Setup guide
Connect Google Sheets
Google Sheets connects through standard Google OAuth — the same consent flow you may already know from connecting YouTube on Modiva. You authorize Modiva from Google's own consent screen with two scopes: spreadsheets, and drive.file. The drive.file scope is the key particularity: Modiva can only see spreadsheets it created itself or ones you explicitly opened or shared with it — never your whole Drive. It's the most privacy-preserving choice Google offers. Once connected, Modiva can read and write those sheets through one unified API and MCP server — read a sheet of planned posts and publish each row, or export your social analytics into a spreadsheet your whole team can see. Google tokens are refreshed automatically, so the connection stays healthy without you reconnecting.
Before you start
- A Google account with access to Google Sheets.
- Permission to authorize a third-party OAuth app for that account (some Workspace domains restrict this).
Step-by-step setup
- 1
Sign in to Modiva
Log in at modiva.ai and open the Dashboard. You need a Modiva account before you can connect any platform — creating one takes a minute and no credit card is required for the free tier.
- 2
Open Connections → New connection
In the left sidebar choose Connections, then click New connection. You'll see the full catalogue of platforms grouped by category (Social, Ads, CRM, E-commerce, Marketing, Creative, Productivity, Payments, Dev & Infra and Analytics).
- 3
Select Google Sheets and authorize
Click the Google Sheets card. Modiva redirects you to Google's official consent screen — sign in, review the requested access and approve. Thanks to the drive.file scope, you're not opening up your whole Drive: Modiva will only ever see spreadsheets it creates or ones you explicitly open with it. Your password is entered on Google, never on Modiva.
- 4
You're connected
Google sends you back to Modiva and the connection appears with a green Connected status. From here it's available to every MCP key and API call in your workspace. Modiva refreshes the Google token automatically in the background, so you won't need to reconnect.
What Modiva can access
Google shows the requested access on its consent screen before you approve. The connection is read & write for spreadsheets — but the drive.file scope means it only applies to files Modiva created or ones you explicitly opened with it, never your whole Drive. You can revoke access any time from your Google account or by disconnecting in Modiva.
- Read & write your spreadsheets
- Access only files you create with or open in Modiva
- Create new spreadsheets and tabs
Troubleshooting & FAQ
Does Google Sheets connect with OAuth or an API key?
With standard Google OAuth — the same consent flow as YouTube on Modiva. You authorize Modiva on Google's own consent screen; Modiva only receives a scoped token, which is encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM. Your password is never entered on Modiva.
Can Modiva see my whole Google Drive?
No. Modiva requests the drive.file scope, which limits access to spreadsheets Modiva created itself or ones you explicitly opened or shared with it. It's the most privacy-preserving option Google offers — the rest of your Drive is invisible to Modiva by design.
Why doesn't sheets_list_spreadsheets show all my files?
Because of the drive.file scope: the list only includes spreadsheets Modiva created or ones you explicitly opened with it — not your entire Drive. To work with an existing sheet, either create it via Modiva, open it with the Google file picker, or paste its spreadsheet id directly into the tool call.
Can Modiva write to my spreadsheets?
Yes, for the sheets it can see: it can read and write cell values, append rows, and create new spreadsheets and tabs. A common pattern is a posting schedule in a sheet — Modiva reads each row and publishes the post, then writes the result back; or it exports your social analytics into a fresh spreadsheet for your team.
Do I ever need to reconnect Google Sheets?
Normally no. Google access tokens are short-lived, but Modiva stores a refresh token and renews access automatically in the background — standard Google OAuth behavior. You'd only reconnect if you revoke Modiva's access from your Google account settings.
How do I disconnect?
Open Connections, click the Google Sheets row and choose Disconnect — Modiva deletes the stored token immediately. You can also revoke the authorization from your Google account under Security → Third-party apps & services.
Need help with Google Sheets?
Reach the team any time from our support page, or ask Fin, our AI support agent.