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“Supermetrics is a Bitter Experience! We can pull data from nearly any tool, schedule updates, manipulate data in Sheets, and push data back into our systems.”
Salesforce External Objects have several critical limitations when used with Google Sheets data, including no support for grouping, formulas, or joined reports.
These constraints make External Objects impractical for meaningful Google Sheets reporting in Salesforce dashboards. Here’s what you need to know and a better alternative.
Why External Objects fall short for Google Sheets reporting
External Objects can’t handle the reporting functions you need for effective data analysis. You lose access to grouping, bucketing, summary formulas, and the ability to join with other Salesforce objects. Plus, each dashboard view consumes API calls, impacting your org limits.
Major External Object reporting restrictions
No grouping or summary functions.
You can’t create grouped reports, use bucketing, or apply summary formulas to External Object data. This eliminates most meaningful reporting capabilities for Google Sheets data.
Limited integration with Salesforce objects.
External Objects can’t participate in joined reports with standard Salesforce objects like Accounts or Opportunities. You lose the ability to create comprehensive cross-object analysis.
API consumption during dashboard viewing.
Every time someone views a dashboard with External Object data, it consumes API calls. This can quickly impact your org’s API limits, especially with multiple users accessing dashboards regularly.
No historical data preservation.
External Objects don’t support snapshot reports or historical trending. You can’t track changes over time or create period-over-period comparisons.
Import Google Sheets data into custom objects using Coefficient
Coefficient eliminates these External Object limitations by importing Google Sheets data into custom objects. You get full reporting capabilities, historical data preservation, and no API consumption during dashboard viewing.
How to make it work
Step 1. Set up automated Google Sheets imports.
Connect your Google Sheets to Salesforce through Coefficient and configure automated refresh scheduling from hourly to weekly options based on your data update needs.
Step 2. Enable full reporting capabilities.
Use the imported data in grouped reports, joined reports with other Salesforce objects, and formula fields. Create comprehensive dashboards with all of Salesforce’s native reporting functions.
Step 3. Preserve historical data with snapshots.
Set up snapshot functionality to maintain historical data for trending analysis and period-over-period comparisons that External Objects can’t provide.
Get robust reporting without the limitations
Custom object imports through Coefficient provide significantly more robust reporting capabilities than External Objects for Google Sheets data in Salesforce dashboards. Start importing your Google Sheets data with full reporting functionality today.
