Keep Google Sheets updated automatically with Zapier MCP

I've watched enough Star Trek to have daydreams of a far-flung future where I could say "Computer, make it so," and the ship's AI just…makes it happen. With Zapier MCP, that future is today. 

Now, your AI assistant isn't limited to just giving suggestions—it can take action, too. Want to send an email, schedule a meeting, or update a spreadsheet? Just ask. With access to over 8,000 apps, your AI finally gets to be in the helmsman's seat (or in one of the other cool chairs on the bridge, at least).

For just one example (out of quite literally tens of thousands), here's how to train your AI assistant to update a Google Sheet spreadsheet for you with Zapier MCP. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions.

How to update Google Sheets with Zapier MCP

In this example, we're using Cursor for our AI code editor—but you can also build a Zapier MCP-powered AI assistant using other platforms like Claude and ChatGPT.

Step 1: Set up your Zapier MCP server in Cursor

1. Log in to Zapier and head to the Zapier MCP dashboard.

2. Click +New MCP Server and choose Cursor as the client. You can give your server a name or just go with the default suggestion. Then click Create MCP Server.

3. At the top of the window, click Connect. You can click Add to Cursor to automatically configure Cursor—or follow the instructions for pasting the JSON configuration provided into Cursor.

Step 2: Enable the Create Spreadsheet Row action

1. Return to the Configure tab in the Zapier MCP dashboard. Click Add tool.

2. Search for and enable the Google Sheets: Create Spreadsheet Row (or similar calendar-related) action.

3. Connect your Google Sheets (or other spreadsheet app) account when prompted. Click Add tool.

Step 3: Trigger the Google Sheets action in Cursor

1. Create a new chat in Cursor.

2. Prompt the agent with instructions (for example, "Add the following information to X spreadsheet….")

3. The AI will process the message and call the Create Spreadsheet row action via MCP.

4. Check your Google sheet to confirm the action worked.

Don't build on developer tools? Try Zapier Agents.

Zapier MCP is a lot easier than building your own MCP system from scratch—but it still might feel like a steep climb if you're not particularly tech-savvy. Remember, you can connect Zapier MCP to ChatGPT or Claude without any code. 

But if you want work to happen in the background, there's also Zapier Agents. It's a plug-and-play AI assistant with a simple and beginner-friendly interface—so you can get started without touching a single code snippet.

This article was originally published in April 2025 It was most recently updated in November 2025 by Steph Spector.