Overview
This comprehensive guide will walk you through creating a Google Sheets spreadsheet from scratch, sharing it with a service account, and retrieving the Spreadsheet ID. By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a fully functional Google Sheets spreadsheet ready for automation with FixtureSync.
Prerequisites
What You'll Need:
- A Google account (Gmail account)
- Internet connection
- Web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge etc.)
Part 1: Accessing Google and Creating Your Account (If Needed)
1
Open Your Web Browser
Launch your preferred web browser and navigate to www.google.com
2
Sign In to Google
Click the "Sign in" button in the top-right corner of the Google homepage and enter your Gmail address and password to sign into your Google account.
If you don't have a Google account:
- Click "Create account" → "For personal use"
- Fill in your first and last name
- Choose a username (this will be your Gmail address)
- Create a strong password
- Follow the verification steps
Part 2: Accessing Google Sheets
3
Access Google Apps Menu
Once signed in, click the Google Apps menu (the 3x3 grid of dots) in the top-right corner of any Google page.
4
Select Google Sheets
In the apps menu, find and click on "Sheets". It's represented by a green spreadsheet icon.
Alternative Method: You can also go directly to sheets.google.com in your browser.
Part 3: Creating a New Spreadsheet
5
Create a New Spreadsheet
In Google Sheets, you can create a new spreadsheet by:
- Clicking the "+" (plus) button to create a blank spreadsheet
- OR clicking "Blank" from the template gallery
6
Name Your Spreadsheet
Click on "Untitled spreadsheet" at the top of the page and give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Football Fixtures Data").
Part 4: Sharing Your Spreadsheet with the Service Account
7
Access Sharing Settings
Click the "Share" button in the top-right corner of your spreadsheet.
8
Add the Service Account
In the sharing dialog, follow these steps:
- In the "Add people and groups" field, enter the following email address:
fixture-fetcher-service@football-fixtures-automation.iam.gserviceaccount.com
- Click the permission dropdown (usually shows "Viewer" by default)
- Select "Editor" from the dropdown menu
- Click "Send" to share the spreadsheet with the service account
Important: Make sure to select "Editor" permissions - the service account needs write access to manage your spreadsheet data. "Viewer" or "Commenter" permissions will not work with FixtureSync.
Part 5: Retrieving Your Spreadsheet ID
9
Locate the Spreadsheet ID in the URL
Your Spreadsheet ID can be found in the browser's address bar. The URL will look like this:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/SPREADSHEET_ID_HERE/edit#gid=0
The Spreadsheet ID is the long string of characters between /d/ and /edit in the URL.
10
Copy the Spreadsheet ID
Your Spreadsheet ID will look similar to this format:
1BxiMVs0XRA5nFMdKvBdBZjgmUUqptlbs74OgvE2upms
Carefully select and copy the Spreadsheet ID from your browser's address bar. Make sure to copy only the ID portion, not the entire URL.
Save this Spreadsheet ID! You'll need this unique identifier for FixtureSync to access your spreadsheet programmatically.
Part 6: Making Your Spreadsheet Public (Optional)
The following steps explain how you can make your Google Sheets spreadsheet viewable by the public so that you can share the fixture data with teammates, family, friends and the wider community.
11
Access Public Sharing Settings
Click the "Share" button again, then click "Change to anyone with the link" or look for the "General access" section in the sharing dialog.
12
Enable Public Access
In the "General access" section:
- Change the dropdown from "Restricted" to "Anyone with the link"
- Choose the permission level:
- "Viewer" - Allows people to view the data (recommended for fixture sharing)
- "Commenter" - Allows people to view and add comments
- "Editor" - Allows people to edit the spreadsheet (not recommended for public sharing)
- Click "Copy link" to get the shareable URL
- Click "Done" to save the settings
Privacy Warning: Once you make your spreadsheet public, anyone with the link can view it. Only make spreadsheets public if you're comfortable sharing the fixture information with anyone on the internet.
13
Get the Public Spreadsheet URL
The public URL you copied will look similar to:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BxiMVs0XRA5nFMdKvBdBZjgmUUqptlbs74OgvE2upms/edit?usp=sharing
This is the link you can share with others to give them read-only access to your fixture data.
14
Test the Public URL
Open a new browser window or incognito/private browsing window and paste the public URL. You should be able to view the spreadsheet without signing into Google. This confirms that public access is working correctly.
What Public Viewers Can Do:
- ✅ View all data and sheets
- ✅ Navigate between different sheets/tabs
- ✅ Use filters and sorting (view only)
- ✅ Download copies in various formats
- ❌ Edit or modify the data
- ❌ Add or delete sheets
- ❌ Access sharing settings
15
Share Your Public Spreadsheet
You can now share your public spreadsheet URL with anyone through:
- Email or messaging apps
- Social media posts
- Website embedding (using Google Sheets embed options)
- QR codes for easy mobile access
Pro Tip: You can create specific views by adding filters or hiding columns before sharing. These views will be preserved when others access your public link.
Part 7: Understanding Sheet Names and Organization
16
Working with Sheet Tabs
FixtureSync can create and manage multiple sheets within your spreadsheet:
- Auto Mode: FixtureSync will automatically create new sheets with names like "FQPL_1_Men_Fixtures" or "All_Competitions_Fixtures"
- Manual Mode: You specify the exact sheet name, and FixtureSync will create it if it doesn't exist or update it if it does
Sheet Naming Guidelines:
- Sheet names are case-sensitive
- Special characters may be replaced with underscores
- Maximum length is typically 100 characters
- Each export may create a new sheet or update an existing one
Troubleshooting
Common Issues and Solutions
Spreadsheet Not Accessible:
- Check that you shared with the correct service account email
- Ensure you granted "Editor" permissions, not just "Viewer"
- Verify the Spreadsheet ID is copied correctly from the URL
Service Account Email Error:
- Double-check the email address for typos
- Ensure you copied the complete email address
- Make sure there are no extra spaces before or after the email
Spreadsheet ID Issues:
- Make sure you're copying from the correct part of the URL
- The ID should be a long string of letters and numbers
- Don't include "/edit" or other URL parameters
Data Not Updating:
- Check that the service account has "Editor" permissions
- Verify the sheet name matches exactly (case-sensitive)
- Ensure your spreadsheet hasn't been moved to Trash
Security Considerations
Important Security Notes:
- Only share your spreadsheet with trusted service accounts
- Regularly review who has access to your spreadsheets
- Keep your Spreadsheet ID secure - don't share it publicly unless intended
- Consider using separate spreadsheets for different purposes
- Be cautious when making spreadsheets public - ensure no sensitive data is included
Summary
Congratulations! You have successfully:
- ✅ Created a new Google Sheets spreadsheet
- ✅ Shared it with the service account: fixture-fetcher-service@football-fixtures-automation.iam.gserviceaccount.com
- ✅ Granted the service account "Editor" permissions
- ✅ Retrieved your unique Spreadsheet ID
- ✅ (Optional) Set up public sharing for community access
Your spreadsheet is now ready to be used by FixtureSync systems for managing football fixtures from Squadi. The FixtureSync service account can now create, modify, and organize fixture data in your spreadsheet programmatically.
Keep These Details Safe:
- Your Spreadsheet ID (the long string from the URL)
- Note of which service account has access
- The permission level granted (Editor)
- Public sharing URL (if you enabled public access)
