Google Sheets Scheduled Refresh Not Running

Google Sheets Scheduled Refresh Not Running

Info
You set up a scheduled refresh for a Power My Analytics report in Google Sheets, but the data does not update on its own. This guide helps you confirm the schedule is saved, re-authorize the add-on (the most common fix), read the add-on logs, and work through the other common causes.

Symptom

  • You configured a scheduled refresh in the Power My Analytics Sheets Data Connector add-on, but your report does not update automatically at the scheduled time.
  • A manual refresh still works, while the automatic (scheduled) refresh does not.
  • You may see no error at all (the refresh simply never runs), or an error appears in the add-on logs or in an alert email.

Start Here: Re-authorize the Add-on (Most Common Fix)

Most scheduled-refresh failures come down to a Google authorization issue. When the add-on's authorization goes stale, or a required permission is missing, the scheduled refresh can quietly stop running even though the schedule still looks like it is set. Re-authorizing resolves this in the majority of cases.

  1. Open the spreadsheet that contains your PMA report.
  2. Go to Extensions > Power My Analytics > Log Out.
  3. Go to Extensions > Power My Analytics > Log In.
  4. Click Continue and complete the Google authorization flow, approving every permission that is requested.
  5. Refresh the spreadsheet (press F5, or reload the browser tab).
  6. Re-open your schedule (see Step 1) to confirm it is still set, then allow the next scheduled run to occur.

Notes
A permission conflict is especially common if you connected a Google data source (Google Ads, Google Analytics 4, or Google Search Console) in the hub before you installed the Google Sheets add-on. Logging out and back in re-requests the full set of permissions the add-on needs to run in the background.

If re-authorizing does not fix it, work through the steps below.

Step 1: Verify the Scheduled Refresh Is Set Up

First, confirm the schedule actually exists and is saved to the correct report.

  1. In Google Sheets, open the PMA sidebar: Extensions > Power My Analytics > Show Sidebar.
  2. In the reports list, check the Scheduled Refresh column for your report. If it is blank, no schedule is saved yet.
  3. Click the alarm clock (Scheduled refresh) icon.
  4. Select the report you want to refresh.
  5. Confirm the refresh period (monthly, weekly, daily, or hourly) and the time are what you expect.
  6. Click Update to save. (Choosing a period without clicking Update does not save the schedule.)

Notes
A scheduled refresh has a few requirements: your spreadsheet must have a time zone set (File > Settings > General tab > Time Zone); without it, scheduling fails with "Exception: Bad Value." You must be a member of the report's hub to schedule or run a refresh. Scheduled refresh is available for Google Sheets only (Microsoft Excel reports do not support it). Hourly refresh is available only on the Custom plan when your agreement includes it.

Schedule the refresh at least 2 hours after your data source's nightly sync time, so the latest data is ready when the refresh runs. The schedule uses the individual spreadsheet's time zone, so set the spreadsheet's time zone to match your data source's sync time.

Step 2: Check the Add-on's Google Permissions

The scheduled refresh runs in the background on Google Apps Script, so it needs the add-on's full permission set:

  • See, edit, create, and delete all your Google Sheets spreadsheets.
  • Connect to an external service.
  • Send email as you.
  • Allow this application to run when you are not present. (This is the key permission for scheduled, background runs.)
  • Display and run third-party web content in prompts and sidebars inside Google applications.

If any of these were not granted, or were later revoked, the scheduled refresh cannot run while you are away. To restore them:

  1. Log out and back in to the add-on (see Start Here above), approving every permission at the Google prompt.
  2. If the problem continues, remove PMA's access and re-add it: go to https://myaccount.google.com/connections, select Power My Analytics, delete the connection(s), then re-authorize via Extensions > Power My Analytics > Log In.

Alert
If you are on Google Workspace and the account keeps disconnecting with "Authorization Error - Access Token Expired," your Workspace admin may need to add PMA as a trusted app before scheduled refreshes will run reliably. See Google Account Disconnects When Using Google Workspace.

Step 3: Read the Logs to See What Happened

Turn on error alerts and use the add-on's log to see whether the scheduled refresh ran, and whether it errored.

  1. Click the alarm clock (Scheduled refresh) icon and select your report.
  2. Under Send email alert on error, enter one or more email addresses (separate multiple addresses with commas).
  3. Click Update. From now on, any failed scheduled run emails you the error, so you know exactly what to fix.

View the add-on activity log

  1. In the reports list, open the three-dot Actions menu for your report.
  2. Click View Logs.
  3. Review the entries (for example, "Updated refresh schedule") and the Logged At timestamps to confirm the schedule was saved and when activity last occurred.

Check the PMA Configuration tab

  • Open the PMA Configuration tab in your spreadsheet and look for messages in the Error column for the affected report. An error here points to the specific failure (for example, a timeout or a data-size limit).

Notes
Because the scheduled refresh runs on Google's servers under the PMA add-on, the error-alert email and the PMA Configuration Error column are the most reliable ways to see why a background run failed. (The add-on's internal Apps Script execution history is not directly viewable from your spreadsheet, which is why enabling error-alert emails is so useful.)

Common Causes and Fixes

Cause
What you'll see
Fix
Stale authorization or missing permission (most common)
Refresh never runs, with no error, or a permission error in the logs
Log out and back in to the add-on and approve all permissions. If needed, remove PMA at myaccount.google.com/connections and re-authorize.
Spreadsheet time zone not set
"Exception: Bad Value" when saving the schedule
Set File > Settings > Time Zone, then save the schedule. See Unable to Schedule Refresh in Google Sheets.
Not a member of the report's hub
Cannot save or run the schedule
Ask your hub admin to add you, then set the schedule.
Google Workspace token expiring
Recurring "Access Token Expired" disconnects
Have your Workspace admin add PMA as a trusted app. See Google Account Disconnects When Using Google Workspace.
Signed in to multiple Google accounts
"accounts.google.com refused the connection" or "Authorization is required to perform that action"
Sign out of all Google accounts except the PMA one, or use an incognito window with cookies enabled.
Too many scheduled refreshes in one spreadsheet
"This add-on has created too many time-based triggers in this document"
Make a copy of the spreadsheet (File > Make a copy) and use the copy.
Refresh scheduled too early
It runs, but shows the previous day's data
Schedule at least 2 hours after your data source's nightly sync; align the spreadsheet time zone with the sync time.
Report too large or too many formulas
"Exceeded maximum execution time," "Service Timed Out," or "over 50MB of compressed data"
Split reports across spreadsheets, reduce fields or date range, or use a two-sheet strategy (raw data in one document, formulas in another).
Google daily fetch quota exceeded
"Service invoked too many times for one day: premium urlfetch"
Wait 24 hours for the quota to reset; space out refreshes across your sheets.


Still Not Working?

If your scheduled refresh still does not run after these steps, submit a ticket and include your report link, the refresh schedule you set, the spreadsheet time zone, and any error text from the alert email or the PMA Configuration Error column. That detail helps our support team pinpoint the cause quickly.

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