Troubleshooting Common Google Spreadsheet Issues

This guide will help you identify and resolve common issues you might encounter when working with Google Spreadsheets in the Assisty platform.

Creation Issues

Spreadsheet Not Appearing After Creation

Symptoms:
- You've completed the clone process, but the spreadsheet doesn't appear in your list
- The system showed a success message, but you can't find the spreadsheet

Possible Causes and Solutions:

Processing Delay
- Cause: The system is still generating your spreadsheet
- Solution: Wait 2-3 minutes and refresh the Google Spreadsheet Files page
- Prevention: For complex templates, expect a short delay before the spreadsheet appears

Browser Cache Issues
- Cause: Your browser is showing a cached version of the spreadsheet list
- Solution: Perform a hard refresh (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R)
- Prevention: Regularly clear your browser cache when working with web applications

Session Timeout
- Cause: Your session expired during spreadsheet creation
- Solution: Log out and log back in, then check your spreadsheet list
- Prevention: Ensure you're actively using the system when creating spreadsheets

Creation Error Messages

Symptoms:
- You receive an error message during the creation process
- The system shows a failure notification

Common Errors and Solutions:

"Invalid Email Format"
- Cause: One or more email addresses are incorrectly formatted
- Solution: Check all email addresses for typos and correct format (name@domain.com)
- Prevention: Verify email addresses before submission

"Template Not Found"
- Cause: The template may have been removed or updated
- Solution: Refresh the templates list and try again
- Prevention: Use templates from the current list view

"Permission Denied"
- Cause: You may not have sufficient permissions to create spreadsheets
- Solution: Contact your administrator to verify your access rights
- Prevention: Confirm your permissions before attempting to create spreadsheets

Access Issues

Cannot Open Spreadsheet

Symptoms:
- Clicking the File URL results in a Google access denied error
- You receive a "You need permission" message from Google

Possible Causes and Solutions:

Email Mismatch
- Cause: You're logged into Google with a different email than the one shared
- Solution: Log out of Google and log in with the correct email address
- Prevention: Ensure you use the same email for both Assisty and Google accounts

Sharing Delay
- Cause: Google's sharing permissions haven't fully propagated
- Solution: Wait 5-10 minutes and try again
- Prevention: Allow time for sharing to complete before attempting access

Missing From Share List
- Cause: Your email wasn't added to the sharing list
- Solution: Ask an administrator to add your email to the spreadsheet's shared access
- Prevention: Verify the sharing list includes all necessary users during creation

Spreadsheet Shows as "Deleted"

Symptoms:
- The spreadsheet appears in your list but shows a "Deleted" status
- You cannot access the file

Solutions:
Check with the creator or administrator to see if it was intentionally deleted
If deleted in error, an administrator may need to restore it
If needed, create a new spreadsheet from the same template

Data Issues

Data Not Updating

Symptoms:
- Report sheets show outdated information
- Scheduled updates don't appear to be happening

Possible Causes and Solutions:

Schedule Misunderstanding
- Cause: The update schedule is different than expected
- Solution: Check the actual schedule in the spreadsheet details page
- Prevention: Note the exact update schedule when creating the spreadsheet

Failed Update Job
- Cause: The scheduled update encountered an error
- Solution: Check for error messages in the spreadsheet details
- Prevention: Regularly monitor spreadsheet status

Query Issues
- Cause: The underlying query may have errors
- Solution: Contact an administrator to review the report query
- Prevention: Test templates thoroughly before deployment

Data Appears Incorrect or Incomplete

Symptoms:
- Data values seem wrong or missing
- Charts or calculations show unexpected results

Possible Causes and Solutions:

Filter Settings
- Cause: Template settings may be filtering data unexpectedly
- Solution: Review and adjust settings in the spreadsheet details
- Prevention: Understand how each setting affects data output

Formula Errors
- Cause: Formulas in custom sheets may have errors
- Solution: Check formula cells for error indicators (#N/A, #VALUE!, etc.)
- Prevention: Verify formulas in custom sheets after creation

Data Source Issues
- Cause: Underlying data source may have problems
- Solution: Verify data in your source system matches expectations
- Prevention: Ensure data integrity in source systems

Formatting Issues

Lost Formatting After Update

Symptoms:
- Custom formatting disappears after a data update
- Colors, fonts, or other styling is reset

Possible Causes and Solutions:

Report Sheet Modifications
- Cause: Custom formatting on report sheets is overwritten during updates
- Solution: Apply formatting to custom sheets instead of report sheets
- Prevention: Avoid formatting report sheets directly

Conditional Formatting Range Issues
- Cause: Conditional formatting ranges may not accommodate new data
- Solution: Adjust conditional formatting to include wider ranges
- Prevention: Set up conditional formatting with growth in mind

Broken Formulas

Symptoms:
- Formulas display errors (#REF!, #NAME?, etc.)
- Calculations no longer work correctly

Possible Causes and Solutions:

Changed Cell References
- Cause: Report structure changed, breaking references
- Solution: Update formulas to reference correct cells
- Prevention: Use named ranges or table references when possible

Missing Data
- Cause: Formulas reference data that no longer exists
- Solution: Modify formulas to handle missing data gracefully
- Prevention: Include error handling in important formulas

Performance Issues

Slow Spreadsheet Loading

Symptoms:
- Spreadsheet takes a long time to open
- Interactions are sluggish once opened

Possible Causes and Solutions:

Large Data Volume
- Cause: Spreadsheet contains a very large amount of data
- Solution: Consider limiting date ranges or data scope in settings
- Prevention: Design templates with performance in mind

Complex Formulas
- Cause: Spreadsheet contains many resource-intensive formulas
- Solution: Simplify formulas where possible
- Prevention: Use efficient formula practices in template design

Many Sheets
- Cause: Spreadsheet contains too many sheets
- Solution: Remove unnecessary sheets
- Prevention: Only include essential sheets in templates

Management Issues

Cannot Edit Settings

Symptoms:
- Edit button is missing or disabled
- Changes don't save when attempting to edit

Possible Causes and Solutions:

Permission Limitations
- Cause: You don't have edit permissions for this spreadsheet
- Solution: Request edit access from an administrator
- Prevention: Establish clear permission policies

Spreadsheet Status
- Cause: Spreadsheet is in a state that doesn't allow editing
- Solution: Check if the spreadsheet is marked as deleted or has another restricting status
- Prevention: Maintain awareness of spreadsheet statuses

Email Sharing Problems

Symptoms:
- Added emails don't receive access
- Users report they can't see the spreadsheet

Possible Causes and Solutions:

Email Typos
- Cause: Email addresses contain typographical errors
- Solution: Double-check email spelling
- Prevention: Verify emails before saving

Google Workspace Restrictions
- Cause: Organization settings may restrict external sharing
- Solution: Ensure all users are within allowed domains
- Prevention: Understand your organization's sharing policies

When to Contact Support

If you've tried the solutions above and still encounter issues, it's time to contact support when:

You receive persistent error messages that aren't explained in this guide
Multiple spreadsheets show the same problem
A critical spreadsheet isn't functioning properly
You suspect a system-wide issue rather than a problem with a specific spreadsheet

Information to Provide When Contacting Support

To help resolve your issue quickly, include:

Spreadsheet name and ID (from the URL)
Template name and version
Detailed description of the issue
Steps you've already taken to resolve it
Screenshots of any error messages
Time when the issue began

Contact your system administrator or support team with this information for the fastest resolution.

Preventive Measures

To minimize issues with your Google Spreadsheets:

Regular Monitoring
- Check your spreadsheets periodically to catch issues early
- Verify data is updating as expected

Documentation
- Keep notes on custom changes you make to spreadsheets
- Document which settings affect which sheets

Backup Important Analysis
- For critical analysis, consider keeping a backup copy
- Export important data periodically

Stay Updated
- Be aware of template updates and improvements
- Consider recreating spreadsheets from newer template versions when appropriate

By following these troubleshooting steps and preventive measures, you'll be able to resolve most common issues with your Google Spreadsheets and ensure they continue to provide valuable insights.

Updated on: 24/03/2025