the user completing the form, the same line in Google Sheets is updated:

  • Trigger: Tally (New Submission in Tally)
  • Action: Lookup Spreadsheet Row in Google Sheets
  • Action: Utilities in Formatter by Zapier
  • Action: Update Spreadsheet Row in Google Sheets
     

My issue arises when attempting to update multiple lines. The "Update Spreadsheet Row(s) in Google Sheets" action only allows me to update the same row. I must specify a specific line number in the "Row Number" input, which causes the same line to be updated when a new user completes the form.

 

 

I tried the solution suggested in this post (https://community.zapier.com/how-do-i-3/how-does-update-spreadsheet-row-s-in-google-sheets-work-22350) by transforming my data into an array of line items using Formatter > Utilities > Line Item options, but it did not resolve the issue - the same line continues to be updated.
 

 

 

To provide a better understanding, let's consider 2 users :


When the first user completes both forms, a line is created and updated. However, when another user completes both forms, I want a new line to be created beneath the previous user, rather than updating the same line. The main problem lies in updating the second Google Sheet using the "Update Spreadsheet Row(s) in Google Sheets" action, as I am forced to specify a row number (e.g., 8), resulting in the same row being updated each time a user completes both forms instead of being added as a new line.

This post has been closed for comments. Please create a new post if you need help or have a question about this topic.

1 reply

SamB
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +11

Hi @StevenY, welcome to the Community! 👋

Ah, I suspect the issue may be that the Lookup Spreadsheet Row action is only able to find a single row. In which case you’ll want to try switching the Zap to use the Lookup Spreadsheet Rows (output as Line Items) action instead:

4794543a5ba1cbbea84ffed409f208bc.png

That will give the relevant row IDs for any matching rows it finds - in the Rows ID field. Then you can select that for the Row Number field (on the Update Spreadsheet Row(s) action). For example:
3d7b6cf657775ca167fd908cd5c02d3e.png

Selecting the ID for the rows in this way will allow the Update Spreadsheet Row(s) action to know exactly which rows to update. 

If you want a brand new row to be added you’d need to use the Create Spreadsheet Row action instead which would add a new row. But it would not be able to insert the row under a specific row, it would only add it to the bottom of the existing rows.

You could potentially have another worksheet in the spreadsheet that pulls in the information added by the Zap (using a IMPORTRANGE formula) and sort/group the rows based on the user it relates to. Suggesting that the sorting/grouping is done in a separate worksheet as using resorting rows etc. in a worksheet that’s connected to a Zap can sometimes cause issues.

Hope that helps. Can you give that a try and let us know whether that works as hoped?

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