IMPORTANT - You MUST reconnect Squarespace forms to Google Drive before October 23rd 2024
Update: Google has extended the deadline from September 23rd to October 23rd 2024. Article has been updated to reflect this.
If you don't reauthorize any Google Sheets connected to forms on your Squarespace site by October 23, 2024, Google Drive will stop receiving form submissions from those forms.
This critical deadline is due to a major update in Google Workspace, requiring all connected forms to be manually reconnected. The update affects any form blocks, newsletter blocks, promotional pop-ups, or cover page forms linked to Google Drive.
For detailed steps from Squarespace, refer to their official support document on reauthorizing Google Sheets connections.
Below, I’ll share how I managed the changeover to help you navigate the process smoothly.
Understand the Impact of Disconnecting Google Sheets
Disconnecting your Google Sheets from within Google affects every single connected sheet across all of your Squarespace sites, meaning every form relying on Google Sheets for data collection will lose its connection, not just the forms on one site.
If you have only one or two connected forms, you’ll be able to get things back up and running fairly quickly.
However, if you're like me and managing many, many forms logging to dozens of Sheets for multiple sites and clients, advance preparation is crucial to minimize the risk of lost form submissions.
Conduct an Audit Before Disconnecting
To avoid chaos, conduct an audit of all your Squarespace sites.
Create a detailed list of all the forms connected to Google Sheets, including:
The pages where each form is located
The number of forms on each page
The names of the Google Sheets each form is connected to
Any macros or AppScript associated with the original sheets, as these will need to be reinstalled on the new versions
If the old sheets were shared with other users, communicate with those users to inform them that submissions up to the switch will remain on the original sheet and all subsequent submissions will be on a new sheet. Make sure to share the new sheets with the appropriate people.
All of these details should be recorded in your audit to ensure a smooth transition and maintain clear communication with anyone involved.
I found it helpful to use a Google Sheet for this audit, listing every single form I needed to reauthorize. Additionally, check your Google Drive to see which sheets are updated most frequently so you can prioritize the most critical connections.
Disconnect Google Drive from Squarespace
The first step is to disconnect Google Drive from Squarespace.
Log into your Google Drive account,
Go to Settings by clicking the gear icon in the top-right corner,
Navigate to the “Manage Apps” section.
Scroll down to find Squarespace, click on “Options,” and select “Disconnect from Drive.” This step will disconnect all forms using that Google Drive account in Squarespace, so it needs to be done only once.
Once you have disconnected, there is some urgency to reauthorize connections to the new sheets. The longer you take, the greater the chance that a form submission will not be tracked in the sheets.
Prioritize and Reconnect with New Sheets
Based on your audit, start reconnecting forms by prioritizing the most frequently used sheets. This helps to ensure that your most critical data flows are restored first, minimizing disruption to your operations.
For each form block, newsletter block, promotional pop-up, or cover page formform on your Squarespace sites:
Go to the form settings and open the Storage tab.
Click on Google Drive, select “Disconnect,” and confirm the disconnection.
Then, click “Connect” next to Google Drive and follow the prompts to authorize the connection again.
When reconnecting, you'll be required to create a new Google Sheet to receive the form submissions; you cannot reconnect to the existing sheets.
NB. If multiple forms were originally connected to the same sheet, you can link them all to one new sheet rather than creating multiple new ones.
Reinstall Macros and AppScripts
After reconnecting your forms to new sheets, you’ll need to reinstall any macros or AppScripts that were used in the original sheets.
Refer back to the audit you conducted earlier to identify which sheets had these elements.
Carefully reinstall and test each script or macro to ensure they are functioning correctly in the new environment, maintaining any custom functionality or automations that were in place before the changeover.
This is the sort of email you will receive if you forget to reconnect a form that has an Apps Script installed.. ..like I did.
Test Each Form Connection
After reauthorizing the connections, it's crucial to test each form. Submit a few test entries to verify that the data is posting correctly to the new sheets. This will ensure all connections are working as expected and that data is flowing into the correct places.
Share New Sheets and Communicate Changes
Once the new sheets are live and the connections have been tested, ensure that the new sheets are shared with all relevant users who had access to the previous versions.
Communicate clearly that the new sheets are now active, and provide guidance on where new submissions will be logged. This helps to avoid any confusion and ensures that all stakeholders are aware of the changes.
Perform Additional Tests on Changeover Day and the Following Day
It’s advisable to perform more tests on the changeover day, October 23, 2024, and the days after.
Although unlikely, there is a possibility of bugs arising from such a significant system update from Google.
If any issues occur, Squarespace form logging will most likely fail silently—meaning no error messages, just no data being logged.
This could be misinterpreted as simply having no form submissions for the day when, in fact, the connections might not be working. Regular testing on these critical days will help catch any such issues early.
Communication for Agencies, Developers, and Client Site Managers
If you manage sites on behalf of clients, clear communication is essential to ensure a smooth transition. Here’s a suggested communication flow:
Before Disconnection:
Notify site owners about the upcoming changes, including the reasons for the update and the steps you’ll be taking.
Highlight the potential risks of not reauthorizing the connections by the deadline.
Remember, some clients may have connected forms to their own Google Drive accounts. In these cases, you’ll need to contact the client to inform them about the process and guide them through disconnecting and reconnecting their Google Drive to the forms.
During Testing:
Keep clients informed as you test the new connections, and let them know once each form is successfully reconnected and tested. This helps build confidence that their data flows are being managed correctly.
After Final Switchover:
Immediately after the final switchover day, provide an update confirming that all connections are live and functioning. Include a reminder to monitor the forms closely for any signs of issues, and offer guidance on where to view the new sheets.
This proactive communication strategy will help keep site owners informed and reassured throughout the process, reducing the risk of disruptions and misunderstandings.
FAQs
What if I don't reconnect my Squarespace forms to Sheets before the October 23, 2024, deadline?
If you don’t reconnect your forms to new Google Sheets before the deadline, Google Drive will stop receiving form submissions from those forms. This means you won’t capture any data from your forms, which could lead to significant data loss if the forms are critical to your business operations.
How can I ensure I don’t lose any form submissions during the transition?
To avoid losing submissions, follow the audit and reconnection process outlined above and perform thorough testing both immediately after reconnecting and on the critical changeover day. Consider setting up the Contacts panel in your Squarespace form settings as an alternative storage option, allowing you to view form details and submitted email addresses directly within Squarespace.
Can I reconnect to the old sheets instead of creating new ones?
No, when reconnecting, you'll need to create a new Google Sheet to receive the form submissions. Attempting to use the old sheet's name will create a new sheet with that name, rather than linking to the existing one.
