REST API to Google Sheets - Call REST API from Google Sheets

Import REST API to Google Sheets

In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to connect a REST API to Google Sheets, without writing any code.

Calling a REST API in Google Sheets is as easy as installing the Apipheny app, then opening the app in your Google Sheet, entering your API request, and clicking “Run”.

Keep reading for instructions on how to import REST API data into Google Sheets.

What is a REST API

First let’s start with what is an API? API is an acronym that stands for application programming interface. Developers create APIs for their applications/softwares so that other developers can communicate and retrieve data from their software. You can think of an API as a data pipeline between two apps.

REST is acronym that stands for Representational State Transfer. A REST API is an API that follows a specific set of rules.

Creating a REST API allows other developers to quickly understand how to use the API, because REST is sort of a universal set of rules that the development community has agreed on using. It makes life easier for everyone.

To import REST API data into Google Sheets, we’re going to install a Google Sheets add-on, enter our REST API request, and then run the request and the data will automatically populate the Google Sheet.

Let’s get started.

Step 1.) Install the Apipheny Google Sheets add-on

To call a REST API in your Google Sheet without writing any code, first install the Apipheny Google Sheets add-on.

Apipheny is a REST API integrator for Google Sheets. With Apipheny, you can make unlimited REST API calls to almost any REST API from your Google Sheet.

You can also save your REST API requests and schedule your API request so that the data refreshes in your Google Sheet every hour, day, week, or month.

Apipheny REST API connector for Google Sheets

Install Apipheny Here

After you install Apipheny, you’ll need to open it in your Google Sheet.

To open the Apipheny add-on, go to any Google Sheet, then click Add-ons or Extensions in the menu at the top.

In the dropdown menu, you should see Apipheny. Just click Apipheny > Import API to open the sidebar.

Step 2.) Enter your REST API request into the Apipheny add-on

After you’ve installed and opened Apipheny, your next step is to enter your API request into the add-on.

Every REST API has an API URL. Just enter your API URL into the add-on, where it says “API URL” field.

For this example, we’re going to use the coinmarketcap API, which is a RESTful JSON cryptocurrency API.

Here’s what our coinmarketcap API URL looks like when entered into Apipheny:

REST API URL entered into the Apipheny add-on in Google Sheets

If your REST API has any parameters, add them to the end of the API URL in the API URL field.

If your REST API requires headers, you can enter them into the “Headers” fields of the add-on, like this:

If your REST API requires headers, enter them into the Apipheny add-on where it says "Headers" — If your REST API requires headers, enter them into the Apipheny add-on where it says “Headers”

Step 3.) Import REST API data into Google Sheets

After you’ve entered your REST API request (URL and headers) into Apipheny, all you have to do is click “Run” and your REST API data will be automatically imported into your Google Sheet.

Here’s what our cryptocurrency REST API data looks like when imported into our Google Sheet:

REST API data imported into Google Sheets using the Apipheny add-on

After clicking “Run”, Apipheny will automatically retrieve the REST API data and convert it into your Google spreadsheet for you, without needing to write any code.

Once you import your REST API data, you can use the Apipheny add-on to query a different endpoint or a different REST API.

With Apipheny, you can also:

Save your REST API request for easy access later
Schedule your REST API request so that the data refreshes in your Google Sheet every hour, day, week, or month
Call the REST API directly inside your spreadsheet with the custom =Apipheny formula
and more