HOW TO SCHEDULE DATA CLEANING FUNCTIONS

Introduction to Scheduling Functions

Streamline your data management by learning how to automate data cleaning in Google Sheets with Flookup's powerful scheduling feature. Leveraging Google Apps Script triggers, this functionality allows you to schedule key operations such as Fuzzy Match and Extract Unique Values. Set them to run at intervals ranging from once every hour to once every thirty days, perfectly tailoring the automation to your specific data processing needs and ensuring your datasets remain consistently clean and up to date with minimal manual intervention. Explore the benefits of automated data processing and keep your Google Sheets data pristine.

Before scheduling any function, it is important to manually use that function on a sample of your dataset to determine the best parameters for your use case. Visual cues in the sidebar will guide you as to which features are available for each function.


Steps to Schedule Fuzzy Match Functions

  1. Open the function sidebar
    Extensions > Flookup Data Wrangler > Transformation functions > Schedule functions > Fuzzy match data in your spreadsheet menu.
  2. Select the lookup and merge function to schedule
    Choose either Fuzzy match by percentage or Fuzzy match by sound.
  3. Choose the mode to run
    • Process Lookup_values to the end: Processes the range until the end, then stops.
    • Process Lookup_values in a loop: Continuously processes the range on a schedule.
  4. Set the lookup values
    Highlight the column with lookup values and click Grab selected range. Only the first column will be processed if multiple columns are selected.
  5. Set the values to be compared
    Highlight the columns to compare and click Grab selected range to read them into Table_array.
  6. Specify the columns to analyse
    • Lookup_column: The Table_array column to compare to Lookup_values.
    • Return_column: The Table_array column to return values from.
  7. Set the similarity level
    Set the Threshold value as needed (skip if inactive).
  8. Choose schedule frequency
    Click HOURLY or DAILY to set how often the function runs.
  9. Set the schedule
    • Time of day: For hourly schedules, set the time for the function to run.
    • Frequency: For daily, set the number of days between runs (up to 30). For hourly, set the number of hours (up to 24).
  10. Lock the output position
    Click any empty cell to lock the result position for each run.
  11. Schedule the function
    Click Schedule to create the trigger and close the sidebar.

Steps to Schedule Duplicate Removal Functions

  1. Open the sidebar
    Extensions > Flookup Data Wrangler > Transformation functions > Schedule functions > Extract unique values in your spreadsheet menu.
  2. Select the duplicate removal function to schedule
    Choose either Extract by percentage or Extract by sound.
  3. Choose the mode to run
    • Process Range_one to the end: Processes the table until the end, then stops.
    • Process Range_one in a loop: Continuously processes the same range on schedule.
  4. Specify lookup values
    Highlight the column with lookup values and click Grab selected range.
  5. Specify the column to analyse
    Set the Lookup_column to analyse for duplicates.
  6. Set the similarity level
    Set the Threshold value as needed (skip if inactive).
  7. Choose schedule frequency
    Click HOURLY or DAILY to set how often the function runs.
  8. Set the schedule
    • Time of day: For hourly schedules, set the time for the function to run.
    • Frequency: For daily, set the number of days between runs (up to 30). For hourly, set the number of hours (up to 24).
  9. Lock the output position
    Click any empty cell to lock the result position for each run.
  10. Schedule the function
    Click Schedule to create the trigger.

Notes About Scheduling Functions


Issues You Might Encounter


For the Visual Learners

Labels might differ slightly but the steps are the same.


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