How It Works

SheetLink is a Chrome extension that syncs your bank transactions to Google Sheets. Here's how the entire process works, from installation to transaction sync.

1. Install the Chrome Extension

SheetLink runs as a browser extension, which means it operates entirely in your Chrome browser. There's no desktop app to download, no mobile app required—just add it to Chrome from the Chrome Web Store and you're ready to go.

2. Connect Your Bank via Plaid

When you link a bank account, SheetLink uses Plaid—the same infrastructure trusted by Venmo, Robinhood, and thousands of financial apps. Plaid securely connects to over 10,000 banks and credit unions.

Important security note: Your banking credentials are never stored on our servers. Plaid handles the authentication directly with your bank, and we only receive read-only transaction data.

3. Choose Your Google Sheet

After connecting your bank, you point SheetLink to any Google Sheet you own. You control exactly where the data goes—whether it's a new sheet or an existing budgeting template you've been using for years.

SheetLink writes to specific tabs you configure, and it never reads your spreadsheet content. Your formulas, charts, and other data remain completely private.

4. Sync Your Transactions

Once everything is configured, hit the "Sync" button. SheetLink fetches your latest transactions from Plaid and writes them to your Google Sheet as rows. Each transaction includes:

• Date - When the transaction occurred
• Description - Merchant name or transaction details
• Amount - Transaction amount (negative for spending, positive for income)
• Category - Auto-categorized by Plaid (Food, Shopping, Travel, etc.)
• Account - Which bank account the transaction is from

5. Build Your Own System

This is where SheetLink differs from other budgeting apps. Your data is now in Google Sheets, which means you can:

• Create custom budget categories with formulas
• Build pivot tables to analyze spending patterns
• Design charts and dashboards exactly how you want them
• Share reports with your accountant or financial advisor
• Export to CSV or PDF for record-keeping

Data Flow Architecture

Here's the complete technical flow:

Your transaction data never permanently sits on SheetLink servers. We use a pass-through architecture where data flows from Plaid through our API (for authentication and formatting) directly into your Google Sheet.

Free Tier vs. Paid Tiers

Free Forever: Get the last 7 days of transaction history, synced manually whenever you want. Perfect for tracking weekly spending and building basic budgets.

Paid Tiers: Unlock longer history (90 days or 24 months), auto-sync every hour or every 24 hours, and advanced features like AI categorization and rules engine.

Why Google Sheets?

Spreadsheets are the most powerful personal finance tool ever created. They're flexible, transparent, and already familiar to millions of people. SheetLink doesn't lock your data behind a proprietary interface—you get raw transaction data in a format you can customize however you want.

Whether you're budgeting for a family, tracking business expenses, or just trying to understand where your money goes each month, Google Sheets gives you complete control.