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Google Sheets: triggers aren't instant

Written by Owner

Updated at August 20th, 2025

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Table of Contents

Causes How to fix it

Your Zap uses a Google Sheet trigger, and it’s not running instantly as expected. It takes a few minutes for the Zap to run. This can be confusing since the trigger is labeled as "instant."

Causes

The triggers for Google Sheets are unique among Zapier triggers. It uses both polling and instant trigger methods. This process takes about 3 minutes overall.

How to fix it

There are two ways to approach this issue:

  • Continue using Google Sheet triggers. While Google Sheet triggers may take up to 3 minutes to trigger your Zaps, they remain a viable option if the delay is acceptable.  
  • Change your spreadsheet app. Consider using an alternative spreadsheet app such as Zapier Tables if you require an instant trigger. You can view all of our spreadsheet apps in our App Directory.

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