Is MapRows safe? Permissions, privacy and where addresses go

The short answer

MapRows reads the header row and the address or coordinate columns you choose, sends selected cell text to Geoapify when a lookup is needed, and writes results into your spreadsheet. It asks for access only to spreadsheets you use it with, permission to show its sidebar and dialogs, and permission to connect to an external service. It does not ask for your email address, contacts, Drive files or Gmail.

Our license server never receives your cell contents. If you use Pro, the add-on sends that server your license key, a random installation ID and the add-on name to check the subscription. MapRows also stores settings and unfinished-task progress in Google Apps Script property storage associated with your Google account. The progress contains row numbers and settings, not cell contents.

Whether MapRows is appropriate for your data is your decision. Selected addresses or coordinates may be processed outside your country. If you handle customer lists, patient data or other restricted information, check your own rules before using it. A free Apps Script method sends addresses to Google’s geocoder instead, while the free MAPROWS_DISTANCE formula uses coordinates without lookups. We explain both below.

This is a practical summary of our privacy policy, written by the team that makes MapRows. Read the policy and the Google permission screen before you decide whether to install.

The three permissions MapRows requests

When you open MapRows for the first time, Google asks you to allow its permissions. The permission screen matters because the add-on needs to read selected inputs and write results, but a geocoding task does not require access to every part of your Google account.

• Access only the spreadsheets you use MapRows with. MapRows reads the header row and the columns you choose, then writes results in the open spreadsheet. It does not get access to your other files through this permission.
• Show content in sidebars and dialogs. This lets MapRows display its sidebar and help. The sidebar has Geocode, Reverse, Distance, Map and Account tabs.
• Connect to an external service. MapRows sends selected addresses or coordinates to Geoapify for its services. For Pro, it also contacts our license server to check the subscription.

MapRows does not request your email address, contacts, calendar, Google Drive files or Gmail. The spreadsheet permission is limited to spreadsheets you use MapRows with; it is not a general permission to browse your Drive. Review the actual permission screen in your account as well as this explanation.

Once installed, open a spreadsheet and choose Extensions → MapRows → Open MapRows. On Geocode, for example, you choose the address column or columns and whether to work with all rows or selected rows. MapRows reads the headers to suggest columns, so check those choices before starting. Results go into new columns to the right of your data; MapRows does not edit your own columns or formulas.

Each add-on works inside the spreadsheet you have open, only while you use it. None of our add-ons runs in the background. Permission to use a spreadsheet still deserves care: select the data you intend to process and check the result columns when the task finishes.

What goes where

The phrase “data stays in your Google account” describes where your spreadsheet and results are kept, but it does not mean an address lookup happens without an outside request. The table separates the spreadsheet, provider, add-on storage and license check so you can see the difference.

Geoapify is the geocoding, routing and map provider. Requests come from Google’s servers, not directly from your device. Geoapify states that it keeps request data for access control and usage counting, generally for no longer than 24 hours for successful requests. That statement is not a promise that every request, including an unsuccessful one, has the same retention period.

The text you select may be processed outside your country. That matters if an address identifies a person or if a contract or local rule limits where information may be processed. Coordinates and map points can also reveal locations, so consider their sensitivity rather than treating them as automatically anonymous.

When you insert a map, its points are sent to Geoapify. MapRows puts the image on a sheet named MapRows map and replaces that map sheet each time you insert a new map. The image carries the required attribution. If you publish results, keep the attribution “© OpenStreetMap contributors”.

All connections from our add-ons to outside services use HTTPS. The privacy policy lists the addresses MapRows can contact: Geoapify’s API and map addresses and the Cellbrook license endpoint. HTTPS describes how the connection is made; it does not decide whether sending a particular dataset is permitted by your own rules.

What MapRows stores

MapRows uses Google Apps Script’s built-in property storage on Google’s infrastructure. Private to your Google account, it stores your license key and status, today’s usage count, unfinished-task progress for each spreadsheet, and your own Geoapify key if you add one. The unfinished-task record contains row numbers and settings, not the contents of your cells.

MapRows also keeps a shared daily total of lookups, which is a number, and our Geoapify API key. The shared count is different from the address or coordinate text sent to Geoapify to obtain a result. Daily usage counters are cleared automatically; stored settings remain until you remove them.

A paused task can be resumed from its progress. If you close the sidebar during a task, reopen it and use Resume. There can be one unfinished task per spreadsheet, and starting another asks before replacing it. These progress records help MapRows find where to continue without storing the cell contents in that record.

For Pro, the add-on sends only the license key, a random installation ID and the add-on name to our license server for the license check. The server never receives spreadsheet cell contents. Separately, Stripe supplies subscription information to our license server, including status, plan, renewal date and checkout email. Our policy explains what we retain for licensing and support.

Google may record technical error logs for the add-ons, such as error messages, which we can see in the Google Cloud console. We use them to fix problems and do not intentionally log spreadsheet contents. This is a separate point from the unfinished-task record and the license request.

Our website uses no cookies, analytics or third-party trackers. A light or dark theme choice can be saved in your browser on your device and is not sent to us. Our host keeps standard server logs for security and operation. If you choose to contact support, the information you put in that email is handled as described in the privacy policy.

Our use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including Limited Use requirements. We do not sell Google user data, use it for advertising, or use it to develop, improve or train generalised or non-personalised AI or machine-learning models. The policy describes the limited circumstances in which data may be transferred or read, including the Geoapify processing described here.

What this page cannot promise

This page summarises our own privacy policy and documentation. It is not an independent audit, and we have not claimed any third-party security certification. Reading a permission description also cannot settle whether a particular dataset is suitable for a particular service. Your organization may have requirements that go beyond the permissions shown on a screen.

If your sheet contains a customer list, patient data or information subject to legal or contractual restrictions, check your own rules before selecting cells. Consider whether the addresses need to be geocoded at all, whether a smaller selection will answer the question, and whether the permitted processing locations and providers include the ones involved. Use fictional rows for an initial test.

MapRows results can be wrong or incomplete, especially for new buildings and rural addresses. A successful request is not proof that a point represents the intended building. Compare the formatted address with your input, investigate uncertain matches and verify locations that matter before relying on them. The status LOW_CONFIDENCE is a prompt to check the match, not a guarantee that every other match is correct.

We cannot make another provider’s policies or your account settings stand still. For a free method that keeps the workflow within Google services, the Apps Script in our geocoding guide sends selected addresses to Google’s geocoder. Check in your account for details that apply to that service and your use. If you already have coordinates and need straight-line distances, MAPROWS_DISTANCE makes no lookups.

When a free method is enough

If you only need a straight-line distance between two coordinate pairs, a geocoding or routing request may be unnecessary. The free MapRows formula =MAPROWS_DISTANCE(B2,C2,D2,E2,"km") takes the first latitude and longitude from B2 and C2 and the second pair from D2 and E2. It returns a distance in kilometres inside the cell and uses no lookups. Use "mi" for miles, or omit the unit for miles.

The Distance tab can also calculate a straight-line distance without lookups when both sides are coordinates. If either side is an address, it must first be geocoded. Driving, walking and cycling distances and travel times are Pro features and use routing; do not choose them if your requirement is to avoid an external lookup.

For a formula that works without MapRows, see our distance between coordinates guide. That is useful when you already have latitude and longitude and only need a straight-line calculation in your sheet. It does not turn a street address into coordinates or provide a road route.

For address geocoding without MapRows, our free Apps Script route writes coordinates and a matched address into the spreadsheet. It still sends addresses to Google’s geocoder, so it is not a way to avoid sending the input to a geocoding service. Check in your account for details, and read the guide’s instructions before selecting cells or writing results. For a handful of addresses, the guide also describes copying coordinates from Google Maps.

MapRows is less suitable when your rules do not allow sending selected text to Geoapify or processing it outside your country. It may also be more than you need for a simple coordinate calculation. If the workflow does fit, MapRows Free includes 100 lookups per day; Pro adds features such as routing and the option to use your own Geoapify key. Compare the current terms on the pricing page.

Remove keys and access

If you added a license key or your own Geoapify key, open Extensions → MapRows → Open MapRows and go to Account. The Account tab lets you remove the license key and, in MapRows, your own Geoapify key. Adding your own Geoapify key is a Pro feature; once used, your Geoapify plan’s limits apply instead of MapRows limits.

You can revoke an add-on’s Google access at myaccount.google.com/permissions. Check the permissions in the Google account that authorized it. Revoking access is separate from removing a key in Account, so remove keys first if you want to use the sidebar to do that.

If you have a Pro subscription, removing a license key or revoking access does not itself cancel the subscription. To manage or cancel it, use Account → Manage or cancel subscription, which opens the Stripe customer portal, or email support@cellbrook.com. Pro remains active through the paid period after cancellation. Read the terms and refund policy for the conditions that apply.

Results in your spreadsheet are yours to keep. Removing access does not mean you have deleted those result columns or a map sheet; review the spreadsheet and delete anything you no longer want to retain. If you publish results, keep the OpenStreetMap attribution. Also check your own retention rules for any copies you have made.

Before you install any Sheets add-on

Use the same short review whether you choose MapRows or another product. The answers should be clear enough for the data you plan to use:

1. Read the permission screen. Check which account and spreadsheet access the add-on requests and why it needs each permission.
2. Check what is sent out. Identify the selected data, any external provider and whether processing outside your country matters to you.
3. Check where results are stored. Find out what goes into the sheet, what settings or progress are retained, and how to remove them.
4. Check refund and cancellation terms. If you may pay, read the price, renewal, cancellation and refund conditions before subscribing.
5. Test on a copy with fake rows. Select a small, fictional dataset, inspect the output and confirm the workflow before using real information.

For MapRows, start with the documentation, privacy policy and terms. The permission screen and your own account are the places to check what you are actually authorizing.

CalendarRows and LabelRows privacy

CalendarRows works between Google Sheets and the Google Calendar you choose. It reads the mapped rows you send, can create, update or delete events in the selected calendar, and can import selected events into a new tab. It reads your calendar list to show the picker and sends no email itself; guest addresses are added with Google Calendar’s option not to send invitation or update emails. For Pro, it also contacts our license server to check the subscription.

LabelRows reads the rows you choose and writes labels into a new Google Doc in your Drive. Its Drive permission lets it open files it creates, not your other Docs or Drive files. LabelRows makes no web requests of its own, including no license check. Google loads its icon from cellbrook.com, and its Help, Privacy and Terms links open our website when you click them.

Common problems

Google asks me to allow permissions again. Check in your account which permissions are being requested and which Google account is selected. Compare the request with the three MapRows permissions described above before allowing it. If you previously revoked access, review the request before deciding whether to grant access again.

I want to stop using it. Remove your license key and any Geoapify key from Account, then revoke access at myaccount.google.com/permissions if you no longer want the add-on authorized. Cancel any Pro subscription separately through the customer portal or by email. Your results remain in the sheet until you remove them.

I pasted my own Geoapify key and want it gone. Open MapRows, select Account and remove the key there. Your own key is a Pro option. Check your Geoapify account for any separate action you want to take concerning that key.

Someone else edits my sheet. Review the input columns and selected rows before starting a task, particularly if the sheet is shared. MapRows reads the columns you choose and writes new result columns, so a changed address can affect the result you request. Check your spreadsheet’s sharing and editing settings in your account, and agree with other editors on which rows are ready to process.

A result looks wrong. Compare the formatted address with the input and look at the status. For LOW_CONFIDENCE, add details such as a city or ZIP or use a country filter; for NO_MATCH, check for typos or missing address parts. Verify important locations independently before using them.

Frequently asked questions

Related

• Privacy policy
• Terms of service
• MapRows documentation
• Geocode addresses in Google Sheets
• Distance between coordinates in Google Sheets
• Google Sheets map add-ons
• All guides

Disclosure: we make MapRows, the Google Sheets add-on mentioned in this guide. The free Apps Script in our geocoding guide works without MapRows and sends addresses to Google’s geocoder; the coordinate formula in our distance guide also works without the add-on.

Google Sheets and Google Workspace are trademarks of Google LLC. MapRows and Cellbrook are not affiliated with or endorsed by Google.