Why does LiveFlow overwrite the formatting of my report when I refresh it?

We sometimes overwrite your formatting to provide consistency and reliability in how your reports are displayed and refreshed.

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Which formatting does LiveFlow overwrite?

Cell values

If you make changes to a cell in Google Sheets after importing your report, then we will overwrite that change the next time you refresh your report.

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Number formats

If you make changes to the number format of any cell in your report, then we will overwrite that change the next time you refresh your report.

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Alternating row colors

If you make changes to the background color of any cell in the report, then that change may conflict with the alternating rows rule that we maintain.

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Conditional formatting

If you make changes to the conditional formatting we apply (i.e. by red negative numbers), then that might revert back to its initial stage when you refresh.

You can fix this by creating a separate Google Sheet tab, and use formulas to bring in your data. If you do that, all the conditional formatting you create will remain in place when you refresh.

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Text alignment

If you make changes to the horizontal or vertical alignment in cells, then we will overwrite those changes the next time you refresh your report.

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Font weight

If you toggle a cell in your report from bold to not-bold, or vice-versa, then we will overwrite that change the next time you refresh your report.

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Text color

If you change the color of the text in a cell, then we will overwrite that change the next time you refresh your report.

We are exploring avenues without controlling text color so tightly, but for now the guidance still applies

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Borders

If you change the borders of any cell in the report, then we will overwrite that change the next time you refresh your report.

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Which formatting remains in place?

• You’re free to insert new rows and new columns wherever you like in your reports. We’ll never change the contents or formatting of these new rows and columns you create, so you can use them however you like.
• You’re free to reference cells in your report using formulas elsewhere in your spreadsheet, and those references won’t break, even if we insert new rows or columns during refresh.

However, if a referenced row or column is deleted as part of a refresh operation, there isn’t anything we can do to save those references.

💬 If you encounter any circumstances where the above doesn’t hold true, please reach out to us, and we’ll do our best to address the problem as soon as possible.

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Consistency

When we talk about consistency, we mean that, in order for us to ensure legibility and correctness, there are certain properties of each cell in a report over which we must maintain tight control.

We need to set all of the properties in each cell when we first import a report, and we then need to re-set them every time we refresh.

💬 If our overwriting of formatting in your report is creating a problem for you, please reach out to us. We’ll do our best to help you find a solution.