Readability Score in Google Sheets
Formula
Score readability by the row. =VERVE("readabilityscore", A2) returns grade level and target audience down a column — Sheets or Excel.
=VERVE("readabilityscore", A2)=VERVE.CALL("readabilityscore", A2)A2 holds the text you're looking up. Drag the formula down and each row resolves on its own.
With literal values
Nothing has to come from a cell — typed values work the same way.
=VERVE("readabilityscore", "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. This sentence contains every letter of the alphabet.")Inputs
Required inputs are positional, in the order below. Everything else is passed as a "name", value pair after them — the same shape as SUMIFS.
| Input | Type | Where it goes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
textRequired | string | argument 2 | The text to calculate the readability score of (e.g. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. This sentence contains every letter of the alphabet.) |
What lands in your sheet
With no "field" pair the formula spills the whole response as two columns — field name on the left, value on the right — starting at the cell you typed in. Make sure the cells below and to the right are empty.
Pulling one value
Add a "field" pair to get a single cell back instead of a table. The field name is the dot-path from the table below.
=VERVE("readabilityscore", A2, "field", "targetAudience")=VERVE.CALL("readabilityscore", A2, "field", "targetAudience")Available fields
| Use as "field" | Type | Example cell value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
textCounts | object | {…} | |
textCounts.syllableCount | number | 82 | |
textCounts.lexiconCount | number | 49 | |
textCounts.sentenceCount | number | 1 | |
readability | object | {…} | |
readability.fleschReadingEase | number | 13.28 | |
readability.fleschKincaidGrade | number | 23.6 | |
readability.gunningFog | number | 26.95 | |
readability.colemanLiauIndex | number | 13.19 | |
readability.smogIndex | number | 22.08 | |
readability.automatedReadabilityIndex | number | 27.8 | |
readability.daleChallReadabilityScore | number | 17 | |
readabilityText | object | {…} | |
readabilityText.fleschReadingEase | string | very confusing | |
readabilityText.daleChallReadabilityScore | string | average 13th to 15th-grade (college) student | |
averageGradeLevel | number | 22.7 | Average grade level from all metrics |
targetAudience | string | post-graduate | Suggested target audience based on readability |
Filling a whole column
Hand the first argument a range instead of a cell and the add-in makes one batched call for the lot, then spills the answers down. That is faster than dragging the formula and costs the same credits — one per row looked up.
=VERVE("readabilityscore", A2:A100, "field", "targetAudience")=VERVE.CALL("readabilityscore", A2:A100, "field", "targetAudience")A2:A100 is the column of text values. The result spills down alongside it, one row per input, blanks skipped.
When a cell doesn't fill
A failed lookup returns readable text starting with #ERR rather than a spreadsheet error, because Excel cannot show a custom message on a real error — you would get a bare #VALUE! with no reason. The trade-off is that IFERROR() won't catch it; test with LEFT(cell, 4) = "#ERR" instead.
| Cell reads | What happened |
|---|---|
#ERR Not connected | No API key saved. Open the side panel and connect your account. |
#ERR Replace <name> with a cell or value | The preview formula was copied as-is. Swap the placeholder for a cell reference. |
#ERR No "x" in readabilityscore | An option name that this source doesn't take. The message lists the ones it does. |
#ERR No data point "…" | The "field" path isn't in the response. Check the dot-path against the table above. |
#PREMIUM(field) | The field exists but your plan doesn't include it. |
#ERR Out of credits | The month's credits are spent. Usage resets on your billing date. |
Before the formula works
The add-in reads the API key you saved once in the side panel — the key never goes in the formula, so a shared sheet doesn't leak it and a collaborator without access simply sees the last calculated values.
- Install the add-in for Google Sheets or Excel.
- Open the side panel and sign in, or paste a key from your dashboard.
- Type the formula above into any cell.
Other ways to use Readability Score in Google Sheets
Set up Readability Score in Google Sheets on VerveSheets, or reach the same source a different way. Your VerveSheets account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.
Frequently asked questions
Does Readability Score in Google Sheets work in both Google Sheets and Excel?
Yes — the same source, the same arguments. Sheets calls it =VERVE("readabilityscore", …) and Excel calls it =VERVE.CALL("readabilityscore", …); that function name is the only difference.
Do the cells recalculate on their own?
They recalculate when the sheet does — on edit, on open, or on a manual recalc. Each recalculation is a fresh call and spends credits, so for a large static column it's worth copying the results and pasting them as values.
How many credits does a filled column cost?
1 credit per row looked up, whether you drag the formula or pass a range. The range form is one HTTP call instead of many, but the credit count is the same.
Can I share the sheet without sharing my key?
Yes. The key is stored against your account, not in the file. Collaborators see the values already in the cells; formulas only recalculate for someone who has connected their own account.
Why is a cell showing #ERR instead of an error?
So you can read the reason. Excel can't display a custom message on a real spreadsheet error, so the add-in returns the explanation as text on both platforms instead.