Overview
The Google Sheets connector allows you to seamlessly add custom data from spreadsheets into Polar Analytics. Whether it’s external supplier sales, marketing campaign spend, or subscription data from tools outside Shopify, this feature ensures you can enhance your insights effortlessly.
Common Use Cases
Supplier Sales Data: Add sales data from a supplier not integrated with Shopify.
Influencer Campaign Spend: Track spend by adding a "Campaign" column for influencer names.
Subscription Data: Add subscription details from tools not yet supported on Polar.
Manual Expenses: Log operational expenses for better cost tracking.
How to Connect Google Sheets to Polar:
Step 1: Access the Connectors Tab
Go to the Connectors tab in Polar Analytics.
Scroll to the Other Datasources section.
Click Connect to Polar Analytics under the Google Sheets icon.
Step 2: Authorize Google Access
Sign in and authorize Polar Analytics to access your Google Account.
Step 3: Select a Template
Choose a template below that matches your data type:
Custom Report: For any custom metrics or dimensions.
Marketing Spend Report: Track marketing costs.
Expenses Report: Add operational expenses.
Cost of Goods Report: Log product costs.
Exchange Rates Report: For foreign exchange tracking.
Go to File > Make a Copy of the template. Name it something identifiable (e.g., “Your Company Name - Polar Import”).
Template-Specific Instructions
General Instructions:
Do not remove columns from any sheet. Ensure all required columns contain data.
For dimension (text-based) cells, leave them empty if unused.
For metric (numerical-based) cells, input "0.00" if unused—do not leave them blank.
Do not change sheet names. Only include rows you want to integrate (remove example rows).
Ensure proper formatting:
Date columns: Format as DD/MM/YYYY.
Currency columns: Use ISO 4217 codes.
Numeric data: Use a period (.) as the decimal separator (e.g., 10.2). Do not use commas (,) even for thousand separators.
Do not leave spaces in cells.
Spend Report
Spend Report
Required columns:
date
,currency
,store
, andchannel
.Optional granularity (
campaign
anddevice
): Leave empty if unused.If not providing
conversion
orconversion_value
, input "0.00" in their cells.Named Ranges:
Go to Data > Named ranges, and copy the default name:
"polar_test_range"
or re-name the range and copy the new name.Ensure the range remains
"spend_report!A:I"
.
Expense Report
Expense Report
Required columns:
date
,currency
,store
, andexpenses_type
.Optional granularity (
sales_channel
,shipping_country
,billing_country
): Leave empty if unused.Formatting:
Ensure spend, conversion, and conversion_value columns are numeric.
Named Ranges:
Go to Data > Named ranges, and copy the default name:
"polar_test_range"
or re-name the range and copy the new name.Ensure the range remains
"expenses_report!A:H"
.
Cost of Goods Report
Cost of Goods Report
Required columns:
start_date
,end_date
,currency
,platform_identifier
(e.g., Shopify URL or Amazon Merchant ID),shipping_country
,SKU
, andcost_type
.Key Notes:
Start/End Dates:
Leave
start_date
empty for “forever in the past.”Leave
end_date
empty for “forever in the future.”
Cost Type: Must be one of the following:
cogs
,ops_cogs
,fulfillment
, oropex
.
Formatting:
Columns A-B (
start_date
,end_date
): Format asYYYY-MM-DD
.Columns C-G: Format as plain text.
Column H: Format as a number.
Named Ranges:
Go to Data > Named ranges, and copy the default name:
"polar_test_range"
or re-name the range and copy the new name.Ensure the range remains
"cost_of_products_report!A:H"
.
Exchange Rate Report
Exchange Rate Report
Required columns:
date
,currency
, andvalue
.Key Notes:
Provide only specific day/currency pairs to customize. Polar fills in historical exchange rates automatically.
Target currency goes in the
currency
column (e.g., GBP forUSD → GBP
rates).Fill values for future or past dates as needed. Contact Polar for a full data refresh if adding past data.
Formatting:
date
: Format asDD/MM/YYYY
.currency
: Use ISO 4217 codes.value
: Ensure numeric format.
Named Ranges:
Go to Data > Named ranges, and copy the default name:
"polar_test_range"
or re-name the range and copy the new nameEnsure the range remains
"exchange_report!A:I"
.
Custom Report
Custom Report
Date Column:
Must exist and be formatted as
YYYY-MM-DD
.Every row must be linked to a date.
Dimension Columns:
Format as plain text.
Use existing Polar dimension names (e.g., replace spaces with underscores:
Order_Id
).Delete unused dimension columns if needed.
Metric Columns:
Format as numbers.
Use one currency (your account’s default). Convert other currencies before importing.
Input
0.00
for empty cells.
Named Ranges:
Go to Data > Named ranges, and copy the default name:
"polar_test_range"
or re-name the range and copy the new name.Ensure the range covers all data (e.g.,
A1:LastCell
).
Step 4: Upload and Configure Your Google Sheet
Copy your spreadsheet URL from your browser and paste it into Polar's Sheet URL field.
Make sure to copy the url entirely with the "/edit#gid="
Select the appropriate Report Type (e.g., Marketing Spend for spend data).
Paste the Named Range from your sheet into the corresponding field in Polar.
Follow the prompts to complete the setup.
Step 5: Verify the Connection
Wait up to 24 hours for the first sync.
Go to the Connectors tab and click Configure under Google Sheets. Ensure the status says Connected with a green toggle.
Use the Preview Data feature to verify imported data.
You can navigate to Custom Reports to ensure that "Google Sheets" is pulling through as an option for metrics that you can pull into a report.
If you've connected a Spend sheet, you can navigate to the Acquisition tab to verify that the dimensions from your Google Sheet are pulling through as options on your tables. Note that marketing spend added to your Google Sheet will be automatically added to blended marketing metrics in Polar (such a Total Marketing Spend).
If you've connected an Expenses sheet, you can use a Custom Report to ensure the metrics are pulling through. Note that you can also choose whether you'd like to deduct Google Sheet expenses from Total Sales in your Data Settings.
How to trigger a sync
At the top right of the Google Sheet click reload and preview, at the bottom you will find the Start sync button:
How to Remove or Update a Google Sheet
Navigate to the Connectors tab.
Click the trash icon next to the connected Google Sheet to remove it.
To add a new sheet, repeat the connection process.
Best Practices for Using Google Sheets
Use One Date Column: All data must tie to a single date column.
Add Data Daily: Avoid aggregating by month or year.
Match Dimensions: Use exact names from Polar (e.g., "Campaign_Id").
Separate Reports: Create multiple connectors for different datasets if needed.
Trigger Manual Syncs: Use Reload and Preview in Polar to refresh data instantly.
Troubleshooting
Data Not Showing After 24 Hours
Confirm the sheet is correctly connected in the Connectors tab.
Ensure the date range in your report includes your data.
Add Google Sheets as a data source if using a View.
Errors When Importing Data
Ensure your sheet follows the template’s format.
Re-add the sheet if its URL changes.
Need Assistance?
For additional help, please reach out via the In App Live Chat.