Interpretation of the Google Visualization Program Policy

[John Billiard]

Hi,

I am new to the Google Visualization API but find it very useful so far. I stumbled across this group after reading the FAQ on the Google Chart / Visualization page.

I am interested in using the Google Visualization API (gviz/tq) to query data from Google Sheets. I have a Google Sheets add-on (publically available) which I would like to extend it by creating a dashboard of data for my customers. I will be making authorized http get requests (on the server side) to obtain user's spreadsheet data before presenting it back to them.

I have two questions:

1. When reading through the FAQ page, I was intrigued by following two questions under the heading 'Google Visualization Program Policy':

Q: Is the Google Visualization API available for commercial use?

A: Yes. For the fine print please refer to the Google Visualization API Terms of Service.

Q: Can I use the Google Visualization API to create client-side software?

A: Currently we do not allow developers to use the Visualization API to create client-side software. You may only use the Visualization API through the interface provided. For the fine print please refer to the Google Visualization API Terms of Service.

The first sentence of the second question concerns me. What is your interpretation of 'create client-side software'? Do you think using this to create dashboards (charts / tables) of user's data in a commercial manner would breach this? The first question and the second sentence of the second question makes me believe I wouldn't be in breach, but I am really unsure who they are preventing from using the API when they say developers creating client-side software.

2.  Is there any quota on the Visualization API? Or, does this use Sheets API quotas?

Many thanks in advance

John 

[Jon Orwant]

What you are describing would not be in breach. I agree that our Terms of Service is confusingly worded. The intent is simply to ensure that use of our charts goes through our API, regardless of where that use comes from or whether the use is commercial or not.

 

2.  Is there any quota on the Visualization API? Or, does this use Sheets API quotas?

There is no explicit quota for the Visualization API; we simply throttle when usage is excessive. What constitutes "excessive" is determined dynamically, but realistically won't apply to any small or medium-sized enterprise.

If you are querying from Google Sheets, you'd have to ask them to learn more about how they moderate usage. But my guess would be that whatever you're planning is fine.

Jon

 

Many thanks in advance

John 

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[John Billiard]

Many thanks Jon, for the super fast response. It is greatly appreciated.

I look forward to using the API.

Thanks again.

On Friday, June 1, 2018 at 1:59:20 PM UTC+10, orw...@google.com wrote:

On Thu, May 31, 2018 at 11:02 PM, John Billiard <cafr...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi,

I am new to the Google Visualization API but find it very useful so far. I stumbled across this group after reading the FAQ on the Google Chart / Visualization page.

I am interested in using the Google Visualization API (gviz/tq) to query data from Google Sheets. I have a Google Sheets add-on (publically available) which I would like to extend it by creating a dashboard of data for my customers. I will be making authorized http get requests (on the server side) to obtain user's spreadsheet data before presenting it back to them.

I have two questions:

1. When reading through the FAQ page, I was intrigued by following two questions under the heading 'Google Visualization Program Policy':

Q: Is the Google Visualization API available for commercial use?

A: Yes. For the fine print please refer to the Google Visualization API Terms of Service.

Q: Can I use the Google Visualization API to create client-side software?

A: Currently we do not allow developers to use the Visualization API to create client-side software. You may only use the Visualization API through the interface provided. For the fine print please refer to the Google Visualization API Terms of Service.

The first sentence of the second question concerns me. What is your interpretation of 'create client-side software'? Do you think using this to create dashboards (charts / tables) of user's data in a commercial manner would breach this? The first question and the second sentence of the second question makes me believe I wouldn't be in breach, but I am really unsure who they are preventing from using the API when they say developers creating client-side software.

What you are describing would not be in breach. I agree that our Terms of Service is confusingly worded. The intent is simply to ensure that use of our charts goes through our API, regardless of where that use comes from or whether the use is commercial or not.

 

2.  Is there any quota on the Visualization API? Or, does this use Sheets API quotas?

There is no explicit quota for the Visualization API; we simply throttle when usage is excessive. What constitutes "excessive" is determined dynamically, but realistically won't apply to any small or medium-sized enterprise.

If you are querying from Google Sheets, you'd have to ask them to learn more about how they moderate usage. But my guess would be that whatever you're planning is fine.

Jon

 

Many thanks in advance

John 

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