SCRIPT · FREE · InDesign 21.6 / UXP · Google Sheets → UTF-8 CSV → Data Merge
Google Sheets Bridge for InDesign
Bring data from a public Google Sheet into your InDesign document’s Data Merge source. One script, manual updates and a persistent local CSV.
Requires desktop Adobe InDesign 21.6 on macOS. The script’s interface is in Italian.
Download the script and guide ZIP ↓
Version 0.7.5 · .idjs file + README · free
What it does
- Downloads a public Google Sheet over HTTPS and saves its CSV as UTF-8.
- Connects or updates the source in Adobe’s native Data Merge panel.
- Stores the URL and CSV path in the document when you save it.
- Opens Adobe’s panel and disables Preview before updating.
- Keeps a local backup and attempts recovery if an operation fails.
- Lets you recreate a deleted CSV at a new location.
How to install
- Download and extract the ZIP.
- In InDesign, open Window → Utilities → Scripts.
- Use the Scripts panel to open its User folder and copy
MRC_Google_Sheets_Bridge.idjsthere. - Open the document to connect and double-click the script.
- Paste the published Google Sheet URL, choose a local CSV destination and save the InDesign document.
After editing your Google Sheet
- Edit the data while keeping header names and order unchanged.
- With automatic republishing enabled, allow Google to update its published copy. This can take a few minutes.
- Run the Bridge again in InDesign and confirm the saved URL. It updates the local CSV and the data source.
- Enable Preview in the Data Merge panel to see the new values.
- Regenerate any previously merged documents or exported PDFs.
Updates are manual: the script does not continuously monitor the online sheet.
Before you use it
The sheet must be public and accessible without credentials. Try the script on a copy and check characters, multiline fields and placeholders in your layout. Windows has not been verified.
Use a separate CSV for each document. Do not manually replace Adobe’s source after configuring the Bridge. The script downloads the sheet; it does not upload your InDesign document.
Backups are not deleted automatically. If recovery fails, keep the backup and transaction record identified in the error message. File and document changes are not an atomic transaction.