Managing data can be a daunting task, especially if you have to input the data into spreadsheets manually. It’s time to make the switch to a database! With a database, you can streamline your data management, automate tasks, and gain powerful insights into your business operations. Thankfully, there are tools like Baserow and Zapier that can help streamline these processes.
Baserow is an open-source database management platform that allows you to store, organize, and manage your data. With Baserow, you can easily collaborate with others in real-time, making it a great tool for team projects or shared data analysis.
Zapier is an automation tool that helps you automate repetitive tasks between two or more apps without a single line of code. With Zapier, you can do more than just connect your apps—you can automate entire processes from beginning to end.
By combining these two tools, you can automate the process of adding new entries to your Baserow database, saving you time and minimizing the risk of errors.
Let’s explore how easy it is to take your data management to the next level.
What we’ll do
In this tutorial, we will explore how you can use Zapier and Baserow to automate the process of adding new entries to Baserow from Google Sheets. We will walk you through the steps required to set up this workflow and provide you with some tips and tricks to help you get started.
We’ll follow these steps:
- Set up worksheet in Google Sheets.
- Set up a Baserow database.
- Create a new Zap.
- Add a Google Sheets trigger.
- Add a Baserow action.
What we’ll need
We’ll integrate no-code tools. These are the tools we need:
- A free Baserow account to handle the data
- Zapier to connect Baserow with other apps by setting a trigger and action
- A Google account to access Google Sheets
Here’s an example of how the workflow could look:
Add new rows to Baserow with Zapier and Google Sheets
1. Set up a worksheet in Google Sheets
To automate this process, we need to have an existing worksheet in Google sheets with data.
In this tutorial, we will use a Booking.com hotel dataset. This worksheet has been designed to aggregate reviews from a wide selection of hotels on Booking.com. It includes column headers: Hotel Name, Review, Total Review, Rating, and Location.
2. Set up a Baserow database
First, log into Baserow. Storing data in a Baserow database makes it easier for everyone on the team to access and work with the data.
Create a workspace by clicking the + Create workspace button in the dashboard. Name the workspace, then click the Add workspace button to save the newly-created workspace.
After you’ve created a workspace, create a new database from scratch or add a database from the template library. For this tutorial, we will create a database from scratch. A default table will be added to the newly-created database when you start a database from scratch.
Next, mirror the worksheet column headers in the Baserow table as field types: Hotel Name, Review, Total Review, Rating, Location.
3. Create a new Zap
Log in to your Zapier account and create a new Zap to get started with integrating Baserow with Zapier.
A Zap is an automated workflow that connects your apps and services together. A Zap tells your apps to follow this simple command: “When this happens, do that.”
Zapier is a platform that allows you to connect different apps and automate workflows between them. With Zapier, Baserow users can automate the transferring of their data into other apps.
For example: if you create a hiring form in your Baserow database and you want all applicants added to MailChimp automatically or maybe you want them added to Gmail or Salesforce CRM, Zapier has got your back.
Start your Zapier integration by clicking + Create Zap from your Zapier dashboard.
4. Add a Google Sheets trigger
Create a new zap and give it a descriptive name, like ‘Google sheet data to Baserow’. Click the Trigger step.
Each Zap consists of a trigger and one or more actions. A trigger is an event that starts a Zap. An action is an event a Zap performs after it is triggered.
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Search for apps and choose Google Sheets as the trigger app. This will be the app that triggers the workflow.
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Choose the trigger event that will start the workflow. Click the Event dropdown menu and choose “New Spreadsheet Row” as the trigger event. This will initiate the trigger when a new row is added to the bottom of a spreadsheet.
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Connect a Google Sheets account and select the sheet to use. Click Continue.
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Select the Spreadsheet and Worksheet from Step 1.
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Click Test trigger. Zapier will attempt to find a recent spreadsheet row in Google Sheets to use in the Zap. The information can then be used as test data in an action step later in the Zap.
If Zapier is having trouble finding data for your trigger, try adding new data for the event in your trigger app.
Now that we have set up the trigger, we can set up the rest of the Zap by adding an action.
5. Add a Baserow action
Set up the action app, which will be Baserow in this case. With the Baserow action, we can
- create a new row,
- delete an existing row,
- update an existing row,
- find a single row in a given table,
- find a page of rows in a given table.
In this tutorial, we want to create a new row in Baserow when a new spreadsheet row is added.
In the Zap editor, click the plus + icon to add an action step.
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Search and select Baserow from the list of available apps.
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Click the Event dropdown menu and select the “Create Row” event. This will create a new row when the Zap runs.
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Connect your Baserow account and select the base and table from Step 1.
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Enter the table ID where the row must be created in. You can find the table ID by clicking on the three dots next to the table. It’s the number between brackets.
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Map the fields from your Google Sheets spreadsheet to the corresponding fields in Baserow. Click Continue.
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Test the workflow to make sure it’s working correctly.
Publish the Zap and start automating!
Once set up, Zapier will create a row in Baserow every time a new spreadsheet row is created in Google Sheets. Now, you can add more reviews and collaborate with travelers who are looking for the ideal accommodation for their next trip.
Summary
Say goodbye to the hassle of manual data entry and hello to real-time collaboration, role-based access control, single sign-on, views and filtering data, and more.
Whenever a new row is added to your Google Sheets spreadsheet, Zapier will automatically create a new row in your Baserow database and table with the corresponding data. You can customize this workflow to suit your specific needs by adding more steps or by changing the trigger and action apps.
- How to transform any spreadsheet into a database!
- Databases vs. spreadsheets: Which is better for your business?
- Building your own database without technical experience
- How to model your Baserow data
In case you’ve run into an issue while following the tutorial, feel free to reach out to ask for help in the Baserow community.
What’s your use case? Tell us how you use Baserow
