After many weeks of usage without errors, my wpDataTables are suddenly showing the following error:
"wpDataTables was unable to access data. Unauthorized access. Please make file accessible."
This is showing both in the website front-end and in Wordpress BE. I can't edit the tables anymore in Wordpress because the table edit page is immediately throwing this error (so I could try to change the Google Sheet access link, for example).
Firstly, I would like to sincerely apologize for the delayed response as we have been experiencing an unusually high number of tickets. I am sorry that it has taken longer than usual to respond to your concern and your patience is highly appreciated.
Google has recently updated its security policies, affecting how Google Spreadsheets connect to third-party applications.
As a result, existing spreadsheets created before this change will continue to work without issues. However, newly created Google Sheets will encounter connection errors due to these updated security protocols.
For the newly created Google Sheets with wpDataTables, you’ll need to connect your Google API service account in the plugin settings/Google Spreadsheet API settings.
You can find detailed instructions on setting up a Google API service account here.
If you need to use private sheets, refer to this guide.
Once your Google API service account is added to our plugin, you won’t need to repeat this step, and all Google Sheets functionalities will work as before.
Hi Miloš, thank you for the reply -- I will try this fix and report back. FYI -- my tables were created 3-4 weeks ago and were working fine until a few days ago. So I'm not sure if this is considered before / after the security change.
We haven't been able to determine exactly when Google made this change or what was altered. Our QA team and developers are still working on isolating the change.
What we did find is that for one of our very old Sheets—created two years ago—the plugin still works without any errors. However, if we create a new sheet now, the error occurs. This means we can't yet pinpoint exactly when Google implemented this change.
Our developers are also working on a fix to bypass this new change and restore the Google Sheets integration to function as it was before, without requiring the Google API connection.
We can't provide an exact ETA, as this involves a significant amount of work. However, you can follow our ChangeLog for updates. If we manage to achieve the desired improvement, we will include a patch note detailing the fix in a future update.
For now, the Google API service account must be added to the plugin settings.
I have encountered an issue with integrating Google Sheets into wpDataTables using the Starter package. It turns out that even publicly shared Google Sheets cannot be connected, as the Google Sheets API settings are completely disabled in this package.
Since there is no way to establish this connection, the current package descriptions are misleading. The documentation states that public Google Sheets should be accessible in the Starter package, while private ones require the Standard package. However, in reality, neither public nor private Google Sheets can be connected unless upgrading to Standard.
I kindly ask you to review this issue and update your package descriptions accordingly to avoid further confusion.
You are right. We haven’t updated our pricing page or the feature comparison between plans yet, as we only recently discovered this issue and weren’t sure if our developers could quickly bypass Google's change.
At the moment, we are discussing this with our management and developers to determine the best way forward. Our developers are also working on an improvement for our Google Sheets functionality to restore everything to how it worked before—without requiring a Google API connection. We can't say an exact ETA on it, but you can follow our ChangeLog during updates.
Thank you for your feedback! We will do our best to update the plan comparison details as quickly as possible to avoid any confusion regarding the Google Sheets feature.
Thank you for your response. While I understand that you're working on a solution, the current situation is still problematic. The information on your pricing page and plan comparison is misleading, as it does not reflect the current limitations of the Starter package.
As a customer, I should not be in a position where I have to rely on future updates with no specific timeline or guarantee. At present, the functionality I expected from the plugin is unavailable, and the feature descriptions are inaccurate. This leaves me in a difficult position where I either need to upgrade to a higher plan or continue to wait, unsure if or when the issue will be resolved.
In fact, the only reason I chose the paid version of your plugin was specifically for the Google Sheets integration functionality. Without this feature working as promised, I feel misled, as I expected the plugin to function properly upon purchase.
If I had been aware that this functionality was only available in the Standard package (and not in the Starter package), I may have chosen a different solution altogether. Instead, I now find myself with a plugin that doesn't work as advertised, and I feel like I'm being held hostage by this situation.
I kindly request a discount or access to the Standard package at no additional cost, as I should not have to bear the financial burden for a feature that was initially promised but is no longer available in the Starter package. This situation is a direct result of a failure to deliver the advertised functionality.
I urge you to update your pricing and feature descriptions immediately to reflect the actual capabilities of the Starter and Standard packages. Additionally, please consider offering a solution for customers who have already purchased the plugin under these false pretenses. In any case, the plugin should work as originally promised or an appropriate adjustment should be made.
I look forward to your prompt resolution of this matter.
I see that a private reply was sent, but since I am not the original ticket creator, I did not receive it. However, this issue is still very relevant to me. Could you please share the response here or let me know how I can proceed? I’d really appreciate any guidance on this. Thank you!
I am sorry, I did not see right away that you are not the original ticket creator, thus I was looking at the wrong licence. The original ticket creator has a Standard licence, so he has the Google API already; I see you opened another ticket from your account. Since we need to discus some licence details, I will write on that ticket directly and right away with high priority (https://tmsplugins.ticksy.com/ticket/3841209/).
After many weeks of usage without errors, my wpDataTables are suddenly showing the following error:
"wpDataTables was unable to access data. Unauthorized access. Please make file accessible."
This is showing both in the website front-end and in Wordpress BE. I can't edit the tables anymore in Wordpress because the table edit page is immediately throwing this error (so I could try to change the Google Sheet access link, for example).
I have not made any changes to my Google Sheet permissions or availability during this time, so I assume this is an error on wpDataTables side. Here is a link to the sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1khcszt47RixSY2d3n9N5cUdm1kg-2w5fUyQBACRb1Ts/edit?usp=sharing
If I duplicate a table with the issue, the new table has the same issue and I cannot configure it.
Is this a known error? Can you advise on how to troubleshoot?
Attached files: Create-a-Table-‹-ProteinReviews-com-—-WordPress-03-13-2025_09_05_AM.png
Hello,
Firstly, I would like to sincerely apologize for the delayed response as we have been experiencing an unusually high number of tickets. I am sorry that it has taken longer than usual to respond to your concern and your patience is highly appreciated.
Google has recently updated its security policies, affecting how Google Spreadsheets connect to third-party applications.
As a result, existing spreadsheets created before this change will continue to work without issues. However, newly created Google Sheets will encounter connection errors due to these updated security protocols.
For the newly created Google Sheets with wpDataTables, you’ll need to connect your Google API service account in the plugin settings/Google Spreadsheet API settings.
You can find detailed instructions on setting up a Google API service account here.
Once your Google API service account is added to our plugin, you won’t need to repeat this step, and all Google Sheets functionalities will work as before.
Let me know if you need further assistance.
Kind Regards,
Miloš Jovanović
[email protected]
Rate my support
Try our FREE mapping plugin! MapSVG - easy Google maps, interactive SVG maps and floor plans, choropleth maps and much more - https://wordpress.org/plugins/mapsvg-lite-interactive-vector-maps/
wpDataTables: FAQ | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Front-end and back-end demo | Docs
Amelia: FAQ | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amelia demo sites | Docs | Discord Community
You can try wpDataTables add-ons before purchasing on these sandbox sites:
Powerful Filters | Gravity Forms Integration for wpDataTables | Formidable Forms Integration for wpDataTables | Master-Detail Tables
Hi Miloš, thank you for the reply -- I will try this fix and report back. FYI -- my tables were created 3-4 weeks ago and were working fine until a few days ago. So I'm not sure if this is considered before / after the security change.
Hello,
We haven't been able to determine exactly when Google made this change or what was altered. Our QA team and developers are still working on isolating the change.
What we did find is that for one of our very old Sheets—created two years ago—the plugin still works without any errors. However, if we create a new sheet now, the error occurs. This means we can't yet pinpoint exactly when Google implemented this change.
Our developers are also working on a fix to bypass this new change and restore the Google Sheets integration to function as it was before, without requiring the Google API connection.
We can't provide an exact ETA, as this involves a significant amount of work. However, you can follow our ChangeLog for updates. If we manage to achieve the desired improvement, we will include a patch note detailing the fix in a future update.
For now, the Google API service account must be added to the plugin settings.
I hope this helps!
Kind Regards,
Miloš Jovanović
[email protected]
Rate my support
Try our FREE mapping plugin! MapSVG - easy Google maps, interactive SVG maps and floor plans, choropleth maps and much more - https://wordpress.org/plugins/mapsvg-lite-interactive-vector-maps/
wpDataTables: FAQ | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Front-end and back-end demo | Docs
Amelia: FAQ | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amelia demo sites | Docs | Discord Community
You can try wpDataTables add-ons before purchasing on these sandbox sites:
Powerful Filters | Gravity Forms Integration for wpDataTables | Formidable Forms Integration for wpDataTables | Master-Detail Tables
Dear Miloš,
I have encountered an issue with integrating Google Sheets into wpDataTables using the Starter package. It turns out that even publicly shared Google Sheets cannot be connected, as the Google Sheets API settings are completely disabled in this package.
Since there is no way to establish this connection, the current package descriptions are misleading. The documentation states that public Google Sheets should be accessible in the Starter package, while private ones require the Standard package. However, in reality, neither public nor private Google Sheets can be connected unless upgrading to Standard.
I kindly ask you to review this issue and update your package descriptions accordingly to avoid further confusion.
Hi Inara,
You are right. We haven’t updated our pricing page or the feature comparison between plans yet, as we only recently discovered this issue and weren’t sure if our developers could quickly bypass Google's change.
At the moment, we are discussing this with our management and developers to determine the best way forward. Our developers are also working on an improvement for our Google Sheets functionality to restore everything to how it worked before—without requiring a Google API connection.
We can't say an exact ETA on it, but you can follow our ChangeLog during updates.
Thank you for your feedback! We will do our best to update the plan comparison details as quickly as possible to avoid any confusion regarding the Google Sheets feature.
Kind Regards,
Miloš Jovanović
[email protected]
Rate my support
Try our FREE mapping plugin! MapSVG - easy Google maps, interactive SVG maps and floor plans, choropleth maps and much more - https://wordpress.org/plugins/mapsvg-lite-interactive-vector-maps/
wpDataTables: FAQ | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Front-end and back-end demo | Docs
Amelia: FAQ | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amelia demo sites | Docs | Discord Community
You can try wpDataTables add-ons before purchasing on these sandbox sites:
Powerful Filters | Gravity Forms Integration for wpDataTables | Formidable Forms Integration for wpDataTables | Master-Detail Tables
Dear Miloš,
Thank you for your response. While I understand that you're working on a solution, the current situation is still problematic. The information on your pricing page and plan comparison is misleading, as it does not reflect the current limitations of the Starter package.
As a customer, I should not be in a position where I have to rely on future updates with no specific timeline or guarantee. At present, the functionality I expected from the plugin is unavailable, and the feature descriptions are inaccurate. This leaves me in a difficult position where I either need to upgrade to a higher plan or continue to wait, unsure if or when the issue will be resolved.
In fact, the only reason I chose the paid version of your plugin was specifically for the Google Sheets integration functionality. Without this feature working as promised, I feel misled, as I expected the plugin to function properly upon purchase.
If I had been aware that this functionality was only available in the Standard package (and not in the Starter package), I may have chosen a different solution altogether. Instead, I now find myself with a plugin that doesn't work as advertised, and I feel like I'm being held hostage by this situation.
I kindly request a discount or access to the Standard package at no additional cost, as I should not have to bear the financial burden for a feature that was initially promised but is no longer available in the Starter package. This situation is a direct result of a failure to deliver the advertised functionality.
I urge you to update your pricing and feature descriptions immediately to reflect the actual capabilities of the Starter and Standard packages. Additionally, please consider offering a solution for customers who have already purchased the plugin under these false pretenses. In any case, the plugin should work as originally promised or an appropriate adjustment should be made.
I look forward to your prompt resolution of this matter.
Best regards,
Inara
I see that a private reply was sent, but since I am not the original ticket creator, I did not receive it. However, this issue is still very relevant to me. Could you please share the response here or let me know how I can proceed? I’d really appreciate any guidance on this. Thank you!
Hi Inara,
I am sorry, I did not see right away that you are not the original ticket creator, thus I was looking at the wrong licence.
The original ticket creator has a Standard licence, so he has the Google API already;
I see you opened another ticket from your account.
Since we need to discus some licence details, I will write on that ticket directly and right away with high priority (https://tmsplugins.ticksy.com/ticket/3841209/).
Let's follow up there, please.
Thank you.
Kind Regards,
Miloš Jovanović
[email protected]
Rate my support
Try our FREE mapping plugin! MapSVG - easy Google maps, interactive SVG maps and floor plans, choropleth maps and much more - https://wordpress.org/plugins/mapsvg-lite-interactive-vector-maps/
wpDataTables: FAQ | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Front-end and back-end demo | Docs
Amelia: FAQ | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amelia demo sites | Docs | Discord Community
You can try wpDataTables add-ons before purchasing on these sandbox sites:
Powerful Filters | Gravity Forms Integration for wpDataTables | Formidable Forms Integration for wpDataTables | Master-Detail Tables