Google Sheets API: How to find a row by value and update it’s content

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I have exactly the same issue, and it seems that so far (March 2018) Sheets v4 API does not allow to search by value, returning cell address. The solution I found somewhere here on StackOverflow is to use a formula. The formula can be created in an arbitrary sheet each time you want to find the address by value, then you erase the formula. If you do not want to delete the formula every time, you many prefer to create in a safer place, like a hidden worksheet.

  1. Create hidden worksheet LOOKUP_SHEET (spreadsheetId is your spreadsheet ID):

POST https://sheets.googleapis.com/v4/spreadsheets/spreadsheetId:batchUpdate

{
 "requests": [
  {
   "addSheet": {
    "properties": {
     "hidden": true,
     "title": "LOOKUP_SHEET"
    }
   }
  }
 ]
}
  1. Create a formula in the A1 cell of the hidden worksheet that searches for “Search value” in MySheet1 sheet, and get back the row:

PUT https://sheets.googleapis.com/v4/spreadsheets/spreadsheetId/values/LOOKUP_SHEET!A1?includeValuesInResponse=true&responseValueRenderOption=UNFORMATTED_VALUE&valueInputOption=USER_ENTERED&fields=updatedData

{
 "range": "LOOKUP_SHEET!A1",
 "values": [
  [
   "=MATCH("Search value", MySheet1!A:A, 0)"
  ]
 ]
}

The response will look like this:

{
 "updatedData": {
  "range": "LOOKUP_SHEET!A1",
  "majorDimension": "ROWS",
  "values": [
   [
    3
   ]
  ]
 }
}

By default, major dimension is ROWS. MATCH() returns relative row within column A, if no row IDs are provided then this position is effectively absolute. Or, you may want to use a more reliable call like =ROW(INDIRECT(ADDRESS(MATCH(“Search value”,A:A,0),1))). If the sheet has spaces in it, enclose it in single quotes. If you are searching for number, make sure you do not enclose it in quotes.

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