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Transform data in Google Sheets

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Transform data in Google Sheets preview
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Important notice

This workflow is provided as-is. Please review and test before using in production.

1. Workflow Overview

This workflow appends, lookup, updates, and reads data from a Google Sheet spreadsheet. Set node: The Set node is used to generate data that we want to add to Goo...

Best for

  • Document Extraction automation workflows
  • intermediate n8n builders looking for reusable templates

Tools used

n8n-nodes-base.manualtrigger, n8n-nodes-base.googlesheets, n8n-nodes-base.set

Source and attribution

This workflow is cataloged by N8N Workflows and links back to its original n8n.io source page by Harshil Agrawal.

Original n8n.io source

1.1 Workflow description

Title
Transform data in Google Sheets
Workflow name
Transform data in Google Sheets

This workflow appends, lookup, updates, and reads data from a Google Sheet spreadsheet.

Set node: The Set node is used to generate data that we want to add to Google Sheets. Depending on your use-case you might have data coming from a different source. For example, you might be fetching data from a WebHook call. Add the node that will fetch the data that you want to add to the Google Sheet. Use can then use the Set node to set the data that you want to add to the Google Sheets.

Google Sheets node: This node will add the data from the Set node in a new row to the Google Sheet. You will have to enter the Spreadsheet ID and the Range to specify which sheet you want to add the data to.

Google Sheets1 node: This node looks for a specific value in the Google Sheet and returns all the rows that contain the value. In this example, we are looking for the value Berlin in our Google Sheet. If you want to look for a different value, enter that value in the Lookup Value field, and specify the column in the Lookup Column field.

Set1 node: The Set node sets the value of the rent by $100 for the houses in Berlin. We pass this new data to the next nodes in the workflow.

Google Sheets2 node: This node will update the rent for the houses in Berlin with the new rent set in the previous node. We are mapping the rows with their ID. Depending on your use-case, you might want to map the values with a different column. To set this enter the column name in the Key field.

Google Sheets3 node: This node returns the information from the Google Sheet. You can specify the columns that should get returned in the Range field. Currently, the node fetches the data for columns A to D. To fetch the data only for columns A to C set the range to A:C.

This workflow can be broken down into different workflows each with its own use case. For example, we can have a workflow that appends new data to a Google Sheet, and another workflow that lookups for a certain value and returns that value.

You can learn to build this workflow on the documentation page of the Google Sheets node.

1.2 Logical Blocks

This catalog entry is organized from the workflow JSON. The node-level section below shows the executable blocks available for review before importing the template.

2. Block-by-Block Analysis

Block 1 - On clicking 'execute'

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger - manualTrigger
Config choices
Version 1

Block 2 - Google Sheets2

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets - googleSheets
Config choices
Version 1

Block 3 - Set1

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.set - set
Config choices
Version 1

Block 4 - Google Sheets1

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets - googleSheets
Config choices
Version 1

Block 5 - Google Sheets

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets - googleSheets
Config choices
Version 1

Block 6 - Google Sheets3

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets - googleSheets
Config choices
Version 1

Block 7 - Set

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.set - set
Config choices
Version 1

3. Summary Table

Workflow Transform data in Google Sheets
Complexity intermediate
Nodes 7
Categories Document Extraction
Author Harshil Agrawal
Published 29 Sept 2020

4. Reproducing the Workflow from Scratch

  1. 1. Download the workflow JSON

    Use the JSON export at /data/workflows/694/694.json as the source template for this automation.

  2. 2. Import the template into n8n

    Open n8n, import the downloaded JSON, and review each node before activating the workflow.

  3. 3. Configure credentials and variables

    Replace placeholder credentials, API keys, webhook URLs, account IDs, and environment-specific values with your own settings.

  4. 4. Test with sample data

    Run the workflow manually or in a staging workspace, inspect node output, and confirm downstream systems receive the expected data.

  5. 5. Activate and monitor

    Enable the workflow only after testing, then monitor executions, errors, and rate limits during the first production runs.

5. General Notes & Resources

Review imported nodes carefully before activation. This catalog entry is intended to help you inspect the workflow structure, understand required services, and find related templates faster.

Node names, credentials, schedules, webhook paths, and external service limits may need adjustment for your workspace.

Frequently asked questions

What does Transform data in Google Sheets do?

This workflow appends, lookup, updates, and reads data from a Google Sheet spreadsheet. Set node: The Set node is used to generate data that we want to add to Goo...

What do I need before importing this workflow?

Review the workflow JSON, configure any required credentials in n8n, and test the automation in a safe workspace before using it in production.

Can I customize this workflow?

Yes. Use the block-by-block analysis and the downloadable JSON to inspect each node, then adjust credentials, prompts, schedules, filters, or destinations for your Document Extraction use case.