Support article

Fix Google Sheets or Docs Access Denied Errors

Fix Google Sheets or Docs access denied errors in Simple CSV by checking sharing, publishing, tab and Workspace settings.

If Simple CSV says access is denied for a Google Sheet or Google Doc, the problem is usually a sharing setting on the file. Your product data is not the cause.

Why this happens

Google Sheets and Docs are private by default. Simple CSV can only read a file that is fully public. If the file asks you to sign in, Simple CSV cannot read it either.

The sheet is set to Restricted

The most common cause is that only people explicitly added to the file can open it.

To fix it:

  • Open the sheet and click Share
  • Under General access, select Anyone with the link
  • For a single-tab sheet, copy the normal Google Sheets URL from your browser and paste it into Simple CSV. This is the easiest and preferred option

The wrong tab is published

Publish to web can publish one sheet tab at a time. Selecting Entire Document does not create the single-tab CSV feed Simple CSV needs.

To fix it:

  • Select File → Share → Publish to web
  • In the first dropdown, choose the exact tab you want to import. Do not choose Entire Document
  • In the format dropdown, choose Comma-separated values (.csv)
  • Click Publish and copy the generated URL

Google Workspace blocks external sharing

Some company or school Google Workspace accounts disable Anyone with the link or Publish to web for the whole organization.

To fix it:

  • Ask a Google Workspace administrator to allow external sharing for the file
  • Recreate the import sheet using a personal Google account

It worked before but now it does not

The file or published tab was probably made private after the import was set up. This can happen during a security review, account offboarding or an accidental sharing change.

To fix it:

  • Re-check the file’s sharing and publishing settings before changing your product data
  • If you use a published CSV, confirm that publishing is still active for the correct tab

How to test your URL

Paste the exact URL you gave Simple CSV into a private or incognito browser window.

  • If it downloads a CSV or displays comma-separated data, Simple CSV can read it
  • If it opens the sheet without asking you to sign in, a public single-tab Google Sheets link can be read
  • If you are asked to sign in or request access, the file is not public yet

More help

For the complete setup, visit How to import and update Shopify products from Google Sheets.

The How to import products to Shopify using CSV guide covers the basic CSV workflow.