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Parallel’s Google Sheets integration brings AI-powered web research and retrieval into your spreadsheets. Ask a natural‑language question, optionally specify the data to target, and add contextual guidance—all from a single formula. The integration is designed for creating and enriching datasets in Sheets (e.g., enrichment, summaries, classifications, and quick insights).

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Prerequisites

  • Get a Parallel API key from Platform.
  • Install the integration on Google Sheets directly from here or follow these steps:
    • Go to Extensions → Add-Ons → Get add-ons
    • Search for Parallel
    • Click on the listing from Parallel Web Systems
  • In Google Sheets, open Extensions → Parallel → Open Sidebar → Paste your API Key → Click Save API Key
For teams: Admins can set an org-wide API key using Google Apps Script properties, so individual users don’t need to configure their own keys. See the Admin Setup section below.

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Function Reference

The integration exposes one function with the following signature: 
=PARALLEL_QUERY(query, target_data, context)
It returns an answer to a query, with optional data targeting and contextual guidance.
  • query (required): A question or instruction. Accepts either a plain query string or a JSON-encoded structured argument.
  • target_data (optional, strongly recommended): A cell, range, or column reference to specify the extraction target.
  • context (optional): Additional information—background, constraints, user intent, or preferences—to tailor the response.
Returns: A concise answer string. When provided, target_data and context are used to improve relevance and precision.
For precise results, include target_data to extract a specific field corresponding to the input data.

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Usage Patterns

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Basic

Use PARALLEL_QUERY for general questions: 
=PARALLEL_QUERY("Trends in AI")

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Targeted data retrieval

Use target_data to power targeted enrichments in your sheet: 
=PARALLEL_QUERY("Parallel Web Systems", target_data="CEO")
Notes
  • The function returns a single text value per call. Use ARRAYFORMULA to apply it over many rows.
  • For long queries, narrow target_data to relevant cells/columns to improve speed and fidelity.

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Best Practices

  1. Scope your query: Be explicit about the desired format and constraints.
  2. Target the right data: Specify the exact data point you need to retrieve.
  3. Provide context: If needed, add audience, tone, or decision criteria via context. Being verbose here is helpful.
  4. Use cell references: Keep prompts and policies in cells for reuse and review.
  5. Validate outputs: For downstream logic, pair insights with checks (e.g., thresholds).

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Viewing Basis

The sidebar displays the sources used to generate each response.
  1. Go to Extensions → Parallel Web Systems → Open Sidebar → Basis
  2. Click on any cell containing a PARALLEL_QUERY result to view the basis—the web pages and documents that informed the answer.
  3. To refresh, click on the Refresh button in the basis tab
This helps you verify the accuracy of responses and trace information back to its original source.

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Caching

Results are cached for up to 6 hours. If you need fresh data, you can force a recalculation by editing the cell or clearing the cache via the sidebar.

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Admin Setup

For organizations that want to deploy Parallel across multiple users, first install the app for your organization by following the steps mentioned here To configure an API key for all users in your organization:
  1. Open Extensions → Apps Script in your Google Sheet
  2. Go to Project Settings → Script Properties
  3. Add a property with the key PARALLEL_API_KEY and your API key as the value
  4. Save the script properties
Once configured, all users in your organization will automatically use this API key.

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Troubleshooting

  • API key issues
    • Make sure your Parallel API key is saved in the sidebar (or configured via script properties) and has not expired.
  • Slow or incomplete responses
    • Avoid volatile formulas that trigger frequent recalculation.
    • Results are cached for up to 6 hours; force refresh if you need updated data.

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FAQ

  • Can I return multiple fields?
    • No, each response is a single field. You can split one call with multiple output fields into multiple requests, each requesting one field. ARRAYFORMULA is especially useful for this.
  • How do I keep prompts consistent across a team?
    • Store prompts and policies in reference cells or a “Prompts” sheet and reference them in formulas.