Inventory Sync: Google Drive URL Format

When using Inventory Sync to update your store's product inventory, you have the option to connect with Google Drive and retrieve spreadsheet files for seamless updates. This article will guide you through the URL formats required to share specific files or folders from Google Drive, enabling you to efficiently sync your inventory data.

Sharing a Specific File

When sharing a specific CSV or Excel file from Google Drive, you can obtain a URL to provide to Inventory Sync. This URL allows the app to download the file and update your product inventory. Choose the appropriate sharing permissions, such as "Anyone with the link can view."

However, please note that if the shared file gets replaced, it may cause synchronization issues as the new file will have a different ID and sharing permissions. Therefore, we recommend using the folder sharing method outlined in the next section for more reliable updates.

Sharing a Folder

Sharing an entire folder in Google Drive provides a more reliable approach for inventory synchronization. By sharing a folder and providing the folder's URL to Inventory Sync, the app will automatically identify and download the most recent file within that folder. This method ensures that your product inventory is updated with the latest data.

Filtering Files (Optional)

To further refine the synchronization process, you can filter the files within the shared folder based on specific criteria.

By appending the pound sign (#) followed by a string that matches the desired file name pattern to the folder URL, Inventory Sync will download only the files that meet your specified criteria. For instance, you can filter for specific file types such as CSV files by using "#*.csv".

Example Google Drive URL Format

To illustrate the Google Drive URL format, here are examples using random characters:

Shared file URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15075h-AQCbUxCMBEBEDS@h_wjHM7Zhl/view?usp=sharing

Shared folder URL (with file filtering): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/3wpT4wrWG3v2xy61s4nL6pcbjMHjhMh3E?usp=sharing#*.csv

Google Sheets URL Support

If you have a Google Sheets URL, you can now use it with our app.

• Simply copy the URL and paste it into the designated field in the app.
• Click the "Upload" button, and our app will download the data from the URL directly into the app.
• Once the data is imported, you can easily manage and edit your inventory using the spreadsheet interface.

However, there are two important qualifiers to note:

• The Google Sheets URL must contain data. Uploading a URL that leads to an empty spreadsheet will result in an error. Make sure to populate your spreadsheet with the relevant inventory information before using it with our app.
• The URL link must be publicly viewable. If the URL requires permission or access restrictions, our app won't be able to retrieve the data. Ensure that the Google Sheets URL is set to "publicly accessible" for seamless integration.