Reply with values from Google Sheets in AutoResponder
- Tim Kosmala
- Jul 13
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 14
Answer incoming messages with data from your own spreadsheet. When a message arrives, AutoResponder searches a column in your Google Sheet for a matching value and replies with the content of another column in the same row — so you can update your replies by editing the sheet, without changing any rules.
This is useful for things that change frequently: price lists, order statuses, opening hours or FAQ answers. Since Google Sheets can be shared, other people can maintain the replies without access to AutoResponder. It works with all supported messengers: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, Signal and Viber. If you want to output messages to Google Sheets, please check here.
How the lookup works
You need two columns: one with the values to search for, one with the replies.
A | B | |
|---|---|---|
1 | price | Our service costs $9.99 per month. |
2 | hours | We're open Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm. |
3 | Your order has shipped! |
If someone sends "price", AutoResponder finds it in column A (the match column) and replies with the cell in column B (the return column) of the same row.
Setup
Create a spreadsheet at docs.google.com/spreadsheets with your search values and replies in two columns.
In AutoResponder, create a new rule. Enter the received message pattern it should react to — or * to look up every incoming message.
Select Connect to Google Sheets as the reply option.
Tap Connect Google Account and sign in with the account that has access to your spreadsheet.
Choose the right spreadsheet with the Google file picker.
Select the sheet name (the tab at the bottom of your spreadsheet). If you leave it empty, the first tab is used.
Enter the match column and return column as column letters, e.g. A and B.
Save the rule and send yourself a test message. That's it!
Search value and match type
By default, the received message (%message%) is searched in the match column, but you can change the search value and combine it with other text. Check out the answer replacements of AutoResponder.
The match type controls how the search value is compared to the cells: Exact Match, Contains, Pattern Matching (Wildcard *), Expert Pattern Matching (Regex) or Similarity Match. If your users write full sentences instead of single keywords, enable Reverse match direction: AutoResponder then checks whether the received message contains the cell value, which is ideal for keyword lists.
Customizing the reply
By default, the reply is the raw cell value from the return column. To wrap it in your own text, use the placeholder %sheet_result% in the reply message field:
The current price is: %sheet_result%If no matching row is found (or the sheet cannot be reached), the fallback reply is sent instead, so your contacts always get an answer. Make sure to adjust it to your needs. Leave it blank if you don't want to send a fallback reply.
Good to know
If only the fallback reply is sent, check the Spreadsheet ID and sheet name, and try a less strict match type like Contains.
The connected Google account must have access to the spreadsheet — use Switch Account if you signed in with the wrong one. You can only add spreadsheets manually if you have previously granted AutoResponder permission to access them with the Google file picker.
AutoResponder can also write to Google Sheets: under Settings → Message output you can log every sent reply to a spreadsheet.
