How can I batch Active Campaign tag updates in Google Sheets to avoid quota errors?

Below is a suggested solution you can try to address the quota exceeded error:

Use Batching Instead of Sending All Rows at Once

Google Sheets enforces per-minute quotas (e.g. for read or write requests). Sending 360 rows simultaneously is too much and causes the API to reject additional requests. Instead of sending every row in one go, you can split your 360 tags into smaller batches. Here’s how:

1. Split Data into Batches
   Use the Split In Batches (or Loop Over Items) node in n8n. This node allows you to process a smaller group (or even a single item) at a time. For example, instead of sending 360 rows at once, send batches of 50 or 100 rows.

2. Add a Delay Between Batches
   Following the split node, add a Wait node that pauses between sending requests. This ensures you don’t exceed the rate limit by spacing out your batch requests. Adjust the wait time so that the overall number of requests per minute stays within your API quota.

3. Option: Use HTTP Request Node with Batch-Limit
   Alternatively, you could bypass the Google Sheets node and use the HTTP Request node with a built-in batch-limit option against the OpenAI API (or Sheets API). This method lets you control the size and frequency of your API calls.

Example Workflow Outline

JSONCopied
{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "name": "Manual Trigger",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [300, 200]
    },
    {
      "name": "Split In Batches",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.splitInBatches",
      "typeVersion": 3,
      "position": [500, 200],
      "parameters": {
        "batchSize": 50
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Google Sheets",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.googlesheets",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [700, 200],
      "parameters": {
        // your configuration to update the sheet rows
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Wait",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.wait",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [900, 200],
      "parameters": {
        "unit": "seconds",
        "time": 2  // adjust the wait duration as needed
      }
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Manual Trigger": {
      "main": [{ "node": "Split In Batches", "type": "main", "index": 0 }]
    },
    "Split In Batches": {
      "main": [
        [
          { "node": "Google Sheets", "type": "main", "index": 0 }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Google Sheets": {
      "main": [
        [
          { "node": "Wait", "type": "main", "index": 0 }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Wait": {
      "main": [
        [
          { "node": "Split In Batches", "type": "main", "index": 0 }
        ]
      ]
    }
  }
}

Summary

• Divide your data: Process a small number of tags in each API call by splitting your 360 tags into batches.
• Rate limit: Insert a delay between batches with a Wait node to avoid hitting the Google Sheets API quota.
• Alternate approach: Consider using the HTTP Request node with built-in batch handling to simplify rate-limiting if needed.

By applying these changes, your automation should stay within the API quotas and process the tags incrementally without overloading Google Sheets.

Below is a summary of the issue and some approaches to overcome it.

Issue Overview

• Automation Goal: Retrieve all Active Campaign tags (tag name and count) and update a Google Sheet every minute.

• Current Problem: With around 360 tags (and growing), sending all rows to Google Sheets causes the Sheets API to exceed its per-minute quota. Google Sheets returns an error such as:

  The service is receiving too many requests from you! Perhaps take a break?
  

  or

  Quota exceeded for quota metric ‘Read requests’...
  

• Why It Happens: Even though a Wait is added before the Google Sheets node, the Wait node does not batch or serialize the rows. Instead, it simply delays execution, which means that 360 rows are still sent "at once" and Google Sheets can't process that many simultaneous requests.

Potential Solutions

1. Batch the Data with SplitInBatches Node:

   • How it Helps: Instead of sending all 360 rows in one go, split the data into smaller chunks (for example, batches of 30 or 50 rows). This way, each batch makes fewer API calls in succession.
   • Workflow Change: Insert a SplitInBatches node (or similar logic) before your Google Sheets node. Then, after processing a batch, add a small Wait (e.g., 5–10 seconds) between batches to ensure you stay under the quota limits.

   Example Concept:

   JAVASCRIPTCopied
   // Pseudocode for batch splitting in n8n-like logic:
   1. Retrieve all 360 tags.
   2. Use SplitInBatches to divide the dataset (e.g., 30 per batch).
   3. For each batch:
       - Wait for a predefined interval (e.g., Wait node for 5 seconds).
       - Send batch update to Google Sheets.

2. Increase Your Quota (if possible):

   • How it Helps: If you expect the number of tags to grow further and require faster processing, consider increasing your Google Sheets API quota through the Google Cloud Console.
   • Caveat: This might require a review of your API usage patterns and Google may enforce additional billing or rate limit policies.

3. Review and Optimize API Usage:

   • How it Helps: If your workflow is inadvertently triggering multiple read requests (one per row), you might want to optimize:
     • Bulk Write: Use Google Sheets API features to write multiple rows in a single request.
     • Caching: Only update rows that have changed rather than re-sending all data every minute.

Conclusion

The error is due to sending all 360 tag updates in a mass, causing an API rate limit to be exceeded. By batching your requests using logic such as the SplitInBatches node along with introducing a delay between each batch, you'll keep each request group within the Google Sheets API monthly quota limits. Alternatively, check if you can increase your quota if batching is not sufficient.

Implementing batching is the recommended approach since it directly addresses how many rows are updated per API call.