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How to Query Google Sheets Data in a Softr App

Cody Schneider•

Building a custom web app without writing code used to be a distant dream, but tools like Softr have made it a reality. By using a simple Google Sheet as your database, you can launch functional apps, internal tools, and client portals in minutes. This article will walk you through exactly how to connect your Google Sheets data to a Softr app and query it to display dynamic, filterable information for your users.

Why Use Google Sheets as Your Softr Database?

Before diving into the "how," it's helpful to understand the "why." While dedicated databases like Airtable or Supabase offer more power, Google Sheets holds a unique advantage for many projects because it's dead simple and instantly familiar.

  • Accessibility: Nearly everyone on your team already knows how to use a spreadsheet. There's virtually no learning curve to add or edit data.

  • No Extra Cost: Google Sheets is free. For prototypes, internal tools, or simple applications, you can build a backend without any additional subscription costs.

  • Ultimate Flexibility: You can use the full power of spreadsheet formulas to clean, transform, and prepare your data before it ever reaches your Softr app. It acts as a lightweight data pre-processing layer.

  • Fast to Set Up: You can go from an idea to a populated database in minutes, just by typing into a spreadsheet.

This combination makes it the perfect choice for quickly launching minimum viable products (MVPs), creating internal dashboards for your team, or building a simple membership directory or client portal.

Our Example: Building a Project Tracker App

To make this guide practical, let's build a simple team project tracker. Our goal is to create a web app that lists all company projects, allows users to filter them by status or owner, and lets them click on a project to see more details.

Step 1: Set Up Your Google Sheet

First, create a new Google Sheet. Let's name it "Softr Project Tracker." We'll work with a single tab for now, named "Projects."

Create the following columns in your "Projects" tab:

  • ProjectID: A unique identifier for each project (e.g., P001, P002). This is crucial for linking data later.

  • ProjectName: The name of the project.

  • Owner: The name or email of the project lead.

  • Status: The current status (e.g., Not Started, In Progress, Completed, Blocked).

  • Deadline: A date for when the project is due.

  • Description: A more detailed summary of the project.

  • ImageURL: A public URL to an image for the project (optional, but it looks nice).

Go ahead and fill in 5-10 rows with some sample project data. This will give you something to see in Softr once you connect it.

Connecting Your Google Sheet to Softr: Step-by-Step

With your data ready, it's time to link it to Softr. The process is straightforward and only takes a minute.

  1. Log into your Softr Studio and either create a new application or open an existing one.

  2. In the left-hand panel, go to the Data tab (it looks like a database symbol).

  3. Click '+ Add Source' and select Google Sheets from the list.

  4. A Google authentication window will pop up. Sign in with the Google account that has access to your project tracker sheet and grant Softr the necessary permissions.

  5. Once authenticated, Softr will ask you to select your spreadsheet file. Search for "Softr Project Tracker" (or whatever you named it) and select it.

  6. If your sheet has multiple tabs, you'll be prompted to choose which tab (worksheet) you want to use. Select our 'Projects' tab.

That's it! Your Google Sheet is now a connected data source in your Softr application. Softr automatically analyzes your column headers and attempts to assign the correct data type (Text, Date, Number, etc.).

"Querying" and Displaying Your Data in Softr

In the world of Softr and no-code tools, "querying" doesn't mean writing SQL code. Instead, you query your data visually by choosing what to display, how to filter it, and how to sort it, all through the editor's interface.

Displaying All Projects in a List Block

The most common way to display a set of records is with a list. Let's add one to our homepage.

  1. On your page in Softr Studio, click the blue '+ Add Block' button.

  2. Navigate to the Dynamic section and choose a block under List. A "List with vertical cards and tags" is a great starting point.

  3. Click on the newly added block. In the right-hand settings panel, go to the Data tab.

  4. For the Data Source, select your Google Sheet.

  5. Now, you need to map your Google Sheet columns to the fields in the list block. This tells Softr what data to put where:

    • Map Image to the ImageURL column.

    • Map Title to the ProjectName column.

    • Map Text to a field like Owner.

    • Map Tag to the Status column.

You should immediately see your sample data from Google Sheets appear in the preview. It feels like magic, but you've just performed your first "query" by telling Softr to fetch all records from your sheet and display them.

Adding Dynamic Filters to Empower Users

A static list is good, but a filterable list is a true application. Let's allow users to query the list themselves by filtering for projects assigned to them or by a specific status.

  1. In the settings for your list block, go to the Features tab.

  2. Find the section for Search, Filters, and Sorts.

  3. Toggle on the Inline Filters feature. Click the "Add Filter" button.

  4. Let's create a filter for Status. Set it up like this:

    • Filter by: Status

    • Label: Filter by Status

    • Style: Can be a dropdown, tabs, or buttons. Tabs look great for a few options.

  5. Click 'Add Filter' again to add another one for the project owner.

    • Filter by: Owner

    • Label: Filter by Owner

    • Style: Dropdown is usually best for a list of names.

Now, when you preview your app, you'll see interactive filter controls above your project list. Users can click a status or select an owner, and the list will instantly update to show only the matching projects. This is a powerful, user-driven query performed in real-time.

Creating a Detailed View for Each Project

The last core piece of our app is allowing a user to click a project to see all its details. This involves creating a details page and linking the list to it.

  1. First, create a new page by clicking the '+' icon next to Pages in the left menu. Call it "Project Details."

  2. On this new page, click '+ Add Block' -> Dynamic -> List Details. A "List Details with image and text fields" is a good choice.

  3. Just like before, go into the block's settings and connect it to your Google Sheets data source. Map the fields: map the title to ProjectName, a text field to Description, another one to Owner, the date field to Deadline, etc.

  4. Go back to your homepage. Click on your project list block settings menu and find the 'Item On-Click Action'.

  5. Change the default action to 'Open page' and select the 'Project Details' page you just created.

Now, when a user clicks on any project card in your main list, Softr automatically passes the record's information to the details page and displays the full set of data. This "lookup" is another form of a query, showing one specific record from your Google Sheet.

Advanced Techniques & Limitations

What we've built is a fully functional app, but you can go further. More advanced querying can be achieved by offloading complexity to Google Sheets itself.

  • Use Formulas to Create "Calculated" Fields: Need to show how many days are left until a deadline? Don't try to build this logic in Softr. Instead, add a new column in your Google Sheet called "DaysRemaining" and use a formula like =IF(E2 > TODAY(), E2 - TODAY(), 0). This cell will automatically update. You can then map this "DaysRemaining" field directly in Softr.

  • Pre-Sorting Your Data: While Softr has sorting options, you can use the SORT function in another Google Sheet tab to create a pre-sorted view of your data if you have complex or multi-level sorting requirements.

It's also important to be aware of the limitations. Google Sheets works brilliantly for hundreds or even a few thousand rows. But it's not a performance-optimized database. If your app will handle more than 5,000-10,000 records, you may notice slowdowns, and it might be time to graduate to a more scalable backend like Airtable or Supabase.

Final Thoughts

Combining the user-friendliness of Google Sheets with the rapid development speed of Softr is one of the fastest ways to bring a data-driven app to life. You can build powerful internal tools, membership sites, and client portals by leveraging the visual "query" tools - like lists, filters, and linked pages - that Softr provides to control exactly how your spreadsheet data is presented.

Once your app is live, you'll naturally start asking questions about the data itself, like "Which team member has the most 'Completed' projects this month?" or "What's the trend of new projects created over time?" To handle that kind of analysis, we built Graphed. Instead of manually building charts in another tool, we let you connect that same Google Sheet directly, then simply ask your business questions in plain English to instantly generate real-time reports and dashboards.