Tableau Connector for Google Sheets

Build 24.0.9060

Configuring a Connection

After Installing the Connector you can connect and create a Data Source for data in Google Sheets.

Setting Up a Data Source

Complete the following steps to connect to the data:

  1. Under Connect | To a Server, click More....
  2. Select the data source called Google Sheets by CData.
  3. Enter the information required for the connection.
  4. Click Sign In.
  5. If necessary, select a Database and Schema to discover what tables and views are available.

Using the Connection Builder

The connector makes the most common connection properties available directly in Tableau. However, it can be difficult to use if you need to use more advanced settings or need to troubleshoot connection issues. The connector includes a separate connection builder that allows you to create and test connections outside of Tableau.

There are two ways to access the connection builder:

  • On Windows, use a shortcut called Connection Builder in the Start menu, under the CData Tableau Connector for Google Sheets folder.
  • You can also start the connection builder by going to the driver install directory and running the .jar file in the lib directory.

In the connection builder, you can set values for connection properties and click Test Connection to validate that they work. You can also use the Copy to Clipboard button to save the connection string. This connection string can be given to the Connection String option included in the connector connection window in Tableau.

Connecting to Google Sheets

The connector supports authentication schemes using user accounts, service accounts, GCP instance accounts, and API keys for authentication. Each of these types of accounts have different AuthSchemes, but all of them use the OAuth standard for authentication.

Access AuthScheme Notes
User Accounts OAuth Can use embedded credentials if access from a Desktop application. See Desktop Applications, below.
Service Accounts OAuthJWT Depends on whether the data will be JSON or PFX files. See Authenticating as a Service, below.
GCP Instance Acct GCPInstanceAccount For use on a GCP virtual machine.
API Key Token Also, set APIKey to True.

To create an API key in the Google Cloud Console, click Create credentials > API Key. To restrict the key before using it in production, select Restrict and choose one of the available restrictions.

The following sections focus on authentication as a User, and authentication as a Service.

Authenticating as a User (OAuth)

The following subsections describe how to authenticate to Google Sheets from a User account (AuthScheme OAuth) via three common authentication flows:

  • Desktop: a connection to a server on the user's local machine, frequently used for testing and prototyping. Authenticated via either embedded OAuth or custom OAuth.
  • Web: access to data via a shared website. Authenticated via custom OAuth only.
  • Headless Server: a dedicated computer that provides services to other computers and their users, which is configured to operate without a monitor and keyboard. Authenticated via embedded OAuth or custom OAuth.

For information about how to create a custom OAuth application, and why you might want to create one even for auth flows that have embedded OAuth credentials, see Creating a Custom OAuth Application. For a complete list of connection string properties available in Google Sheets, see Connection.

Desktop Applications

CData provides an embedded OAuth application that simplifies authentication at the desktop. You can also authenticate from the desktop via a custom OAuth application, which you configure and register at the Google Sheets console. For further information, see Creating a Custom OAuth Application.

Before you connect, set the following variables:

  • InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH. Used to automatically get and refresh the OAuthAccessToken.
  • Custom OAuth applications only:
    • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
    • CallbackURL: The redirect URI defined when you registered your custom OAuth application.

When you connect, the connector opens Google Sheets's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application.

After you grant permissions to the application, the connector completes the OAuth process:

  1. The connector obtains an access token from Google Sheets and uses it to request data.
  2. The OAuth values are saved in the path specified in OAuthSettingsLocation. These values persist across connections.

When the access token expires, the connector refreshes it automatically.

Automatic refresh of the OAuth access token:

To have the connector automatically refresh the OAuth access token, do the following:

  1. The first time you connect to data, set the following connection parameters:
    • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
    • OAuthClientId: The client Id in your application settings.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret in your application settings.
    • OAuthAccessToken: The access token returned by GetOAuthAccessToken.
    • OAuthSettingsLocation: The path where you want the connector to save the OAuth values, which persist across connections.
  2. On subsequent data connections, set the following:
    • InitiateOAuth
    • OAuthSettingsLocation

Manual refresh of the OAuth access token:

The only value needed to manually refresh the OAUth access token is the OAuth refresh token.

  1. To manually refresh the OAuthAccessToken after the ExpiresIn period (returned by GetOAuthAccessToken) has elapsed, call the RefreshOAuthAccessToken stored procedure.
  2. Set the following connection properties:

    • OAuthClientId: The Client Id in your application settings.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The Client Secret in your application settings.

  3. Call RefreshOAuthAccessToken with OAuthRefreshToken set to the OAuth refresh token returned by GetOAuthAccessToken.
  4. After the new tokens have been retrieved, set the OAuthAccessToken property to the value returned by RefreshOAuthAccessToken. This opens a new connection.

Store the OAuth refresh token so that you can use it to manually refresh the OAuth access token after it has expired.

Authenticating as a Service (OAuthJWT)

Authenticating to Google Sheets from a Service account (AuthScheme OAuth) requires:

You must also set the following properties, which are specific to the preferred medium:

JSON File Properties

  • AuthScheme: OAuthJWT.
  • InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH.
  • OAuthJWTCertType: GOOGLEJSON.
  • OAuthJWTCert: The path to the Google-provided .json file.
  • OAuthJWTSubject (optional): The email address of the user whose data you want to access. Only set this value if the service account is part of a GSuite domain and you want to enable delegation.

PFX File Properties

  • AuthScheme: OAuthJWT.
  • InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH.
  • OAuthJWTCertType: PFXFILE.
  • OAuthJWTCert: The path to the Google-provided .pfx file.
  • OAuthJWTIssuer: The email address of the service account. This address usually includes the domain iam.gserviceaccount.com.
  • OAuthJWTCertPassword (optional): The .pfx file password. In most cases you must provide this since Google encrypts PFX certificates.
  • OAuthJWTCertSubject (optional): Set this only if you are using a OAuthJWTCertType which stores multiple certificates. Should not be set for PFX certificates generated by Google.
  • OAuthJWTSubject (optional): The email address of the user whose data you want to access. Only set this value if the service account is part of a GSuite domain and you want to enable delegation.

Next Step

See Using the Connector to create data visualizations.

Copyright (c) 2024 CData Software, Inc. - All rights reserved.
Build 24.0.9060