1 request means 1 URL successfully fetched by the ImportFromWeb function, no matter the number of data points collected.
The function counts a request when it manages to fetch content from a source page.
Let’s say that your function is =IMPORTFROMWEB( "https://example.com/", "title" )
Loading the content from https://example.com/ will count as one request.
The source code of the page is cached by default for 24 hours. Therefore, until the cache expires, using the same url in other IMPORTFROMWEB functions will retrieve the cached source code and these operations will not be counted as new requests.
After executing the previous example, you can run
=IMPORTFROMWEB( "https://example.com/", "h1" )without using another request
IMPORTFROMWEB functions accept up to 50 urls. If you load several pages in one function, each page newly loaded will count as a request:
Let’s say you have 10 URLs in A1:A10, running
=IMPORTFROMWEB(A1:A10, "title")will count 10 requests
How are failed requests counted?
If fetching the page content fails or if there is no element on the page that matches the selectors, no request will be counted.
Can I choose to update at anytime?
You can run your formulas again in order to fetch the freshest data. From the sidebar go to monitor tab and select “Run” after choosing the right scope.
From the Premium plan data can be updated periodically in the background so you will see fresh data when you load your spreadsheet.
What happens when the cache expires
By default, data is cached for 24 hours. This duration can be changed in Premium and High Volume plans.
When the time is over, a new recalculation of the functions will load the data sources again.
Bear in mind that functions recalculations are managed by Google Sheets and may occur randomly.
To ensure a better control on data fetching, you can use automated triggers.