So you’re tired of manually building sales reports and double-checking numbers in Google Sheets. You’ve heard about automation, but you don’t want to spend a week writing scripts or getting lost in a maze of Zapier options. If you're looking for a way to pull sales data into Google Sheets automatically—with minimal headache—this guide is for you.
We’ll walk through how to set up a sales report in Google Sheets that updates itself using Make (formerly Integromat). You’ll get honest advice about what works, where you might trip up, and what’s not worth your time. No fluff, no hype.
What You’ll Need
Before you start, here’s what you actually need:
- A Google account (to use Google Sheets)
- A Make account (the free plan is fine for basic use)
- Access to your sales data source (Shopify, Stripe, WooCommerce, etc.)
- A basic Google Sheet set up for your report
If you don’t have all of these yet, go get them. Don’t try to “test” automation with dummy data—you’ll just be testing headaches.
Step 1: Plan Your Sales Report (Don’t Skip This)
I know, planning isn’t exciting. But if you skip it, you’ll regret it later.
Ask yourself: - What numbers do I want to see each day/week/month? (Total revenue, number of sales, product breakdown, etc.) - Where is my sales data coming from? (One store, multiple platforms, etc.) - How do I want the report to look in Google Sheets? (Tabular, summary, charts?)
Pro tip:
Sketch your ideal report on paper or in a blank Sheet before you touch Make. Automation is only useful if it gives you what you actually need.
Step 2: Set Up Your Google Sheet
Keep it simple. Here’s a basic structure that works for most people:
| Date | Order ID | Product Name | Quantity | Revenue | |------------|----------|--------------|----------|---------| | 2024-06-12 | 123456 | Widget A | 2 | $40.00 |
- Create column headers for everything you want to track.
- Format your columns (dates as dates, revenue as currency).
- Add a few sample rows so you can see what it’ll look like.
Don’t:
- Build a monster spreadsheet with 30 columns you’ll never use.
- Add formulas for charts or summaries yet—wait until your automation is running.
Step 3: Connect Make to Google Sheets
Make connects to Google Sheets without much fuss, but you’ll have to give it permission.
- Log in to Make.
- Create a new scenario (that’s their word for “automation”).
- Add a Google Sheets module:
- Search for “Google Sheets” and pick the “Add a Row” action.
- Connect your Google account, following the prompts.
- Pick your spreadsheet and worksheet.
Heads up:
Make can be picky if your Sheet has merged cells, weird formatting, or protected ranges. Keep your report tab clean.
Step 4: Connect Your Sales Platform to Make
Now comes the part where your sales data gets into Make.
- Add another module for your sales platform (Shopify, Stripe, WooCommerce, PayPal, whatever).
- Pick the “Watch Orders,” “Watch Payments,” or similar trigger.
- Connect your store/account, and give Make the requested permissions.
- Test the connection to pull in a sample order.
What if your platform isn’t listed? - Make supports a lot, but not everything. If yours is missing, check for an API module or see if you can get data via email CSVs, though that’s messier.
Step 5: Map Sales Data to Google Sheets
This is where most automations fall apart, so pay attention.
- Drag fields from your sales module (like Order Date, Product Name, Amount) into the right columns in your Google Sheets module.
- Watch out for:
- Date formats: Some platforms spit out ugly timestamps. Use Make’s built-in formatters if needed.
- Currency and numbers: Strip out symbols if you want to do calculations in Sheets.
- Missing data: Not every order will have every field filled in. Handle blanks gracefully.
Test your setup:
Run the scenario with test data. Check your Sheet—did everything land in the right spot? Are there weird formatting issues? Fix them now, not later.
Step 6: Set Your Automation Schedule
You can have Make run your scenario:
- Instantly (when a new sale happens—requires webhooks or instant triggers)
- At intervals (every 15 minutes, hourly, daily, etc.)
For most people, running every hour or once a day is plenty. Instant updates sound cool, but they burn through your free Make quota fast and can get you rate-limited by your sales platform.
Step 7: Make It Useful (Not Just Automated)
Automation is pointless if the report doesn’t help you make decisions.
- Add summary rows or charts in your Sheet only after the data is flowing.
- Set up conditional formatting for things you care about (e.g., highlight days with $0 sales).
- Share your report (view-only) with teammates or stakeholders.
But ignore:
- Over-the-top dashboards with 50 filters and 12 pie charts.
- Trying to automate every single calculation—let Google Sheets handle the math where it makes sense.
Step 8: Handle Errors and Clean-Up
All automation breaks at some point—usually when you’re not looking.
- Set up error notifications in Make (email or Slack) so you know if something fails.
- Check your Sheet periodically for duplicate rows or missing data.
- Tweak your scenario as your business changes (new products, new sales channels, etc.).
Don’t set it and forget it—you’ll regret it when you find out you’ve missed a week of sales.
What Works (and What Doesn’t)
What works well: - Pulling structured sales data into Google Sheets, reliably. - Automating regular reporting so you don’t waste time copying and pasting. - Using Make’s scheduling to avoid hitting API limits.
What doesn’t work great: - Real-time reporting for high-volume stores (Make isn’t built for processing hundreds of orders per minute). - Handling messy or inconsistent data—garbage in, garbage out. - Overengineering: complex logic, branching flows, or heavy custom scripting. If you need that, you’re better off with a developer or a BI tool.
Pro Tips
- Keep your scenario simple. One trigger, one action is best to start.
- Document your setup. Write down what each module does—future you will thank you.
- Don’t over-rely on free plans. Make’s free tier is generous, but if you’re running a real business, pay for reliability.
- Backup your Sheet. Automations can (and do) overwrite or duplicate data if misconfigured.
Wrapping Up
Building an automated sales report in Google Sheets with Make isn’t magic—it’s just wiring together the tools you already use. Don’t get hung up on making it perfect from day one. Start with the basics: get the data flowing, keep your Sheet clean, and only add extra features once you actually need them. The best automation is the one you can trust, not the fanciest one you can brag about. Keep it simple, fix what breaks, and iterate as you go.