Help:GoogleDocs4MW

The GoogleDocs4MW extension allows you to embed Google Spreadsheets directly into wiki pages.

How to Use

To embed a Google Spreadsheet, use the <googlespreadsheet> tag:

<googlespreadsheet>SPREADSHEET_ID</googlespreadsheet>

Getting the Spreadsheet ID

1. Open your Google Spreadsheet
2. Look at the URL in your browser's address bar
3. The URL will look like: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/SPREADSHEET_ID'\\'/edit
4. Copy the SPREADSHEET_ID portion (the long string of letters and numbers)
5. Important: Make sure the spreadsheet sharing is set to "Anyone with the link can view"

Parameters

The tag supports the following optional parameters:

Parameter	Description	Default
width	Width of the embedded iframe in pixels	500
height	Height of the embedded iframe in pixels	300
style	Custom CSS styling for the iframe	width:100%

Examples

Basic Embedding

<googlespreadsheet>1BxiMVs0XRA5nFMdKvBdBZjgmUUqptlbs74OgvE2upms</googlespreadsheet>

Custom Size

<googlespreadsheet width="800" height="600">1BxiMVs0XRA5nFMdKvBdBZjgmUUqptlbs74OgvE2upms</googlespreadsheet>

Custom Styling

<googlespreadsheet style="width:100%; border:2px solid #336699;">1BxiMVs0XRA5nFMdKvBdBZjgmUUqptlbs74OgvE2upms</googlespreadsheet>

Responsive Design

For responsive width that adapts to different screen sizes:

<googlespreadsheet width="100%" height="500" style="max-width:100%; border:1px solid #ccc;">1BxiMVs0XRA5nFMdKvBdBZjgmUUqptlbs74OgvE2upms</googlespreadsheet>

Important Notes

• The Google Spreadsheet must be publicly accessible or shared with "Anyone with the link can view" permissions
• Embedded spreadsheets are read-only for wiki viewers
• The spreadsheet content is loaded from Google's servers in an iframe
• Always verify the spreadsheet ID is correct before publishing pages
• Some corporate firewalls may block embedded Google Docs content

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Spreadsheet doesn't display	Check that the sharing settings allow public viewing
"Permission denied" error	The spreadsheet is not publicly accessible - update sharing settings
Wrong spreadsheet appears	Verify you copied the correct spreadsheet ID from the URL
Blank frame appears	Check that the spreadsheet ID has no extra spaces or characters

Tips

• Use descriptive text before embedded spreadsheets to explain what readers are viewing
• Consider the height parameter - too small and readers will need to scroll within the iframe
• Test the embedding in preview mode before saving
• For large spreadsheets, consider using a specific sheet or range if Google Sheets supports it in the future

Privacy Considerations

When embedding Google Spreadsheets:

• Anyone viewing the wiki page can see the embedded content
• Google may collect analytics data on views
• Consider whether sensitive data should be embedded publicly
• The spreadsheet owner can see view statistics in Google Sheets

See Also

• Help:Editing - General editing help
• Help:Wiki markup - Wiki markup reference
• Extension documentation on MediaWiki.org