How to Publish Your Google Sheet as CSV

This guide explains how to publish an existing Google Sheet so that Quartet Log can access the data.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open Your Google Sheet

Navigate to Google Sheets and open the spreadsheet containing your music log data.

2. Publish to the Web

1. Click File in the menu bar
2. Select Share > Publish to web

3. Configure Publication Settings

In the "Publish to the web" dialog:

1. In the first dropdown, select the specific sheet containing your data (or "Entire document" if you only have one sheet)
2. In the second dropdown, select Comma-separated values (.csv)
3. Click the Publish button
4. Click OK to confirm

4. Copy the URL

After publishing, a URL will appear. It should look something like:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vXXX.../pub?output=csv

Copy this entire URL.

5. Use the URL in Quartet Log

Paste the URL into the Quartet Log setup page and click "Load Data".

6. Set Up Another Device (Optional)

You don't have to retype the CSV URL on your phone or another computer. On the setup page where you just pasted your URL, click Copy setup link (the outlined button below "Load Data"). This copies a link like:

https://log.quartetroulette.com/?data=...

Send that link to yourself via AirDrop, iMessage, email, etc. Opening it on the other device configures Quartet Log automatically — no setup screen. If you end up on the setup screen anyway, paste the setup link into the box there instead: it accepts either a CSV URL or a setup link.

Already logged in? You can grab the same link any time from the hamburger menu → Copy setup link.

Important Notes

• The URL must end with output=csv - this ensures the data is exported in the correct format
• Your sheet must be published - simply sharing the sheet is not enough; you must use "Publish to web"
• Changes sync automatically - once published, any updates you make to the sheet will be reflected in the published CSV (there may be a small delay)
• Anyone with the link can view the data - published data is accessible to anyone who has the URL

Troubleshooting

"Invalid URL" Error

Make sure your URL:

• Comes from Google Sheets (domain ends with google.com)
• Contains /spreadsheets/ in the path
• Has output=csv as a query parameter

A setup link (https://log.quartetroulette.com/?data=...) is also accepted in that box — the CSV URL is read out of it. If one is rejected, the CSV URL inside it is the thing to check against the list above.

Data Not Loading

1. Verify the sheet is published (not just shared)
2. Check that you selected CSV format when publishing
3. Try re-publishing the sheet
4. Clear your browser cache and try again

Data Not Updating

• Published data may take a few minutes to sync after making changes
• Try clearing your browser's localStorage to force a fresh fetch

Data Format Requirements

Your Google Sheet should have columns matching the expected format:

• Timestamp - Date/time of the session
• Composer - Composer name
• Work Title - Title of the piece
• Which Part - V1, V2, or VA
• Player 1, Player 2, Player 3 - Names of other players
• Additional optional columns: Others, Location, Comments

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