Write protection prevents data from being written to another source, whether from Cube to your source system or your spreadsheet to Cube. Using the Spreadsheet App, you can adjust fetch or publish permissions—as well as enable settings like Auto add child dimensions, which automatically includes any missing child/descendent dimensions when working with your ranges. These controls can be applied to specific ranges or the entire workbook, allowing you to tailor how data flows and expands within your spreadsheet.
Using the steps below, you can edit permissions anytime for a specific range or the entire workbook. Consider setting permissions when you use multiple ranges or templates.
Note: You must have an existing range in this spreadsheet to set permissions. Learn more about building a new range.
Update range or workbook permissions
1. In your Spreadsheet App, select the range or workbook you want to edit permissions for from the dropdown. Then click the edit range icon.
Allow Fetching Data
This setting controls how data previously published to Cube is fetched into a workbook. If unchecked, data cannot be fetched from Cube by anyone using this range or workbook.
Toggling this setting off also disables the Analyze section of the Spreadsheet App, which contains the Drilldown and Validate tools. If you need to search for unknown errors or drill into your data, wait to toggle it off after performing your necessary actions.
Allow Publishing Data
This setting controls the data you want to take from your sheet or workbook and publish to Cube. If unchecked, data cannot be published from your sheet into Cube by anyone using this range or workbook.
If publishing has been restricted for a range or workbook, the Spreadsheet App will display a notice in the Publish section, and the Publish Data button won't be useable.
To enable data publishing from this notice, click the "Enable publishing on this range" link to be redirected to the permissions panel for the range.
Enable Automatic Child Row Updates
This setting automatically adds any missing child/descendent dimensions to your range when they exist in Cube but aren’t yet reflected in your spreadsheet. When enabled, new children/descendents added in Cube—such as new departments, products, accounts, or any other child members—will appear in your range the next time it refreshes.
Turning this on helps you:
• Keep your ranges up to date without manually inserting new rows
• Ensure complete data coverage when fetching or publishing
• Prevent visual tie-out errors caused by missing child members
• Reduce the time spent maintaining templates, especially those used across teams
If a range is fetched while this setting is enabled, the Spreadsheet App will insert any missing children automatically and expand the range as needed.