Extend Google Sheets with RSS Feeds

Interact with RSS feeds from Google Sheets through macros, custom functions, and add-ons. The CData API Server enables connectivity to RSS feeds from cloud-based and mobile applications like Google Sheets. The API Server is a lightweight Web application that produces OData services for RSS.

Google Apps Script can consume these OData services in the JSON format. This article shows how to create a simple add-on that populates a Google Spreadsheet with Latest News data.

Set Up the API Server

If you have not already done so, download the CData API Server. Once you have installed the API Server, follow the steps below to begin producing secure RSS OData services:

Connect to RSS

To work with RSS feeds from Google Sheets, we start by creating and configuring a RSS connection. Follow the steps below to configure the API Server to connect to RSS feeds:

1. First, navigate to the Connections page.
2. Click Add Connection and then search for and select the RSS connection.
3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to RSS.

   You can connect to RSS and Atom feeds, as well as feeds with custom extensions. To connect to a feed, set the URL property. You can also access secure feeds. A variety of authentication mechanisms are supported. See the help documentation for details.

   
4. After configuring the connection, click Save & Test to confirm a successful connection.

Configure API Server Users

Next, create a user to access your RSS feeds through the API Server. You can add and configure users on the Users page. Follow the steps below to configure and create a user:

1. On the Users page, click Add User to open the Add User dialog.
2. Next, set the Role, Username, and Privileges properties and then click Add User.
3. An Authtoken is then generated for the user. You can find the Authtoken and other information for each user on the Users page:

Creating API Endpoints for RSS

Having created a user, you are ready to create API endpoints for the RSS tables:

1. First, navigate to the API page and then click Add Table .
2. Select the connection you wish to access and click Next.
3. With the connection selected, create endpoints by selecting each table and then clicking Confirm.

Gather the OData Url

Having configured a connection to RSS feeds, created a user, and added resources to the API Server, you now have an easily accessible REST API based on the OData protocol for those resources. From the API page in API Server, you can view and copy the API Endpoints for the API:

Retrieve RSS Feeds

Open the Script Editor from your spreadsheet by clicking Tools -> Script Editor. In the Script Editor, add the following function to populate a spreadsheet with the results of an OData query:

function retrieve(){
  var url = "https://MyUrl/api.rsc/Latest News?select=GUID,Author,Pubdate,Category";
  var response = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url,{
    headers: {"Authorization": "Basic " + Utilities.base64Encode("MyUser:MyAuthtoken")}
  }); 
  var json = response.getContentText();
  var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
  var a1 = sheet.getRange('a1');
  var index=1;
  var latest news = JSON.parse(json).value;

  var cols = [["GUID","Author","Pubdate","Category"]]; 
  sheet.getRange(1,1,1,4).setValues(cols);

  row=2;
  for(var i in latest news){
    for (var j in latest news[i]) {
      switch (j) {
        case "GUID":
          a1.offset(row,0).setValue(account[i][j]);
          break;
        case "Author":
          a1.offset(row,1).setValue(account[i][j]);
          break;
        case "Pubdate":
          a1.offset(row,2).setValue(account[i][j]);
          break;
        case "Category":
          a1.offset(row,3).setValue(account[i][j]);
          break;
      }      
    }
    row++;
  }
}

Follow the steps below to add an installable trigger to populate the spreadsheet when opened:

1. Click Resources -> Current Project's Triggers -> Add a New Trigger.
2. Select retrieve in the Run menu.
3. Select From Spreadsheet.
4. Select On open.

After closing the dialog, you are prompted to allow access to the application.

You can test the script by clicking Publish -> Test as Add-On. Select the version, installation type, and spreadsheet to create a test configuration. You can then select and run the test configuration.