Google Sheets & CSV Auto Sync with the DataTables Engine

When you create a Google Sheets or Remote CSV table on the DataTables engine, Ninja Tables copies the rows into your own database and refreshes the copy on a schedule. This auto sync (Pro) keeps large sheets fast: visitors read the rows from your site, not from Google or the remote server.

Tables on the FooTable engine don't use auto sync. They fetch the source live and cache it for the Caching interval set in Table Configuration.

How auto sync works

• When you create the table, Ninja Tables reads the source as CSV and imports the rows. The first import runs from the table screen, in chunks, with a progress bar. Keep that screen open until it finishes. If you close it early, open the table again and the import carries on.
• After that, it checks the source again on the Auto sync schedule and updates the rows.
• Scheduled syncs run in the background through WordPress's scheduled tasks (WP-Cron), one scheduled task per table. You don't need to keep the admin open. WP-Cron runs when your site gets visits, so on a quiet site a sync can start a little later than scheduled. If a table is overdue, the next visit to a page that shows it schedules the sync.
• Large sources are imported in chunks over several background runs, so a very big sheet can take more than one run to finish.
• Each sync replaces all rows of the table with the rows from the source. A scheduled sync skips the import, without any message, when the file hasn't changed since the last sync. Sync now always imports again.
• Deleting the table cancels its scheduled sync and cleans up any sync that is still running.

Requirements for the source

• The URL must be HTTPS. Other URLs are rejected with "Please provide a valid HTTPS URL."
• The server must be able to reach it over the public internet. Private and internal addresses (such as localhost or a local network IP) are blocked.
• It must return CSV text. For Google Sheets, publish the sheet to the web and use the CSV link. A Google Sheets link that is not in CSV form (for example one ending in /pubhtml) is converted for you. Ninja Tables does not sign in to Google, so private sheets don't work.
• The file can be up to 100 MB.

TIP

Because the source is read as CSV, links, images and cell formatting from a Google Sheet aren't kept. If you need clickable links or images from the sheet, use the FooTable engine. See Hyperlinks and images from the sheet.

Set the schedule when you create the table

On the Google Sheets or Remote CSV / JSON drawer, switch the engine to DataTables. The URL field becomes Google Sheet CSV URL (or CSV File URL) and a Sync Interval list appears. Pick how often to sync: every 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour (default), 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours or 7 days.

The sync panel

Open the table and go to Table Rows. At the top is a panel titled You may edit your table settings here. Open it to see:

• Select entry fields: the source's columns. Tick the ones the table shows, or use Select all.
• The source URL field (Remote URL…) with a Fetch columns button. Click it after you change the URL, or after you add columns to the source.
• Update: saves the URL and column choices. It stays disabled until at least one column is ticked.
• Auto sync: how often the table syncs. Choose Every 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours or 7 days. The new interval is saved as soon as you pick it.
• Sync now: syncs right away, without waiting for the schedule. The import runs from this screen, so keep it open until the progress bar finishes.

After the first sync, the panel shows the result of the last sync:

• Last sync: when it ran.
• Rows: how many rows it imported.
• Status: whether it succeeded.
• Duration: how long it took.
• The error message, if the last sync failed.

While a sync is running, a bar at the top of the tab shows Importing data… with the progress and the number of rows processed. Click it to see the details.

Sync messages

Message	What it means
Syncing data from source…	A sync is in progress.
Sync completed successfully.	The rows were updated.
Interval updated.	The new Auto sync schedule was saved.
Sync did not finish within the expected polling window.	The sync is taking longer than the screen waits for. Reload the page: an unfinished import picks up where it stopped. Then check Last sync.
Sync failed. / Sync failed to start.	The source couldn't be read. Check that the URL is public and still published, then click Sync now.

Tips

• Pick the longest interval that suits your data. Syncing every 5 minutes on a large sheet adds load to your site.
• After you change a sheet and want the change live immediately, click Sync now.
• If you added a column to the sheet, click Fetch columns, tick the new column and click Update.