BlogHow-To

Geocode by Awesome Table Not Working? Why It's Down and How to Fix Your Workflow Today

10 June 2026·6 min read

If you're searching 'geocode by awesome table not working', here's the short answer: the add-on appears abandoned. Its Google Workspace Marketplace listing shows a last update of April 1, 2024, over two years ago, and recent Marketplace reviews report geocoding failing partway through or not running at all, with errors like 'ScriptError: Service error: Google Maps' and no visible response from the developer. With 1M+ installs, you're one of a lot of people hitting this wall this week.

That means the usual troubleshooting loop, clearing permissions, copying your data to a fresh sheet, reformatting address columns, is mostly wasted time. This post gives you the 2-minute sanity checks worth doing anyway, then the fastest way to get your addresses geocoded today, and a durable replacement so you're not back here next quarter.

TL;DR
  • If Geocode by Awesome Table is not working for you, it's almost certainly not your sheet, your permissions, or your data — the add-on was last updated April 1, 2024, and recent Marketplace reviews report errors like 'ScriptError: Service error: Google Maps' with no developer response.
  • Spend 2 minutes on the quick checks anyway: re-authorize, reinstall, and confirm you haven't hit the 1,000-addresses-per-day quota. If those don't fix it, stop troubleshooting — the problem isn't on your end.
  • Fastest fix: paste your addresses into the free InstaMaps web geocoder — up to 100 at a time, returns lat/lng plus formatted address, copy back to your sheet or download a CSV. No install, no signup for the first run.
  • Durable fix: the free InstaMaps Google Sheets add-on geocodes directly from your sheet and maps the results. No API key, AI detects your address columns, and it only accesses the spreadsheet it's installed on.
  • If you specifically need =GEOCODE()-style spreadsheet formulas, Geosheets ($19.99/month) is the formula-native option — paid, but maintained.
  • Don't rebuild on another free add-on without checking its last-updated date first. That's how you ended up here.

Why Geocode by Awesome Table Is Not Working (It's Not You)

Geocode by Awesome Table was a genuinely good free tool, that's how it accumulated over a million installs. But Awesome Table's business is its data-app platform, not its free Sheets add-ons, and the geocoder hasn't shipped an update since April 1, 2024 according to its Marketplace listing.

Apps Script add-ons don't age gracefully. They depend on Google services and authorization scopes that change underneath them, and when nobody is maintaining the code, failures show up as cryptic script errors rather than a clean 'this tool is retired' message. Recent Marketplace reviews report exactly that pattern: geocoding stops midway, throws 'ScriptError: Service error: Google Maps', or the sidebar simply never processes anything.

The practical takeaway: if the add-on loads but won't geocode, there is no setting on your end that fixes abandoned code. Do the quick checks below to rule out the two fixable causes, then move your workflow.

Quick Checks Before You Give Up (2 Minutes, Max)

Two failure modes are on your end and worth ruling out. Don't spend more than a couple of minutes here.

  1. Check the daily quota first. The add-on caps geocoding at roughly 1,000 addresses per day per Google account. If it worked this morning and died mid-list this afternoon, you've likely hit the cap, it resets after 24 hours. (Awesome Table's own FAQ documents this limit.)

  2. Re-authorize the add-on. In your sheet: Extensions → Geocode by Awesome Table → if you get a permissions prompt, complete it. Stale OAuth grants occasionally break Apps Script add-ons after a Google account security change.

  3. Reinstall clean. Remove the add-on from your Google account (Manage your Google Account → Security → Third-party apps), then reinstall from the Marketplace and try again on a 5-row test sheet.

  4. Check your locale if you're getting mangled numbers like '340736204' instead of '34.0736204'. File → Settings → Locale → pick a country that uses decimal points. This is a formatting bug, not an outage.

  5. If none of that works, and for most people right now, it won't, stop. The remaining failure modes are in the add-on's code, and you can't patch someone else's Apps Script.

The Fastest Fix: Geocode Your Addresses in the Browser Right Now

If you're mid-task and just need coordinates, the free InstaMaps web geocoder is the shortest path: open get-instamaps.com/tools/geocoder, paste your addresses (up to 100 per batch), and it returns latitude, longitude, and the formatted address for each row. Copy the results straight back into your sheet or download them as a CSV.

No install, no API key, and no signup for your first run, which matters when your actual deadline is the report, not the tooling. For a 500-row list, that's five paste-and-copy batches: under ten minutes of work.

One honest caveat: a web geocoder is a manual step, not a live connection to your sheet. It's the right tool for 'I need this done today'. If geocoding is a recurring part of your workflow, set up the add-on below so the data never leaves your spreadsheet.

The Durable Fix: A Maintained Free Add-on That Geocodes and Maps

The InstaMaps add-on for Google Sheets does what Geocode by Awesome Table did, and the part most people installed it for in the first place: putting the addresses on a map. Install from the Google Workspace Marketplace, open the add-on on your sheet, and it geocodes your addresses and renders them as map markers with filters.

It's genuinely free, no per-user fee, no trial that converts to a paid plan, and there's no Google Maps API key to create or billing account to attach, which is the step that kills most DIY Apps Script replacements.

  1. AI detects your address columns automatically, no manual column mapping, works whether your address is one column or split across street/city/zip

  2. Geocodes and maps in one step, markers, real-time filters on any column, zoom-based filtering

  3. Scoped permissions: it only accesses the spreadsheet it's installed on, not your whole Drive

  4. No API key, no billing account, no quota babysitting

  5. Free, actively maintained, installs in about 60 seconds

If You Specifically Need =GEOCODE()-Style Formulas

One thing neither InstaMaps tool replicates: custom spreadsheet functions. If your workflow depends on typing =GEOCODE(A2) into a cell and having coordinates recalculate as data changes, the maintained option is Geosheets at $19.99/month. It's formula-native, handles geocoding and mapping functions inside the cell, and is a real business with support behind it.

For most people who landed here, that's overkill, they were using Geocode by Awesome Table as a batch job, not a live formula, but if formulas are the requirement, pay for the maintained tool rather than chaining together free add-ons that can disappear the same way this one did.

The fourth option is writing your own Apps Script against the built-in Maps service or the Google Geocoding API. It works, but you own the quota management, the error handling, and the maintenance, you'd be signing up to be the developer who doesn't abandon it.

At a Glance

FeatureInstaMapsGeocode by Awesome Table
StatusActively maintainedLast updated April 1, 2024; recent reviews report it broken
PriceFreeFree (when it worked)
GeocodingYes — web geocoder (100/batch) or in-sheet via add-onYes, capped at ~1,000/day
Maps the resultsYes — markers, filters, shareable mapBasic map via Awesome Table app
API key requiredNoNo
Address column setupAI-detected automaticallyManual column selection
Spreadsheet accessOnly the sheet it's installed onStandard add-on scopes
=GEOCODE() formulasNo — use Geosheets ($19.99/mo) if formulas are requiredNo
Try it free

Map your Salesforce accounts in under 5 minutes — no admin setup.

Install Free →

Common Questions

Is Geocode by Awesome Table shut down permanently?

There's been no official shutdown announcement, but the Marketplace listing shows a last update of April 1, 2024, and recent Marketplace reviews report geocoding errors with no developer response. Whether it's formally retired or just unmaintained, the practical effect is the same: you can't rely on it for work that's due this week.

Why does Geocode by Awesome Table stop partway through my list?

Two causes. If it processed several hundred to ~1,000 rows and then stopped, you hit the add-on's documented 1,000-addresses-per-day quota, it resets after 24 hours. If it stops with 'ScriptError: Service error: Google Maps' or fails on small lists, that's the unmaintained-code failure recent reviews describe, and there's no fix on your end.

What's the fastest free replacement for Geocode by Awesome Table?

The free InstaMaps web geocoder at get-instamaps.com/tools/geocoder. Paste up to 100 addresses per batch, get lat/lng plus formatted addresses back, and copy them into your sheet or download a CSV. No install or signup for the first run. For a recurring workflow, install the free InstaMaps Sheets add-on so geocoding and mapping happen directly from the spreadsheet.

Do I need a Google Maps API key to geocode in Google Sheets now?

Not with InstaMaps, neither the web geocoder nor the add-on requires an API key or a Google Cloud billing account. You only need an API key if you go the DIY route and write your own Apps Script against the Google Geocoding API, which also means owning quota management and maintenance yourself.

Will my old latitude/longitude data from Geocode by Awesome Table still work?

Yes. The coordinates it already wrote into your sheet are plain numbers, they don't depend on the add-on. You only need a replacement tool for new or changed addresses. InstaMaps can map your existing lat/lng columns directly, so nothing you've already geocoded is wasted.

Geocode Your Addresses Right Now — Free

Paste up to 100 addresses into the free InstaMaps web geocoder and get lat/lng plus formatted addresses back in seconds. No install, no API key, no signup for your first run.

Open the Free Geocoder