Google Sheets Scope of Service and Limitations

Understanding what the Google Sheets AI Agent can and cannot do is crucial for leveraging its capabilities effectively and for planning workflows.

What the Google Sheets Agent Can Do (In Scope)

• Secure Connection: Establishes a secure connection to a Google Sheet using Google’s standard OAuth 2.0 authentication and the Google Picker interface for file selection.

• Worksheet (Tab) Selection: Enables selection of a specific worksheet (tab) within a Google Sheet where data synchronization should occur.

• Data Mapping: Provides an interface to map data fields from PortPro TMS to specific columns in the chosen Google Sheet worksheet.

• Primary Key Designation: Requires one column in the Google Sheet to be designated as the Primary Key for accurate record identification and updates.

• One-Way Data Synchronization (TMS to Google Sheets): Primary data flow moves from PortPro TMS into Google Sheets. Changes in TMS are reflected in the Google Sheet.

• Near Real-Time Updates: Delivers timely updates from TMS to Google Sheets to ensure data freshness.

• Handling of New, Updated, and Deleted Records: Adds new rows for new TMS records, updates existing rows for modified records, and deletes rows for removed records based on the Primary Key.

• Spreadsheet-Initiated TMS Data Refresh (Polling Feature): When a new row is added to the Google Sheet with a matching Primary Key, the agent polls (approximately every 1–5 minutes) and refreshes that row with authoritative data from TMS.

• Connection for All Users: Any authenticated PortPro user with appropriate Google Sheet permissions can initiate and manage a connection—admin rights are not required.

What the Agent Currently Does Not Support (Out of Scope)

• Bi-Directional Synchronization (Google Sheets to TMS): Except for the polling feature described above, manual changes made to rows in the Google Sheet do not update records in PortPro TMS. TMS remains the primary source of truth for modifications.

• Complex Data Transformations: The agent supports direct field-to-column mapping only. Complex transformations or calculations must be handled within Google Sheets (via formulas) or within TMS before syncing.

• Synchronization of File Attachments or Images: Only textual and numerical data are synchronized. Files, images, or other non-tabular data types associated with TMS records are not supported.

• Real-Time Collaborative Editing Conflicts: Although Google Sheets allows real-time collaboration, simultaneous structural or data edits by multiple users can interfere with agent updates, potentially causing unexpected behavior. Coordination is recommended for major manual edits.

• User and Permission Management within Google Sheets: Sharing permissions and access levels for Google Sheets must be managed directly in Google Workspace. These settings are outside the agent's control.

• Offline Access to Syncing: A stable internet connection is required for communication between the agent, PortPro TMS, and Google Sheets services.