Sharing Google Sheets: A Cautionary Tale and Best Practices
- Rubén Rivera
- Apr 13
- 8 min read
Updated: Apr 16
A Decade of Access Requests: Lessons Learned in Sharing
Almost ten years ago, in May 2015, I published a post on my blog, "Ejemplos para Foros," (Examples for forums), to share it on Google Product Forums and other online spaces. The post explained how to publish a range of cells from a Google Sheet. Shortly after, I also provided an answer on Web Applications Stack Exchange (WebApps) to a question about creating a URL for a specific cell in Google Sheets.
Fast forward to today, and I'm still receiving access requests for the example Google Sheet I used in that post! This illustrates a crucial point about sharing Google Sheets, and I want to share my experience and some best practices to help you avoid similar situations.
The Original Scenario
The question on WebApps, asked by a teacher named Rachel, was:
I am a teacher who is trying to create QR codes for book reviews to be placed on books in the library. I have collected all of my students' book reviews via a Google Form, so that their answers are on a Google Sheets (one column, about 100 rows). Instead of creating a QR code from the reviews and limiting the characters for the length, I'd rather have each review be a separate URL and use that address to create the QR code instead. Instead of creating 100+ different web pages or sheets in Google, if there was a way to create a link directly to a specific cell in the sheet that would be incredibly helpful... I tried to use the query formula (limit and offset) after publishing the web page and also not publishing it, but I get an error each time... Is there a way (or an easier way) to do this? Is there any way to keep the formatting of the Google Sheet?
My answer, posted on June 12, 2015, explained how to use the "Publish to the web" feature in Google Sheets to create a URL that displays a specific cell or range.
The Problem with Direct Sharing
The issue I'm encountering now highlights the difference between sharing a Google Sheet and publishing it to the web. When you share a Google Sheet, you're giving other users access to the actual file in Google Drive. Depending on the permissions you set, they might be able to view, comment on, or even edit the sheet.
In my case, because I used the direct link to the Google Sheet for the example, people are trying to gain access to edit the sheet. This has several drawbacks, and it's important to understand the potential consequences before you share a Sheet directly:
Privacy Concerns: When you share a Google Sheet, the people you share it with can see your name and email address. This might seem minor, but it's a significant privacy issue, especially if you're sharing with a large number of unknown individuals. For example, if you share a sheet with a class of students, each student will see your personal information. If that sheet's link gets shared further, potentially to people outside your organization, your information could spread even more widely. In today's world, where data privacy is paramount, minimizing the exposure of your personal information is crucial.
Unintended Edits: If you grant edit access, even accidentally, others could modify your original data. This risk is very real. Imagine you share a sign-up sheet for an event, intending for people to only add their names. If someone accidentally (or maliciously) deletes or alters entries, it could create chaos and a lot of extra work for you. Granting edit access should be done very carefully and only with people you trust to handle the data responsibly. Even with collaborators you trust, it's a good practice to keep a backup of important sheets.
Notification Overload: You'll receive email notifications every time someone requests access, which can become overwhelming, as I've experienced. When you share a sheet with a large group, or if the link is posted in a public forum, you might find your inbox flooded with access requests. This can disrupt your workflow and make it difficult to manage your email. Dealing with a constant stream of "Access Request" emails is not only annoying but also time-consuming.
File Management: It becomes harder to manage and update your original file when many people have access. If multiple people are editing a sheet simultaneously, it can lead to version control issues. You might end up with conflicting changes, making it difficult to track which version is the most accurate. Also, if you need to make a change to the sheet's structure or content, you'll have to communicate that change to everyone who has access, which can be a logistical nightmare.
Security Risks: Sharing a document directly increases the risk of security breaches. If any of the recipients' accounts are compromised, your shared sheet could be exposed to unauthorized individuals. This is particularly concerning if the sheet contains sensitive information.
Lack of Control: When you share a sheet, you lose some control over how the data is used. Recipients can often make copies of the sheet, and you have no control over what they do with those copies. This can lead to data being distributed or used in ways you didn't intend.
Handling Access Requests
If you've shared a Google Sheet and are receiving numerous access requests, here are a few options for managing them:
Email Filters: You can create an email filter to automatically archive or delete access request emails. This can help keep your inbox clean and prevent these notifications from cluttering your view. Be very cautious about marking these emails as spam, as this could inadvertently block other important Google Sheets notifications.
Ignore Requests: Another option is to simply ignore the requests. However, this will leave the access request emails in your inbox, which can become quite messy and make it more difficult to find important messages.
The Better Way: Publishing to the Web
Google Sheets provides a much safer and more effective way to share data for viewing purposes: the "Publish to the web" feature. This feature creates a webpage version of your sheet, which you can then share via a URL.
Here's how it works and why it's better:
Publishing: In Google Sheets, go to File > Share > Publish to the web.
Options:
Choose whether to publish the entire document or a single sheet.
Select the format (Web page, PDF, CSV, etc.). For displaying within a webpage, "Web page" is usually the best choice.
Decide whether to republish changes automatically.
Click "Publish".
URL: Google Sheets will generate a URL you can share. This URL displays a view-only version of your data.
Key Advantages of Publishing to the Web:
Privacy: Viewers only see the published data, not your personal information.
Data Integrity: Viewers cannot edit your original Google Sheet.
Control: You can easily stop publishing at any time.
Clean Presentation: The published version is typically cleaner and free of the Google Sheets interface.
Specific Cells/Ranges: You can use URL parameters to display specific cells or ranges.
Displaying Specific Cells or Ranges with URL Parameters
This is where it gets powerful, and I described it in my answer on WebApps. You can modify the published URL to show only the data you want.
Here's the basic structure:
Let's break down the parameters:
{YOUR_SPREADSHEET_ID} : This is the unique ID of your Google Sheet. It's a long string of characters in the URL of your sheet.
gid={SHEET_ID}: The ID of the specific sheet within your spreadsheet. The first sheet is usually gid=0.
single=true: This parameter tells Google Sheets to display only the specified range.
range={CELL_RANGE} : This is the cell or range of cells you want to display (e.g., A1, B13, A1:C5).
chrome=false: This parameter hides the Google Sheets header and footer, giving a cleaner look.
Examples:
To display only cell B13:
To display the range B12:B13:
A Note on AI and Data Sharing
With the rise of ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and other AI tools, it's more important than ever to be cautious about sharing data online. AI models can scrape and index information from websites, forums, and social media. This means that any Google Sheet URLs you share publicly, even if you intend them for a small audience, could potentially be accessed by a much wider audience than you anticipate. Always use the "Publish to the web" method to minimize the risk of unintended access to your data.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What's the difference between "sharing" and "publishing" a Google Sheet?
A: When you "share" a Google Sheet, you give other users access to the actual spreadsheet file in your Google Drive. They can view, comment, or edit the sheet, depending on the permissions you set. When you "publish" a Google Sheet, you create a view-only webpage version of the sheet. This webpage can be shared via a URL, and it prevents others from directly accessing or modifying your original spreadsheet.
Q: Why am I still getting access requests after sharing a link?
A: If you shared the direct URL of your Google Sheet (the one you see when you're editing the sheet), people will use that link to request edit access. To avoid this, you should use the "Publish to the web" feature, which generates a different URL for a view-only version.
Q: Can I control what parts of my sheet are visible when I publish it?
A: Yes! By using URL parameters, you can specify exactly which cells or ranges of cells are displayed in the published version. This allows you to share only the relevant data without exposing the entire sheet.
Q: How do I hide the Google Sheets interface when I publish?
A: Use the chrome=false parameter in the URL. This will remove the header and footer, providing a cleaner, more streamlined view of your data.
Q: Is it safe to publish sensitive data?
A: Publishing to the web is safer than sharing a direct link, but you should still exercise caution with sensitive data. Only publish the minimum amount of data necessary, and be aware that the published information is publicly accessible. If your data is highly confidential, consider alternative methods, such as password-protected PDFs or secure data sharing platforms.
Q: What happens when I update my Google Sheet after publishing it?
A: By default, any changes you make to your original Google Sheet will be reflected in the published web version. You can control this behavior by checking or unchecking the "Automatically republish when changes are made" option when you publish.
Q: Can I embed a published Google Sheet in my website?
A: Yes, Google Sheets allows you to embed a published sheet into a website using an iframe. This can be a convenient way to display dynamic data on your site.
Conclusion
My experience with those lingering access requests reminds me of the importance of using the correct method for sharing Google Sheets. While sharing is essential for collaboration, publishing to the web is the safer and more effective option when you want to make data available for viewing without compromising your privacy or data integrity. You can confidently share your Google Sheets data by understanding the differences and using URL parameters.
I'll update my original answer on WebApps and my "Ejemplos para Foros" blog post to include a link to this article and a summary of these revised recommendations.
Sources (Oldest first)
Clarification Words
Spanish
Spreadsheet in Spanish is hoja de cálculo. In Argentina, it is referred to as planilla
English
A spreadsheet is a file type, also referred to as a workbook.
Spreadsheets have at least one sheet, which is also known as a worksheet or a grid.
Publish to the web, in this context, refers to creating a web page without the spreadsheet application features, i.e., the cell formulas are not displayed, only the results of the formulas.