Your data.
On your screen.

A quick orientation

Connect once.
Make it yours.

1. 01
   Add a source

   A source is the Sheet or endpoint WidgetWire reads. Paste its link once. One source can power as many widgets as you like.

2. 02
   Choose what to show

   In a widget, tap a field—like Value or Caption—then pick a source, a sheet and a cell. Or just type a value. Lists and charts use rows.

3. 03
   Save and install

   Preview your design in the app, save it, then add the widget through iOS. Nothing is saved until you tap Save.

01 / Google Sheets

From sheet to screen.

You’ll need a Google Sheet that can be read without signing in. WidgetWire reads it; it never edits your spreadsheet.

1. Set up your rows.

   Put a short name at the top of each column in row 1 and one item per row underneath. Avoid merged cells. Download our CSV and import it into a new Sheet using File → Import in Google Sheets on a computer.

   Download example spreadsheet CSV ↓

   On a phone, you can enter the small table below in the Sheets app instead. The full CSV adds Date, Status, Text and Active columns for the other recipes.

2. Choose link access.

   In Google Sheets, open Share → General access, choose Anyone with the link and set the role to Viewer. Copy the link and save the sharing change. On iPhone, look for Manage access if General access isn’t shown.

   Download/export access must also be allowed. Work or school accounts may restrict sharing. Google’s sharing help · Import help

3. Connect in WidgetWire.

   Open Sources, tap + (or Connect if empty), choose Google Sheets, paste the link and tap Connect. No Google sign-in or API key is needed. You don’t pick a tab here: the whole spreadsheet is connected, and you choose a sheet each time you pick a cell.

4. Check what came through.

   Open the saved source. For a one-tab spreadsheet, look under Columns and Data: Name, Value and Percent should appear, with Design and 20 in row 2. A spreadsheet with several tabs shows how many sheets it has instead; you’ll see their cells when you fill a field. Then make your first widget.

02 / JSON endpoints

A URL for your data.

An endpoint is a web address that returns data directly—not a dashboard, a login page or an API documentation page. WidgetWire sends an HTTPS GET request to that address.

1. Get a working endpoint.

   Use your service’s data URL, or host the example JSON below on an HTTPS server. Opening the URL should return JSON. Downloading a file to your phone alone does not create an endpoint.

2. Add it to Sources.

   Tap + → JSON / REST API, paste the Endpoint URL, set Authentication and any HTTP headers your provider needs, then tap Connect. Public endpoints need no credentials.

3. Check the rows, then design.

   Open the saved source and inspect Columns and Data. WidgetWire turns the JSON into a grid: row 1 holds the field names, sorted A to Z, and each object is a row below. With the example below you’ll see Name in column A, Percent in B and Value in C, with 20 in C2. You pick cells from this grid just like a Sheet. Continue to your first widget.

[
  {"Name":"Design","Value":20,"Percent":0},
  {"Name":"Build","Value":40,"Percent":50},
  {"Name":"Review","Value":60,"Percent":100},
  {"Name":"Launch 🚀","Value":80,"Percent":100}
]

Download the complete example JSON ↓

The complete file includes the extra fields needed for every layout recipe. Return a successful HTTP response, ideally with Content-Type: application/json.

https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/todos/1

Optional / Request settings

More than one header? No problem.

Some APIs need a workspace ID, a version header or an extra key alongside Authentication. In the JSON connection form, scroll to HTTP headers → Add header. Add one name and value per row. The keyboard’s Next moves from name to value; Done dismisses it. You can configure up to 16 headers.

Example headers—use the names and values your provider requires.

X-Workspace-ID

Example value: workspace-example
Select your workspace.

X-API-Version

Example value: 2026-09
Request a specific API version.

Accept

Example value: application/json
Response format (already the default).

Bearer Authentication works alongside these headers. Don’t add a second Authorization row when Bearer is selected, or duplicate the named header used by Authentication. Header names are case-insensitive. iOS manages transport headers such as Host and Content-Length; WidgetWire explains if a name conflicts.

03 / Your first connected widget

Let’s see that 20.

Use the four-row spreadsheet or JSON example above. The smaller public demo is different: pick the cell under id there to see 1.

1. Start with Stat.

   Open Widgets, tap + and choose Stat. It opens in the editor at Medium size; tap Small under the preview if you’d like it smaller.

2. Tap the Value field.

   In the editor’s Data tab, under What to show, tap Value. Choose your saved source under Where does it come from? You don’t need to paste its link again.

3. Pick the sheet, then the cell.

   If your spreadsheet has more than one tab, choose the sheet first. Then tap the cell holding 20 in the grid and tap Use. In the example Sheet, that’s B2. In the example JSON, it’s the cell under Value in row 2.

4. Check the result.

   The preview should show 20. Want a whole column instead? Tap Value again and tap the column letter at the top of the grid. For Value, Stat then shows the column’s average: 50, from 20, 40, 60 and 80.

5. Save, then add it to your screen.

   Tap Review & Save, then Save Widget. Nothing is saved before this, and Cancel asks before throwing changes away. On your Home Screen, touch and hold an empty area, choose Edit → Add Widget, find WidgetWire and choose the matching size. When iOS asks which Widget to show, choose your saved design. To switch designs later, touch and hold the widget and choose Edit Widget.

See Apple’s installation guide for system-specific help. When you edit a saved widget later, tap Save to update your screen.

A widget reads one source. If you pick a cell from a different source, WidgetWire asks first, then clears the fields that used the old one. Typed values stay.

04 / Pick your next idea

A recipe for every layout.

These recipes use the example spreadsheet: Name in column A, Value in B, Percent in C, Date in D, Status in E and Text in F, with data in rows 2 to 5. Read “Value → B2” as “tap the Value field, then cell B2.” Open just the layouts you need.

Keep the data predictable.

Ready-made background templates start with editable personal content; no connection or layout JSON is required. Basic layout previews show examples until you add your values. Required fields must be filled before saving; captions and bylines marked Optional can stay empty.

Cells stay put

A picked cell is read by its address, like B2. If you insert, delete or sort rows or columns, that address may now hold something else. Tap the field and pick it again.

Ranges side by side

A range’s columns fill a row’s fields in order, so put them next to each other: label first, then value. JSON fields are sorted A to Z, so in the example JSON Name and Value aren’t neighbours. Use Add row and pick each cell, or reorder your data.

Percentages

Use 0–100, not 0–1. Values like 50% work too. Percentage-formatted Google Sheets cells export the displayed percentage.

Numbers

Use plain numbers for charts. Avoid mixed units, text and a totals row inside a range.

Dates

Prefer YYYY-MM-DD. Dates use the device calendar and time zone; past dates are ignored by upcoming-event layouts.

Column names

They matter when you tap a column letter for a single field: that choice follows the name in row 1, which is case-sensitive. Renaming the header breaks it.

05 / More control, when you want it

Data JSON ≠ template JSON.

Data JSON supplies the values. Add its URL in Sources. Template JSON describes the design. In Widgets, tap + and choose Custom, then Edit JSON template. Keep the two separate.

1. Start with a small template.

   Paste the example below in the template editor and tap Done. It displays your Value and Caption fields.

2. Fill the fields separately.

   Back in the Data tab, tap Value, pick your saved source and cell B2 to show 20. Or tap the column letter B for the average, 50. Optionally type a Caption or pick a cell for it.

3. Preview and save.

   Choose a size that suits your layout, inspect the preview, then Save Widget. The in-app Reference lists the supported building blocks.

{
  "padding": 18,
  "root": {
    "type": "vstack",
    "align": "leading",
    "spacing": 8,
    "children": [
      {"type":"text","text":"{{value}}","size":36},
      {"type":"text","text":"{{caption}}","size":14}
    ]
  }
}

Download all-components template JSON ↓

The larger example is designed for Large or Full Screen. It includes all 11 building blocks: vstack, hstack, zstack, text, spacer, divider, bar, ring, symbol, rect and rows.

06 / Know what to expect

Fresh, at iOS’s pace.

After changing your Sheet or endpoint, open Sources → your connection and tap the circular-arrow button (Refresh source). Check Last sync and, for a one-tab source, the Data preview first. Then check your widget. A refresh also re-reads every other tab your widgets pick cells from.

In a connected widget’s Data tab, Refresh → Every sets how often you’d like new data: 15 minutes, 1 hour, 6 hours or 1 day. iOS manages refresh timing, so treat this as a wish, not a schedule.

200 data rows

WidgetWire stores the first 200 and reports the full response row count. Calculations use only the stored rows. For a total across thousands of records, return a small pre-aggregated summary.

Short request budgets

App connections have a 20-second timeout per request; installed-widget refreshes use up to 15 seconds per request. A Sheet may need extra metadata requests. Keep responses small and respect your provider’s rate limits.

Fewer rows on screen

List, Bars and Leaderboard show up to 3 in Small, 4 in Medium, 8 in Large and 12 in Full Screen. They can calculate from more rows than fit on screen.

The same data, different sizes

Connections work across supported Home Screen and Lock Screen layouts. Full Screen authoring uses them too; native placement requires iOS 27 and a compatible WidgetWire build.

07 / Find the step that needs attention

Back on track.

First check the source in Sources. If the data is wrong there, fix the connection. If it’s right there but wrong in the editor, tap each field and check which cell or rows it uses. If the editor is right but the Home Screen is stale, make sure you tapped Save, check the selected saved design and allow iOS time to refresh.

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