# A no-code backend for your app, powered by a Google Sheet Most apps spend their first weeks reading data far more than writing it. PasteSheet lets a Google Sheet be that read layer — config, catalogs, content, and reference tables served as fast, cached JSON — so you ship the front end today and skip standing up a database and API. *Last updated: 2026-07-11 · Source: * ## Key facts - Google's API requires a **Google Cloud project plus OAuth credentials or a service account** before it will return a single row. ([source](https://developers.google.com/workspace/sheets/api/guides/authorizing)) - It needs **no Google Cloud project, no OAuth consent screen and no service-account JSON**. You paste a share URL, and MCP is included on the Free plan. - A Google Sheet is capped at **10 million cells** (or 18,278 columns), which is the real ceiling on using one as a database. ([source](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/37603)) - The read layer is capped by plan: **500 rows per endpoint on Free**, 5,000 on Starter ($9/mo), and no row cap on Pro ($19/mo). ## Your read layer, without the server Every app needs a place to read structured data from: the list of plans, the feature flags, the seed catalog, the copy on the marketing screens. Standing up Postgres and a REST layer just to serve those rows is a lot of ceremony before you have a single user. A Google Sheet already holds the data, and your whole team can edit it. PasteSheet puts a fast, cached JSON API in front of that sheet. Your app — a [Next.js front end](https://pastesheet.com/use-cases/google-sheets-nextjs-data), a native mobile client, or a [no-code builder](https://pastesheet.com/use-cases/google-sheets-bubble-backend) — fetches the endpoint and renders. Edit a cell and the change is live after the cache refreshes. No migrations, no ORM, no deploy. ## What a Sheet backend is great for PasteSheet is **read-only**, so it shines wherever your app reads far more than it writes: - App config, remote settings, and [feature flags](https://pastesheet.com/use-cases/google-sheets-feature-flags) you flip without a release. - Read-heavy catalogs — a [product list](https://pastesheet.com/use-cases/google-sheets-product-catalog), a store locator, a pricing grid. - [Mobile app content](https://pastesheet.com/use-cases/google-sheets-mobile-app-content) and copy your marketing team owns. - Prototypes and MVPs that need a real API today, not next sprint. ## Fetch rows straight into your app Point your client at the endpoint and filter, sort, and paginate with URL parameters — no query language, no SDK: ```bash curl "https://pastesheet.com/your-endpoint/Plans?active=true&sort=price" { "data": [ { "id": "starter", "name": "Starter", "price": 9, "seats": 3, "active": true } ] } ``` ## Read-only by design — so pair it for writes Because the endpoint is **read-only by design**, it is safe to expose publicly or hand to a teammate: consumers can read and query the data but can never change the sheet. And there is **no Google Cloud project, OAuth screen, or service account** to set up — you paste a share URL and get a live API. Because there is no write path, a Sheet backend covers the read side of your app; for user submissions, sign-ups, or orders, pair it with a form or database tool that owns the writes. It is the fast half of your backend, not a replacement for a CRUD database. ## What it costs **Free — $0/month.** For side projects and trying things out. - Endpoints: 3 - Requests: 2,000 / month - Rows per endpoint: 500 - Tabs per endpoint: 1 - Rate limit: 60 / minute **Start free.** The Free plan runs 3 live endpoints with a 5-minute cache — enough to back a prototype or a small app. Paid plans add private endpoints with keys, a custom cache TTL, and type-mapped columns as you grow. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can my app write back to the sheet? No. PasteSheet is read-only by design — the endpoint only serves data, with no write path. Use it for the read side of your app and pair it with a form or database tool for user submissions and other writes. ### Is it fast enough for production reads? Yes. Responses are cached and served as JSON, not proxied live to Google on every request. The Free plan refreshes every 5 minutes; paid plans let you set a custom TTL to trade freshness against request volume. ### Do I need Google Cloud or a service account? No. There is no Google Cloud project, OAuth consent screen, or service-account JSON to configure. You paste a share URL and PasteSheet hosts the REST API and MCP server for you. ### Can I keep the data private? Yes. Make the endpoint private and it requires an API key — send it as ?api_key=YOUR_KEY or an Authorization: Bearer header — so only your app can read it while public consumers cannot. ## Sources - [Authorize requests — Google Sheets API](https://developers.google.com/workspace/sheets/api/guides/authorizing) — Google - [Files you can store in Google Drive (size limits)](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/37603) — Google ## Related use cases - [Use a Google Sheet as a Next.js Data Source](https://pastesheet.com/use-cases/google-sheets-nextjs-data) — Fetch a Google Sheet as typed JSON in Next.js or React — from a Server Component, getStaticProps, or ISR. Cached, read-only, set up by pasting a share URL. - [Use a Google Sheet as a Bubble Backend](https://pastesheet.com/use-cases/google-sheets-bubble-backend) — Use a Google Sheet as a read data source in Bubble. Pull lists and records through the API Connector from a live JSON endpoint — no plugin, no Google Cloud. - [Google Sheets for Mobile App Content](https://pastesheet.com/use-cases/google-sheets-mobile-app-content) — Ship mobile app strings, banners, and promos from a Google Sheet. PasteSheet serves them as a live, read-only JSON API — update content without a new build. - [Serve a Product Catalog from Google Sheets](https://pastesheet.com/use-cases/google-sheets-product-catalog) — Power a product catalog from a Google Sheet. PasteSheet serves products, prices, and stock as a live, read-only JSON API — no backend, no Google Cloud setup. --- [PasteSheet](https://pastesheet.com) turns any Google Sheet into a live REST API and MCP server for AI agents — no backend, no code. Canonical HTML version of this page: