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Google Sheets and Databases Beyond Excel

Excel is great, but the cloud is better. Learn how to use Google Sheets and SQL databases as the engine for your document automation.

A cloud server connecting to a spreadsheet grid

Google Sheets and Databases Beyond Excel

Excel is the classic data source for mail merge. But in 2025, our data lives in the cloud. Moving your data source to Google Sheets or a database unlocks real-time collaboration and automation.

1. The Google Sheets Advantage

  • Collaboration: Your sales team can update the “Leads” sheet in real-time. You don’t need to ask them to “email me the latest version.”
  • Live Data: Connect Google Sheets to a Google Form. As soon as someone fills out the form, their data is ready to be merged.
  • Add-ons: Tools like Autocrat allow you to run merges directly inside the Google ecosystem.

2. When to Use a Database (SQL)

Spreadsheets break after about 10,000 rows. If you are generating 100,000 statements, you need a database (PostgreSQL, MySQL).

  • Speed: Databases can query specific records in milliseconds.
  • Integrity: Databases enforce rules (e.g., “Email cannot be empty”), preventing bad data from breaking your merge.

3. Connecting via API

Modern document generation doesn’t “open” a file. It uses an API. Your application queries the database, gets the JSON data, and sends it to the PDF generator. No spreadsheets involved.

Conclusion

The spreadsheet is a great prototyping tool, but the database is the production engine. Choose the right tool for your scale.

Connect anything. MergeCanvas accepts JSON data from any source—Excel, Google Sheets, or your production database.