[Google Sheets] Mapsly setup guide

Learn how to start using Mapsly with your Google Sheets as the data source

Sergey Shurygin avatar
Written by Sergey Shurygin
Updated over a week ago

Mapsly is a standalone software platform that exchanges data with your Google Sheets account through its API.

To start using Mapsly with your Google Sheets data, you will need to:

  1. Sign up for a new Mapsly account.

  2. Prepare your Google Sheets file for connection to Mapsly.

  3. Connect your Google Sheets file as a data source to Mapsly.

This guide will walk you through these steps.

1. Sign up for a new Mapsly account

If you haven't done it already, sign up for a new trial Mapsly account by going to Mapsly sign-up page. Your account will be free for 14 days, and no credit card is required at signup.

If you already signed up, please log in here.

2. Prepare your Google Spreadsheet for import

To make your Google Sheets file compatible with Mapsly, please make sure the following requirements are met for all Sheets that you are planning to use in Mapsly:

Requirement #1: Column A should contain unique non-empty values

In Mapsly, you can not only view your data on the map but also modify it directly in Mapsly, and Mapsly will immediately sync these changes to your Google Sheets. You can create new rows from the map or with Create record action, update existing rows using manually or with Update record action, or delete rows using Delete record action.

To support this two-way data sync, Mapsly requires that column A of each Sheet used in Mapsly contain non-empty unique values that Mapsly will be using as rows' identifiers. If you already have such a column, you can move it to the left so it becomes column A. If you don't yet have such a column, you can insert it as column A and use this guide to fill it in with unique auto-incremented values.

Please note that Mapsly will automatically skip rows with empty cells in column A, so make sure there aren't any.

Requirement #2: The first row should contain column names, and optionally, field types and identifiers

Mapsly expects that the first row will contain column names (and optionally, their types and identifiers), so please make sure your first row contains column names and not data. If your Sheet currently contains data in the first row, insert a new row on top and fill in column non-empty names manually.

Please note that Mapsly will automatically skip column with empty values in the first row.

Requirement #3: spreadsheet must have CSV format

At the moment XLSX spreadsheets are not supported. Consider changing the document format to .CSV before connecting Google Sheets to Mapsly.

Consider adding data types to columns

By default, Mapsly will treat all values in all columns as Text, which will work ok if you only want to view data on the map. But if you'd like to use filtering, automation, heatmaps, or any other type-specific features and functions, you need to explicitly indicate the data type and column identifier ("API name") for a column using the format described in Step #2 of this article.

Consider adding is_deleted column for deleting records in Mapsly

Currently, when you remove a row in your Google Sheets file, the corresponding record is NOT automatically removed in Mapsly. Currently, to sync removed records, add is_deleted column to your Google Sheets file and set its value to 1 for records that should be removed in Mapsly, while leaving it 0 or empty for others.

3. Add Google Sheets as a new data source

To add your Google Sheets as a data source to your Mapsly account:

  • Go to Setup in the main menu

  • Click + button

  • Select Google Sheets from the list of connectors

  • Copy your Google Sheets ID to your Data source connector settings - Connection parameters.

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Copy the ID of your Google Sheets file from its URL as shown in the screenshot below (the ID is the string between the /d/ and /edit):

and paste it to the Spreadsheet id field in the Data source connection settings:

After clicking Connect to Source You will be asked to provide access to Mapsly. Click on "Allow" button.

4. Add the Sheets you need in Mapsly, and map their object address or GPS coordinates, and optionally, Name

Add objects to be imported

On the Objects to import screen, press the Add object button to select the sheets from your Google Sheets file that must be imported to Mapsly as objects, and for each of them indicate which column(s) Mapsly should use as the object's address and, optionally, name.

Please mind the maximum sheets count limit

The maximum number of sheets that can be imported from your Google Sheets document to Mapsly is 100. Only the first 100 sheets based on their position in the document will be imported.

If necessary, create virtual address field(s)

If your Sheets rows contain address components in separate columns, create a virtual address field by clicking the New address field link under the Address selector and mapping your columns onto the address components:

Your new virtual address field will be automatically selected as your Address field.

If you have GPS coordinates, map them in addition to Address

If you have columns with the Latitude and Longitude, you may map them by clicking the crosshairs icon:

Note. If your mapped both your Address and coordinates, Mapsly will use coordinates whenever they are not empty, and the Address otherwise. Mapping the GPS coordinates would also enable the Move command in the record's map popup.

More useful articles

If you'd like to see on the map only standard objects like contacts, the wizard's instructions are self-explanatory. In more complex scenarios when you'd like to see other objects in Mapsly as well or use coordinates instead of an object's address, please refer to these articles:

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