Learn how to build a bot that automates data entry from a Google Sheet into any web form. Install this template and follow the design pattern in this guide.

Advantages to following this design pattern

1. Quickly adpated to suit any web form.
2. Add steps to login if required.
3. Can be adapted to work with Zapier and webhooks.

Set up a Google Sheet

1. Create a new Google Sheet. You can do this in your Chrome browser by entering the shortcut 'sheet.new', presuming you already have an account.
2. Name your sheet something like 'Data entry’.
3. Set up two tabs titled 'Data' and 'Log’.

Install the Data input from Google Sheet

Just click 'Install template'. If you are a new user you will be required to create an Axiom.ai account before you can edit the template.

Set up the 'Read data from Google Sheet' step

Connect your Google Sheet to Axiom for parsing.

1. Spreadsheet - In the field called 'Spreadsheet', you can search for the Google Sheet you created. Once found, click to select.
2. Sheet name - Choose the sheet tab called 'Data'.
3. First cell - If the links are in column a set to 'A1'.
4. Last cell - Enter 'A1' the bot will now only pass a single row of data.
5. You should now see a preview of the data.

Add sub-steps to the 'Interact with a page's interface'

To complete this bot add the sub-steps required to enter the data into the form. See the video for further guidance.

1. Go to page, Enter URL - Add the URL of the page you want to enter the data in.
2. Add the sub-steps required to input data into the form.

Top tip: If it's a large form, divide it into sections using multiple 'Interact Steps.' Remove the 'Go to page' sub-steps in any extra 'Interact' steps, or the page will reload.

Set up the 'Write Data to a Google Sheet' step

This step makes a record of the submission.

1. Spreadsheet - In the field called 'Spreadsheet', you can search for the Google Sheet you created. Once found, click to select.
2. Sheet name - Choose the tab you created.
3. DATA - Select the 'google-sheet-data'.
4. Clear data before writing | Add to existing data - Set this option to 'Add to existing data'.

Set up the 'Delete rows from a Google Sheet' step

The 'Delete' step removes the completed row. So next time the bot loops, it will read a new row of data.

1. Spreadsheet - In the field called 'Spreadsheet', you can search for the Google Sheet you created. Once found, click to select.
2. Sheet name - Choose the sheet containg the data to be submitted.
3. First row - set to 1.
4. Last row - set to 1.

Set up the 'Jump to another step' step

This Step controls the number of loops. To loop from a new row, follow the settings below.

1. Jump to step - set the step you want to jump to make the bot loop in this case step one.
2. Maximum cycles - set the amount of loops the bot must perform, start with a test run of three cycles.

Test run

We always recommend doing a test run - try just two cylces in the jump step as mentioned.

Troubleshooting the data entry bot

Try the following if your bot is not working. We would also recommend you watch the video to troubleshoot.

• Text not appearing in the select field. Re-select the input field in the 'Enter Text' step.
• The bot loops through the same row. Check you are jumping back to the 'Read Data' step.
• The bot is still looping the same row. Check the delete step is set up as described above.

More design patterns

• Axiom template for Looping through pages
• Axiom template for batch scraping
• Axiom template for scraping with keypress