[Extension] How to look up Google Sheets data during a conversation in Blip

1. Introduction

2. How to configure the lookup in the flow

3. Support

Brief description: Look up a customer's row by tax ID, email, or order number in a Google Sheets spreadsheet and use the result to personalize the bot's response without creating an API.

Introduction

When a customer asks for the status of an order or wants to confirm registration details, the bot needs to query a database to respond. With the Google Sheets extension, you can use the spreadsheet itself as a lookup database: the bot searches for a row based on a value provided by the contact (tax ID, email, order number, ticket number) and returns the data from that row for use in the flow.

This works well when you already maintain your data in a spreadsheet and want to look it up during the conversation without creating an API or depending on development. To save new data in the spreadsheet, see the add new row pill. To read an entire range of cells, see the read range pill.

Before you start

Make sure you already have:

• The Google Sheets extension enabled in the bot. Enable Google Sheets in the Blip Store.

• Signed in with your Google account on the extension's Settings screen, with spreadsheet permissions granted.

• The Builder browser extension installed. It adds the New integration button to Builder and includes the Install extension link on the extension's Settings screen.

• A Google Sheets spreadsheet with a tab organized into columns and a column that serves as the lookup key (for example, email or tax ID). The connected Google account must have access to this spreadsheet.

• A flow variable with the value to be searched, for example {{contact.email}}.

Example of a spreadsheet structure, with a key column (email) and the data columns to be returned:

In this example, the bot looks up the row by the email provided by the contact and uses the order status in the response.

How to configure the lookup in the flow

The integration runs as an exit action from a block. Place the block after the point where the contact provided the value to be searched.

1. In Builder, click New integration to add an integration block to the flow.

2. Open the block and, on the Integration tab, select Google Sheets.

3. In the Action field, select Look up a row based on a value.

4. In Spreadsheet ID, enter the spreadsheet identifier. It is in the URL, between /d/ and /edit.

5. In Range, enter the tab and range where the lookup will be performed, for example Sheet1!A:D.

6. In Lookup value, enter the value to be searched using the flow variable, for example {{contact.email}}.

7. In Save result, enter the Result variable. Within the range, the extension looks for the first row that contains this value in any of the columns and saves the entire row to this variable.

8. Publish the flow and run a test. Use the result variable in the next blocks to personalize the response, referencing the required column by its position in the returned row.

Attention

The searched value must exist in the spreadsheet exactly as entered. The lookup uses an exact cell match, so differences in spaces, uppercase and lowercase letters, accents, or special characters prevent a result from being returned. If no row matches the value, the result variable is empty. Handle this case in the flow, for example with a condition that responds to the contact when nothing is found.

Support

If you have questions or problems with the extension, contact us by email at support@wiv.com.br.

Need more help? Explore our content on Blip Academy or Blip Community, watch tutorials on our YouTube channel or get answers to your questions through our support channel 😃