Validate SEO in Google Sheets
Formula
Audit pages by the row. =VERVE("seovalidator", A2) returns the issue count and a list of SEO problems for each URL — Google Sheets or Excel.
=VERVE("seovalidator", A2)=VERVE.CALL("seovalidator", A2)A2 holds the url 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("seovalidator", "https://www.example.com")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 |
|---|---|---|---|
urlRequired | string | argument 2 | The URL of the web page to validate the SEO metrics of (e.g. https://www.example.com) |
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("seovalidator", A2, "field", "url")=VERVE.CALL("seovalidator", A2, "field", "url")Available fields
#PREMIUM(field) rather than a value, so a locked field never looks like a real answer.| Use as "field" | Type | Example cell value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
url | string | https://apiverve.com | The validated URL that was analyzed for SEO issues |
passed | boolean | false | Whether the URL passed all SEO validation checks |
issueCount | number | 6 | Total number of SEO issues found on the page |
issues | array | ["Image missing 'alt' attribute: '/assets/img/hero-diagram.png'","Image missing 'alt' attribute: '/assets/img/logo-mark.svg'","External link missing 'rel' attribute: 'https://twitter.com/apiverve'"] | Array of SEO issues found (missing alt tags, missing meta tags, multiple H1s, etc.) |
checks | object | {…} | Structured per-rule breakdown of the on-page SEO signals behind the issue list, exposed as booleans, counts and lengths |
checks.hasTitle | boolean | true | Whether the page has a non-empty <title> tag in the head |
checks.titleLength | number | 54 | Character length of the title (null when absent); ~50-60 characters is the common recommendation |
checks.hasMetaDescription | boolean | true | Whether the page has a meta description tag |
checks.metaDescriptionLength | number | 158 | Character length of the meta description (null when absent); ~150-160 characters is the common recommendation |
checks.hasMetaKeywords | boolean | false | Whether a meta keywords tag is present (largely deprecated for ranking) |
checks.h1Count | number | 1 | Number of H1 tags on the page; exactly one is recommended |
checks.hasCanonical | boolean | true | Whether the page declares a canonical link tag |
checks.hasViewport | boolean | true | Whether the page declares a mobile viewport meta tag |
checks.imagesTotal | number | 8 | Total number of <img> elements on the page |
checks.imagesMissingAlt | number | 2 | Number of images missing an alt attribute |
checks.externalLinksTotal | number | 10 | Total number of external (http/https) links on the page |
checks.externalLinksMissingRel | number | 3 | Number of external links missing a rel attribute |
seoScorePremium | number | 93 | Composite 0-100 on-page SEO health score, weighted by real ranking impact (title, meta description and H1 weigh most; image-alt and link-rel penalties scale with the proportion of elements affected). Higher is better |
gradePremium | string | A | Letter grade derived from the score: A (90+), B (80+), C (70+), D (60+) or F |
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("seovalidator", A2:A100, "field", "url")=VERVE.CALL("seovalidator", A2:A100, "field", "url")A2:A100 is the column of url 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 seovalidator | 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 Validate SEO in Google Sheets
Set up Validate SEO 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 Validate SEO in Google Sheets work in both Google Sheets and Excel?
Yes — the same source, the same arguments. Sheets calls it =VERVE("seovalidator", …) and Excel calls it =VERVE.CALL("seovalidator", …); 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?
5 credits 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.