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Import MapBox Directions Data to Google Sheets

Last Updated On
byAna
< Knowledge Base

CONTENTS

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Click here to install the API Connector add-on from the Google Marketplace.

PART 1: GET YOUR MAPBOX API TOKEN

The MapBox Navigation service contains a directions API that shows you how to reach your destination. Although this API is made to pull a route on the map, a route can be pulled into the sheets giving the coordinates and geometry columns. This API can be used for:

  • calculation of optimal routes for driving, walking, and cycling
  • turn-by-turn instructions
  1. To start using the MapBox API, we will need to register on the MapBox site. After email confirmation, you will be directed to this page which contains a default public token. However, we would need to make a personal one. Click on the button Create a token.

Name your token and select all the scopes, and then save it.

Now you get your token, that you will need to run your requests!

PART 2: CREATE YOUR API REQUEST URL

To create API requests, we will use some examples provided in the MapBox Directions API documentation.

  • API root: https://api.mapbox.com/directions/v5/
  • Profiles:
    • mapbox/driving-traffic
    • mapbox/driving
    • mapbox/walking
    • mapbox/cycling

To retrieve directions you should use following API link:

GET https://api.mapbox.com/directions/v5/{profile}/{coordinates}?access_token=YOUR-TOKEN

Please note: In order to retrieve directions you must specify at least two waypoints as starting and ending points.

PART 3: PULL MAPBOX API DATA INTO GOOGLE SHEETS

Now, let's find a route between two points! In this example, we will pull a cycling route between two endpoints (-122.42, 37.78) and (-77.03, 38.91).

  1. Open up Google Sheets and click Add-ons > API Connector > Open.
  2. In the Create tab, enter the API URL constructed like this:
https://api.mapbox.com/directions/v5/mapbox/cycling/-122.42,37.78;-77.03,38.91?access_token=ENTER-YOUR-TOKEN
mapbox-img2

3. Now create a new tab, give it a name and click Set current to use that tab as your data destination.

4. Give a name to your request and click run!

5. And now you should be able to see the pulled data!

mapbox-img4

PART 4: MORE EXAMPLE API URLS

We encourage you to go through the provided documentation and explore more ways to pull the data, using optional parameters.

  • Request to access speed limit information using the max speed annotation between 3 passed pair of coordinates using the driving profile:
https://api.mapbox.com/directions/v5/mapbox/driving/-122.39636,37.79129;-122.39732,37.79283;-122.39606,37.79349?annotations=maxspeed&overview=full&geometries=geojson&access_token=YOUR-API-TOKEN
  • Request a walking route between two locations:
https://api.mapbox.com/directions/v5/mapbox/walking/-122.42,37.78;-122.92,37.18?access_token=YOUR-API-TOKEN
  • Request directions with radiuses and a polyline response through multiple waypoints:
https://api.mapbox.com/directions/v5/mapbox/driving/13.43,52.51;13.42,52.5;13.41,52.5?radiuses=40;;100&geometries=polyline6&access_token=YOUR-API-TOKEN
  • Request a route that approaches the destination on the curb of the driving side:
https://api.mapbox.com/directions/v5/mapbox/driving/13.43,52.51;13.43,52.5?approaches=unrestricted;curb&access_token=YOUR-API-TOKEN
  • Specify a departure time:
https://api.mapbox.com/directions/v5/mapbox/driving/-122.396112,37.791399;-122.433904,37.757812?access_token=YOUR-API-TOKEN&depart_at=2021-05-05T15:00
  • Specify waypoints:
https://api.mapbox.com/directions/v5/mapbox/driving/13.43,52.51;13.42,52.5;13.43,52.5?waypoints=0;2&access_token=YOUR-API-TOKEN

PART 5: LIMITATIONS

  • Requests using the driving, walking, and cycling profiles can specify up to 25 total waypoints along the route.
  • Requests using the driving-traffic profile can specify up to 3 waypoints along the route.
  • Maximum 300 requests per minute.
  • Maximum total of 10,000 kilometers between all waypoints.

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