Getting started with the XBRL Google Sheet and add-on

[David TaurielloKeymaster]

Please follow these steps to get data from the XBRL US Database of Public Filings in a Google Sheet:

1. install the XBRL API Access Add-on to your Google Account first, using Chrome browser

   We’ve had some users report issues when they have installed the add-on with Firefox and Edge.

2. open the XBRL Spreadsheet and use the make a copy option under the File menu from within your Google account

   Do not use the ‘request edit access’ option under the view button or ‘Add to My Drive’ under the file menu – these will not work. This will create your own copy of the XBRL Spreadsheet in your Google Account

3. activate the add-on with the XBRL API Access >> Authentication Menu

   Click the login link in the panel that opens, and a browser window shows the XBRL US login prompt, where you can either login with your XBRL US Web account, or click ‘continue with Google’. Once you’re authenticated, a ‘Success! You can close this window.’ appears, and you can close the browser window that opened.

After you’ve activated the Add-on, change the drop-down on the Main Sheet to a different query, OR change the tickers in the green background of the BScompare tab. A ‘loading…’ message should appear (replacing the #ERROR or #NAME? text), and you should see data populate cells and rows within 30 seconds, depending on network connectivity and the size of the result set queried.

Troubleshooting:
If you’re having trouble getting data to appear in your copy of the Google Sheet, try the following:

1. Choose the ‘Config’ tab and copy / delete and restore the URLs in cells B2 and B3, then return to the ‘Main Sheet’ tab and change the query in cell B1 (make sure Display is set to ‘Query Results’).
2. If that doesn’t work:
   1. Open your copy of the XBRL API Sheet
   2. Choose the Add-ons >> XBRL API Access >> Authentication Menu and click Login, then login with either you XBRL US Web Account or Google Account (the Google Account MUST have a password)
   3. If “Main Sheet” data flows, switch to BScompare and change all of the tickers in row two (there are samples in the instructions to the right), making sure to press the tab or enter key on your keyboard to initialize the third change
3. If neither of those fixes works, delete and remove from your Google Drive trash ALL copies of the XBRL US API sheet and then download a fresh copy.
4. Still stuck? Clear the cache in your browser.

Tried everything and it still won’t work? Post a reply here.

• This topic was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by  David Tauriello.
• This topic was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by  David Tauriello.
• This topic was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by  David Tauriello.

[Natasha PchelkoParticipant]

Getting error while activating the Add-on:

‘Error: Error retrieving token: unsupported_scope_type, Unsupported Scope Type (line 467, file “Service”, project “OAuth2”)’.

As a result can’t activate the add-on with the XBRL API Access >> Authentication Menu

[David TaurielloKeymaster]

Hi Natasha – thanks for writing and apologies for the issue you had getting the add-on to authenticate. I’ve reset your record in our system – please try to use the add-on authentication again, and reply back if you’re still having issues.

[Ashutosh PandeyParticipant]

Data is not being loaded even after all the troubleshoots. Though CIK gets loaded for selected ticker.

[David TaurielloKeymaster]

Hi Ashutosh – on the Main Sheet of the XBRL Spreadsheet, what do you see when you change the query dropdown (cell B2) to a different query?

Have you tried removing the add-on from your Google account (Add-ons >> Manage Add-ons) and then re-installing it to your Google account – ? If not, please try that and post a reply if you continue to have an issue (and please share the specific text that’s displayed where data should appear on Main Sheet (cell A11)

[Ashutosh PandeyParticipant]

It Displays on A11 cell of main sheet as well as on A24 of BSCompare Sheet “No information returned”.

I have tried removing and reinstalling the add on also but did not work.

As I mentioned in the earlier post; when I change the ticker in the green cell of BSCompare Sheet the CIK also changes but other than that nothing happens.

[David TaurielloKeymaster]

On the XBRL API Access add-on’s Authentication menu that appears on the side of the Google Sheet, do both the ‘Authorize the API’ and ‘Logout’ links appear to work properly?

After clicking the ‘Authorize the API’ link, have you tried both login options (XBRL US Web Account / Continue with Google) with the same result?

If you’re able to use Chrome web browser, do you get the same result (no information returned)?

If you have downloaded multiple copies of the XBRL API Spreadsheet, please delete all but one of them, or at least move them to a folder in your Google Drive account.

The ticker uses a different call, so it will function regardless of the status of the XBRL API Access add-on.

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