Ever thought about using Google Docs or Sheets as more than just documents or spreadsheets? Imagine them as dynamic content sources or even simple databases for your applications. In this guide, we'll dive into how to set up Google's APIs to unlock these powerful services within your projects, transforming how you manage and access data.

The specific version of Next.js you're using won't impact this guide, as our focus is solely on obtaining API keys from Google's platform.

We will first need to create a new Service Account to do so gohere

Click on Start Free

Read the terms of service and clickAgree & Continue.

1. Create your Payment Profile (you won't be charged).
2. SelectIndividual Profile Type if you're not a business.
3. ClickCreate.
4. Now add a payment method.
5. ClickStart Free.
6. Select your Cloud Platform options.

Great! Now that we have a Service Account set up, look for the menu on the left and click onAPIs & Services.

Enable APIs & Services

Search for Google Sheets API and select it

ClickEnable

Great now we have the google sheets API enabled now let's create the credentials so we can programmatically connect to it.

Click onCreate Credentials

Select Application Data & clickDone

Now click on theIAM & Admin in the left menu and then clickService Accounts

Now click on CreateService Account

Give your account a name and a description and clickCreate And Continue

Select Owner as the Role and clickContinue

We can clickDone on the final step.

Now we can manage the keys for this account which will allow us to connect to Google Sheets.

Click on the 3 dots and selectManage Keys

Click onAdd Key and then onCreate new key

Select theJSON option and clickCreate

Save it somewhere safe and then open it in your code editor

Great all we really care about are the private_key and the client_email, these will allow us to establish the connection.

Go back to your Nextjs Project and in the .env.local (if you don't have a .env file yet create one in the root of your project) file let's create the environment variables we will need.

# .env.localGOOGLE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_EMAIL=GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY=

Paste your keys from the JSON file in here.

Awesome! Now you are ready to start integrating google sheets like I didhere to store Newsletter subscribers from another nextjs app!

Happy coding! 😊