Troubleshoot Google Sheets issues

This page helps you fix common problems with the Two Minute Reports add-on in Google Sheets.

Installation issues

The add-on does not install

• Clear your browser cache and cookies.
• Try a different browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.
• Make sure that you are signed in with the correct Google account.
• Check that you can install add-ons. If you can't, contact your Google Workspace administrator.

The sidebar does not open

• Reload your spreadsheet (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R).
• Close the spreadsheet and open it again.
• Uninstall the add-on, then install it again.
• Turn off browser extensions that can interfere, then try again.

The add-on works in new spreadsheets but not in an older one

• This occurs after you change your Google account, or after the ownership of a Two Minute Reports account moves to a different person
• Each spreadsheet stays linked to the team that first opened the add-on in it. A reinstall of the add-on does not reset this link
• See A spreadsheet stops working after an account change for the two ways to fix it

Permission errors during installation

• Grant all the permissions that Google asks for. The add-on needs to read and write your spreadsheets.
• With a work Google account, ask your administrator to allow the add-on.
• Check that your Google account allows third-party apps.

Google shows "Service unavailable" instead of the sidebar

• The full message is "You tried to access a service that isn't available for your account". It is on a Google page with a reference code.
• Google refuses the add-on for your account before the request gets to Two Minute Reports. You can't fix it in Two Minute Reports.
• It affects work Google accounts whose organization does not allow the add-on. See Google says "Service unavailable" when you open the add-on for the settings that your administrator must check.

Connection issues

You can't create a connection

• Check that you sign in to the platform with the correct account.
• Some platforms need a specific account type or role, such as admin or manager access.
• If the platform uses two-factor authentication (2FA), you may need an app password.
• Check that the platform did not suspend or remove the account.

"Connection failed. Please try again."

• Check your internet connection.
• Check whether the platform has an outage.
• Reconnect the connection.
• Some platforms need extra permissions or API access. Check what the platform needs.

An account shows (EXPIRED) or (REVOKED) in the account list

• (EXPIRED): the connection that gives access to the account expired. Reconnect the connection.
• (REVOKED): the connection works, but it lost access to the account. Sign in to the platform and give the account the access that it needs, or disable the account.
• See Account missing access or connection expiry.

Query issues

The query returns no data

• Check that the platform has data for the date range.
• Check that your filters do not remove all the rows.
• Check that the account that you selected has data for the query.
• For a new account, wait until its first sync is complete. See the next item.
• Run the query without filters to see if data exists.

An account shows "Warming up.."

• This is normal for an account that you enabled recently.
• Speed Boost copies the account's data before its first use, so that later queries run faster.
• The tooltip says that warming up can take 2 to 24 hours.
• Wait until warming up is complete before you run large queries.

The query is slow or times out

• Use Smart Refresh, so that each run gets only the most recent days. See Smart Refresh.
• Use a shorter date range. For example, query one month instead of one year.
• Get only the metrics and dimensions that you need.
• Filter to a smaller set of data, such as some campaigns or regions.
• Schedule queries outside working hours, when the platforms are less busy.

The data is wrong or unexpected

• Compare the query with the same report in the platform.
• Check for filters or restrictions in the platform account.
• Check the date range. Time zone differences can change dates.
• If you have more than one account, check that you selected the correct one.

A query is inactive because the spreadsheet has no free cells

• Google Sheets limits the number of cells in one spreadsheet. The limit applies to all the tabs together.
• If a query needs more cells than the spreadsheet has free, the run fails with an error about the cell limit. This can occur on all runs: when you run the query, when you run it after an edit, and when a schedule runs it. After the failure, the query becomes inactive. In Data Queries, put the pointer on Inactive on the query. This message shows:

  This query is inactive because its last write attempt would exceed the cell limit Google Sheets sets for one workbook. Reduce the cells in use or the query's data size; it will resume automatically when enough space is available.

• Scheduled refreshes skip the inactive query. The other queries in the schedule continue to run.
• All the cells in the grid of a tab count, also empty cells. To make cells free, delete the rows, columns, and tabs that you do not use. If you only clear their contents, the number of cells does not change.
• You can also make the query write less data. For example, use a shorter date range, or remove the fields that you do not need.
• When the spreadsheet has sufficient free cells, the next scheduled refresh starts the query again. If you change the query settings, or run the query by hand and it completes, the query also starts again.

Refresh and schedule issues

A scheduled refresh did not run

• Check Schedule Refresh for a Schedules paused banner. It means that your Advanced Scheduler authorization was revoked. See Advanced Scheduler lost access to your Google account.
• Check the time zone of the schedule in Your Timezone.
• Check that your connections still have access to their accounts.
• Check that no connection needs reconnecting.
• Check the Two Minute Reports status page for problems that affect everyone. In the Hub, open the account menu and select Status.

A refresh failed with an error

• Read the error message. It says what failed.
• Check that the connection is still active.
• Check that the platform has data for the date range.
• Run the query by hand to see if the problem is only in the schedule.

An email did not arrive

• Check spam and junk folders.
• Check the spelling of the recipient email addresses.
• Check that your Google account lets apps send email.
• Open the schedule and check that Action is set to Email.

The attachment does not have the data that you expected

• Check that the query ran correctly before the email was sent.
• Check the Report Format settings (PDF, Excel, or both).
• Check that the query filters do not remove the data that you expected.

Data issues

Data is missing from the query results

• Check whether the platform has gaps in its data for that period.
• Check that the connection has the permissions that the account needs.
• Check the filters of the query.
• If the platform itself is missing data, contact the platform.

Data is duplicated or does not match

• Some platforms report data differently for different queries.
• Check that two queries do not write to the same range.
• Check for duplicate dates in the query. To update rows instead of adding them, use Merge new data with old. See Data options.

The dates look wrong

• Open the query's Data Options and check Reporting Timezone. By default, the query uses the account's time zone, if the platform has one.
• Some platforms use a different time zone convention. Check the platform's documentation.
• For important reports, use fixed dates instead of a relative range.

Sheet and formatting issues

The data writes over your other content

• Give each query its own range.
• In the query, check Save on Sheet and the cell that the data starts at.
• Keep data and charts on different sheets.
• Take care when you run queries again on ranges that have other data.

Charts and formulas break after a refresh

• Refer to query data by sheet and range (for example, Sheet1!A1:D100).
• Refer to ranges instead of single cells when you can.
• Update formulas if the size of the data changes a lot.
• Keep data on a different sheet from your formulas.

Formatting is lost after a refresh

• The add-on replaces cell values but keeps most formatting.
• Apply important formatting after the data is in place.
• Keep data and formatting on different sheets.
• Use conditional formatting rules, so that the formatting applies again on its own.

General troubleshooting

The add-on is slow

• Check whether large queries run at the same time.
• Turn off browser extensions that can interfere.
• Try a different browser.
• Clear the browser cache and cookies.

You see an error that you do not know

• Write down the exact error text.
• Try again. Some errors are temporary.
• Search this help site for the error text.
• Contact support with the error message and the steps that cause it.

Something does not look right

• Run a simple query to check that the add-on works.
• Check the Two Minute Reports status page.
• Check for recent changes to your connections or permissions.
• Contact support and describe what you see.

Get help

If you can't fix the problem:

1. Collect this information:

• What you tried to do
• The exact error message, if there is one
• The connector that you use
• Whether it worked before, and what changed

2. Contact support:

• Email: [email protected]
• Chat: use the chat button in the sidebar
• Help site: search this help site for similar problems

3. Send details that help us help you faster:

• Screenshots of the error
• The email address that you use with Two Minute Reports
• The name of the spreadsheet (do not share sensitive data)
• The steps that cause the problem