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Manage access in two separate places: Google Sheets sharing controls who can open the source spreadsheet, while Datarails roles, object sharing, and permission filters control access to imported data and reports inside Datarails. A Datarails role does not, by itself, establish access to the original Google Sheet.
Understand the two permission layers
A Google Sheet connected to Datarails is not governed by one shared permission switch. Google controls access to the source file. Datarails controls platform roles and access to Fileboxes, folders, dashboards, and reports. Within Datarails, permission filters can further limit which records a user sees in supported outputs.
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| Control | What it governs | Use it for | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Sheets sharing | The source spreadsheet | Choosing who may read, comment on, or edit the original sheet | It does not set Datarails Filebox or report permissions. Google sharing guidance |
| Datarails roles and object sharing | Workspace, folders, Fileboxes, dashboards, and reports | Assigning platform capabilities and access to specific items | Report access may not include access needed to refresh or drill down to its input data. Datarails Workspace guidance |
| Datarails permission filters | Visibility of records in supported outputs | Limiting shared data by attributes such as department | A filter does not replace sharing the relevant object. Datarails permission-filter guidance |
Set access to the source Google Sheet
In Google Sheets, open the file’s sharing controls and decide whether access should be Restricted or available to Anyone with the link. For individual users or groups, choose the least permissive role that supports the task:
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- Commenter: can comment or suggest without editing the sheet’s contents.
- Editor: can change the sheet.
Google says Viewers and Commenters cannot directly share the file with others. If someone needs to grant access onward, the owner must change their access or handle the sharing. Organizational policies may also restrict external sharing. See Google’s file-sharing instructions.
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Check the actual Google account each person uses. A Datarails role does not automatically grant permission to the source spreadsheet, and Google sharing does not grant Datarails access.
Connect the Google Sheet to Datarails
Datarails documents Google Sheets as a source for automated reports and dashboards. During setup, select or paste the sheet link. Once imported into a Filebox, the data appears on its version tab and can be mapped to a Datarails database like other data sources. The integration documentation says comments are removed before upload and describes an option to synchronize only when changes are detected in the source sheet. See Datarails’ Google Sheets instructions.
The published instructions do not spell out every Google authorization prompt or tenant-specific integration setting. If the sheet is absent from the picker or an import fails, check that you are signed into the Google account that can open the source file and confirm that the pasted URL is correct. Then ask your Datarails administrator or support to check the integration setup; these are practical troubleshooting checks, not a diagnosis of a particular failure.
Grant the appropriate Datarails role and object access
Datarails describes platform roles and permissions on individual objects as distinct controls. Its role guidance characterizes Admins as having broad access, Contributors as receiving access defined by Admins, and Viewers as report users without access to Filebox or Workspace settings. Object permissions may include Owner, Contributor, Filebox Viewer, and Filebox Dashboard Viewer. The latter can view dashboards extracted from a Filebox without access to the Filebox itself. For role details, see Datarails user permissions.
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To share a folder or Filebox, Datarails’ Workspace guidance directs users to select the item, open its sharing action, add members by email or groups, choose permissions, and send. Items under a shared folder follow the folder’s sharing setup. Use groups when they align with the organization’s ownership and access-review process. See Datarails Workspace guidance.
Check both input and output Filebox access
Datarails distinguishes input Fileboxes, which provide data, from output Fileboxes, which contain reports. Sharing an output Filebox gives users access to the report itself. However, Datarails says users need access to the input Filebox to refresh or drill down into outputs derived from that data.
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So if someone can open a report but cannot refresh it or inspect its supporting data, check their access to the input Filebox as well as the output. If they can see a dashboard but not its source Filebox, confirm whether they have the Filebox Dashboard Viewer permission; that permission is designed to allow dashboard viewing without access to the Filebox.
Limit visibility to the records a user should see
When users share a report but should see different subsets of its data, Datarails permission filters can restrict visibility using database fields such as Department. Datarails documents filters for Excel outputs and dashboards and describes including or excluding values, such as a department or branch, in Admin Settings. These filters are separate from sharing a folder, Filebox, or dashboard. See Datarails permission filters and Datarails Admin Settings.
- Confirm the user’s baseline Datarails role and access to the relevant folders, Fileboxes, and reports.
- Set the filter using the appropriate database field and include or exclude the values that define the user’s permitted data.
- Review the affected reports and dashboards using an account with the intended user role.
Filtering controls which records are visible in supported outputs; it does not provide access to an object that has not been shared with the user.
Quick Recap
Troubleshoot common access problems
- The person cannot open the Google Sheet: Confirm which Google account they are using, then ask the owner to share with that account or an applicable group. The person may need to request access, and organizational policy can restrict sharing. Google’s sharing guidance
- The person sees a dashboard but not the source Filebox: Check the Datarails object permission. Filebox Dashboard Viewer access can allow dashboard viewing without Filebox access. Datarails user permissions
- The person can view an output but cannot refresh or drill down: Check access to the input Filebox and, where relevant, the connected source data. Datarails Workspace guidance
- A report shows too much or too little data: Review the user’s filter fields and include/exclude values, then check object sharing separately. Permission filters and Admin Settings
- A source is missing or will not import: Check the sheet URL and the signed-in Google account’s access, then ask the Datarails administrator to verify the integration. The documented steps do not establish the cause of a specific import failure. Google Sheets integration
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