Caching and recalculation

Google Sheets recalculates custom functions more often than you might expect: when you open the file, edit a referenced cell, or sometimes just scroll. Without caching, every recalculation would be a new API call. GPTSheetsPlus caches results so that does not happen.

What is cached

Functions	Cache key	Lifetime
=GPT(), =GPT6(), =OpenAI() and the other OpenAI functions	function + prompt + system prompt (+ model for =OpenAI())	until replaced
=GEMINI() and the Gemini functions	model + prompt + system prompt	until replaced
=PPLX(), =PPLX_PRO(), =PPLX_REASONING(), =PPLX_AGENT()	function or effort + prompt + system prompt	until replaced
=SCRAPE() family and =BRIGHTDATA()	URL + output type + render + country	6 hours
=SERP() family	not cached
=EXTRACT_INFO(), =SUMMARIZE_BULLETS(), =LIST_STUFF()	not cached
=Firecrawl()	not cached by the add-on (Firecrawl’s own maxAge applies)

AI responses are stored in the GPTSheetsPlus cache layer, keyed by the exact prompt text. The same prompt with the same system prompt returns the same answer, in any sheet. Scrape results are cached for 6 hours so that re-opening a sheet during the day does not re-fetch pages or spend trial uses.

Forcing a fresh answer

Every AI function takes an ignore_cache argument. Pass TRUE to skip the cache and call the provider:

=GPT("What is today's top tech headline?", "", TRUE)
=GEMINI("Summarize: " & A2, "", "gemini-3.8-flash", TRUE)
=PPLX_AGENT("Latest funding round of " & A2, "", "medium", TRUE)

Because ignore_cache sits after system_prompt, pass an empty string "" for the system prompt if you do not need one.

Caution

A formula with ignore_cache = TRUE calls the API every time the sheet recalculates, which can drain your credits quickly. Use it to refresh, then paste the result as a value.

Other ways to get a new answer:

• Change the prompt slightly. Adding a date to the prompt, such as "... as of " & TEXT(TODAY(), "yyyy-mm-dd"), gives you one fresh answer per day.
• For scrapes, wait for the 6-hour window to pass, or use =BRIGHTDATA(url, "markdown", TRUE) to request a rendered version, which has its own cache entry.

Keeping results stable

The opposite problem is answers that change when you did not want them to, for example after editing a referenced cell. The reliable fix is to freeze results:

1. Select the cells with results.
2. Copy, then Edit → Paste special → Values only (or Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + V).

Do this before sharing a sheet with people who do not have a license, and before building charts on top of AI output.

Error: exceeded property storage quota

Older versions cached inside the spreadsheet’s document properties, which have a size limit. If a cell shows Error: exceeded property storage quota, either pass TRUE as ignore_cache for that formula or move the rows to a new spreadsheet.