How to Use Google Sheets with OptiSigns – OptiSigns

Google Sheets is one of the most popular spreadsheet applications available online. In OptiSigns, you can set up a Google Sheets app so that whenever changes are made on your Sheet it will automatically show up on your screen.

NOTE

Google Sheets app is currently only available on Standard and above plans.

In this article, we'll cover:

How to create a Google Sheet App
- Option 1: Setting Up a Private Sheet
- Option 2: Setting Up a Public Sheet
Limitations

How to Create a Google Sheets App

Open the OptiSigns portal → Go to Files/Assets page

Click Apps → Search for Google Sheets and click on the app:

Add App dialog in OptiSigns with Google Sheets searched; arrow points at the Google Sheets app card.

There are two ways you can set up your Google Sheets:

Using a private Sheet
Using a public Sheet

Depending on how you have your document set up, please pick the option that best suits your use case.

Option 1: Setting Up a Private Sheet

This option is useful if you have private information on your Sheet or want more access and customization of your Sheet in OptiSigns.

In Google Sheets, open the Google Sheet you'd like to import → Copy the URL

A Google Sheet open in a browser with the address bar boxed in red, where you copy the URL.

Return to your Google Sheets app in the OptiSigns portal.

Name your asset → Paste the Sheet's URL into the URL box → Click Next

OptiSigns Google Sheets dialog: Name and URL boxes on the left, an example sheet on the right, Next button.

A "Sign In With Google" box will appear beneath the URL box, click on it.

Arrow pointing up at the blue SIGN IN WITH GOOGLE button below the Name and URL boxes.

A Google authorization pop-up window will appear → Follow the steps to authenticate your account connected to the Google Sheets → Click Continue

Google's consent screen, Sign in to OptiSigns, with an arrow pointing at the Continue button.

Once permission is granted, you can customize and set up your Google Sheet asset:

Google Sheets settings: Select Sheet, Customize Display Region, Scale, Orientation, Speed, Force Sync Interval.

Name: The name of the asset used in OptiSigns. This will not appear on your screens.
URL: The URL of the Google Sheets asset you're using.
Select Sheet: Allows you to select a single sheet from within the Google Sheet to display
- Reload Sheets: This will refresh the data to get an updated list Sheets available within that entire document for you to choose from.
Customize Display Region: Allows you to input the Start Cell and End Cell to select the region shown on your display.
- Currently, it is only supported for Private Sheet.
- This cannot be unselected or selected once the asset is first saved. If selected upon creating the app, you can continuously adjust the display region whenever you'd like.
Scale: Adjust how you'd like the Sheet to scale and display on the screen.
Orientation: Choose between Landscape or Portrait
Speed: Adjusts the speed at which data transitions.
- Slow or 5: 19 seconds
- Medium or 10: 14 seconds
- Fast or 15: 9 seconds
Force Sync Interval: System will force sync at the hour interval you select. (Minimum: 1 hour)

Once done, Click Save.

The Google Sheets settings with the Save button shown magnified beneath them.

NOTE

App must be saved before changes will appear in Preview.

Additional Features

After creating your asset, your URL box will now have a "Refresh Data" button. This button will update your Google Sheets data to make sure the latest information is shown on your device when clicked.

The saved app URL box with an arrow pointing at the green Refresh Data button beside it.

When you update your Sheet, Google will also send a notification to our system, which will either update the new data automatically after 5 minutes, during the set Force Sync Interval, or when you click the Refresh Data button above.

Option 2: Setting Up a Public Sheet

This method is useful if you want closer to real-time updates on your screen and a sharing experience similar to Google Docs.

In your Sheet, go to Files → Share → Publish this Document → Click Publish -> OK.

Google Sheets Publish to the web dialog with an arrow pointing at the blue Publish button.

Browser prompt asking Are you sure you want to publish this selection, with Cancel and OK.

IMPORTANT

If you do not publish AND share your Sheet, OptiSigns will have you go through the authentication process shown in the previous section. An error message may appear telling you the Sheet isn't published

Copy this published link → Return to your Google Sheets app in the OptiSigns portal.

Publish to the web dialog after publishing, with the published link boxed in red.

Name your asset → Paste the published link into the URL box.

Google Sheets app with a published link: only Name, URL and Save appear, no Update Interval.

Click Next.

Once done, click Save.

Limitations

Update Intervals:
- Private Sheet: Google will notify our system when you update your Sheet, and we will reload the information in as little as 5 minutes, up to one hour (or whenever you set your Force Sync Interval).
- Published Sheet: Google updates the webpage automatically every 5 minutes. Your screens should then update in around 5-10 minutes, up to the Force Sync interval (minimum 1 hour).
Hidden Sheet: If you try to import a hidden Sheet, we will not be able to access the content. This will cause the Preview window or Screens to display as black.
Custom Display Region:
- Currently, it is only supported for Private Sheet.
- This must be set up during the creation of the asset. Once this is selected for an asset, it cannot be unselected. Or, if you do not select it upon creating the asset, you cannot select it later.
- If you set up Custom Display Region, you can always adjust the inputted cells and scaling.

That's it! Your Google Sheets is now set up and ready to go.

Explore what else you can do with Google Sheets below:

If you have any questions, please reach out to our Customer Support team at support@optisigns.com