Sheet-connected pipelines

Build-along · ~12 min at your own keyboard

The pipeline pattern: a workflow gathers or computes, and its last step writes rows into a sheet (via API or file). The sheet stays the interface your business already knows; the filling becomes invisible. Perfect for a lead tracker that fills itself.

Your starter: Trial-balance exceptions pipeline

Workflow steps

Make it yours: Name your general-ledger export format and its columns, set the variance that counts as an exception for your clients, and decide the one reason a line gets flagged for a person on sight.

TRIAL BALANCE: [entity code], export at [path], period [month]

1. Read the export. Keep the columns: account number, account name, prior period, current period, change.
2. Confirm nothing identifiable goes in: the entity is its code, and any customer or vendor name in an account title is replaced before step 3.
3. Flag exceptions: change above [threshold] or [percent], a balance with the wrong sign, a suspense or clearing account that is not zero, a new account with no prior period.
4. For each flag write a line: account, prior, current, change, and the one question the bookkeeper has to answer.
5. Write to [sheet], tab '[entity code]-[month]'. No column gets a value the export did not have.

Do not propose a journal entry. Do not explain a variance. Do not touch a figure.

The coach checks that what you paste back is your own work. The starter pasted back unchanged won't pass.

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Paste your pipeline description, two-run results, and the threshold rule.