Google Sheets to app
Turn a Google Sheet into an app your team can use
A spreadsheet that runs a process has a shelf life. Someone overwrites a formula, two people edit the same row, the phone view is unusable, and nobody can say who changed what. The fix is an app over the same data.
Emberblocks does not connect to Google Sheets live, and that is deliberate. Import the sheet once, and from then on the app's database is the source of truth: typed fields, relations, validation, roles, history. If you need the live-sheet model, AppSheet or Glide are better fits and we say so below.
Builders are always free. Facts about other products on this page were last checked on . Tell us if something is out of date: hello@emberblocks.com.
From sheet to app
- 1
Export the sheet as CSV
File, Download, Comma-separated values. One CSV per tab.
- 2
Import into a table
Upload the CSV into a built-in table. Column types are detected: numbers, dates, emails, selects from repeated values. Nothing is inserted if a row fails validation, so the fix happens in the sheet before anything reaches the database.
- 3
Turn lookups into relations
Columns that held names or IDs from another tab become reference fields, so the app shows the related record rather than a string.
- 4
Let Ember draft the screens
Describe what the sheet is for and Ember proposes views and workflows. Adjust, set roles, publish.
- 5
Retire the sheet
Keep it read-only for a week, then archive it. The app has forms, history, notifications and a phone layout the sheet never had.
When to keep the sheet live instead
- Other systems write into the sheet and must keep doing so. AppSheet and Glide read Google Sheets live; Emberblocks does not.
- The sheet is the analysis, not the process. If people mostly build pivot tables and charts, keep the sheet and export to it from the app instead.
What you get in Emberblocks
Your data, live
Start on a built-in database, your own Postgres (Supabase, Neon, RDS, anything that speaks Postgres) or an Airtable base. Apps read and write live rows, so there are no exports to keep in sync.
Blocks on a grid
Drag tables, cards, record pages, kanban boards, calendars, maps, timelines, charts, stats, forms, buttons, comments, activity feeds, file viewers, signatures, barcodes and embeds onto a grid and wire them to tables. What you arrange is exactly what your team gets.
Real field types
Fields include text, email, phone, URL, number, boolean, date, date-time, time, duration, select, multi-select, reference, multi-reference, image, file, signature, address and JSON. Barcode scanning and signatures work in the browser without a native app.
Workflows
Workflows run when a row is created, updated or deleted, on a schedule, or from a button; steps update records, send email, call webhooks, branch on conditions and run code.
Roles and permissions
Roles decide which views a user sees and which fields they can read or edit; app users can be loaded from a table in your own data.
Publishing like software
Every publish is a versioned snapshot you can inspect and roll back, with a stable and a latest channel.
Phones and offline
Published apps are responsive, install on a phone's home screen, and queue edits made offline until the connection is back.
AI where it helps
Ember drafts a first version of an app from a plain-language description, and end users can ask questions of the data in plain language when you turn it on.
Questions
- Will Emberblocks add a live Google Sheets connector?
- It is not on the roadmap today. The built-in database, your own Postgres and Airtable are the supported sources. CSV import covers one-time moves and repeat uploads.
- Can I export back to a spreadsheet?
- Yes. Table views export as CSV, and workflows can send email with data attached.
- Where does my data live?
- Wherever you want it. Use the built-in database, connect your own Postgres so rows never leave your server, or point an app at an Airtable base. Airtable bases are mirrored into Postgres and kept in sync both ways.
- How is Emberblocks priced?
- Builders are always free. Paid plans are priced by the number of people who sign in to your published apps: Starter $29, Pro $79 and Business $199 a month billed yearly. Every new workspace starts with a 14-day Pro trial, no card needed, and there is a free plan after that. Full details on the pricing page.
- What does Emberblocks not do yet?
- Custom domains, SSO and an Enterprise plan are not available yet. There is no live Google Sheets connector (import the sheet as CSV instead). Apps run in the browser and install to the home screen; there are no App Store or Play Store builds.
Try it on your own data.
Every workspace starts with a 14-day Pro trial without a card. You can also open a template in the editor first and sign up only when you want to keep it.