How to Scrape Website Data Directly in Google Sheets Without Coding

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How to Scrape Website Data Directly in Google Sheets Without Coding

Scraping website data has traditionally required coding knowledge or expensive third-party tools. However, a simple solution exists using Google Sheets and AI-generated scripts that anyone can implement without technical expertise.

Setting Up Your Google Sheets Scraper

The process begins with a Google Sheet containing website URLs you want to scrape. Follow these steps to create your scraper:

  1. Go to Extensions > Apps Script in your Google Sheet
  2. Instead of writing code yourself, use an AI assistant like Google Gemini, Perplexity, or ChatGPT to generate the script
  3. Paste the AI-generated code into the Apps Script editor
  4. Save the script and reload your Google Sheet

Creating the Perfect Prompt

The key to success lies in crafting a detailed prompt. A good example would be:

“I have company domains in my Google Sheets and I want an Apps Script that will be named ‘Script Domains’ with options to start and stop browsing. I need a full debug system to monitor the process. The data I want to scrape includes SEO description and website summary.”

Connecting to Google Gemini API

The script will require API credentials:

  1. Visit Google Cloud Console
  2. Go to APIs and Services > Credentials
  3. Select your project
  4. Create an OAuth 2.0 Client ID
  5. Enter your application details
  6. Copy the generated credentials into your script where indicated

Running Your Scraper

Once set up, the process is straightforward:

  1. Select the website URLs in your sheet
  2. Click the custom button added by your script (e.g., “Company Description”)
  3. Specify which columns contain your URLs and where you want the scraped data to appear
  4. Let the script run and watch as it populates your sheet with SEO descriptions, page titles, and website content

Customizing Your Scraper

The beauty of this approach is its flexibility. If you need to modify your scraper:

  1. Return to the Apps Script editor
  2. Request modifications from your AI assistant by describing the changes needed
  3. Replace the existing code with the updated version
  4. Save and reload your sheet

This method eliminates the need for specialized scraping platforms while giving you complete control over what data you collect and how you organize it—all within the familiar Google Sheets interface.

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