Decode VINs in Google Sheets & Excel

What this pulls

Decode a column of VINs by the row. Returns make, model, year and trim — Sheets or Excel.

It's one of 250+ live sources you reach with a single =VERVE() function — served from APIVerve's production data engine, billed at 10 credits per resolved cell, and refreshed on whatever cadence you set. No API keys to wrangle, no scripts, no exports.

See it in a cell

A real example — the input you type, and the values you can pull from it. Click any cell to see the formula behind it.

vindecoder.xlsxsample data

B2fx=VERVE("vindecoder", A2, "field", "valid")

Vin

Valid

Decoded

Vehicle Descriptor

Make

1HGCM82633A004352

TRUE

TRUE

1HGCM826*3A

HONDA

click any cell to see its formula10 credits / cell

Ways to use it

One value per row

Fill =VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "valid") down a column and Decode VINs returns a result for every row — a batch of live values in a single drag, no code.

Enrich data in place

Add Decode VINs beside a table you already have to append its output right where your data lives, then sort, filter, or chart on it.

Live or frozen

Keep the decode vins values as formulas that look up again when their inputs change, or fill them as plain values that never move.

Use it in your sheet

The same function works in both apps — install once, sign in with your key, and type it into any cell.

Google SheetsAdd-on

Install from the Workspace Marketplace, then drop the formula into a cell. Autocomplete suggests the source and its fields.

=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "valid")

Microsoft ExcelAdd-in

Same source, same arguments, same key — in Excel on desktop, the web, or mobile. Excel namespaces it as VERVE.CALL. Drag to fill a whole column.

=VERVE.CALL("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "valid")

Optional inputs

Tune the result by adding name=value before the field argument — in any order. Leave one out and its default applies.

recalls
Add the safety recalls NHTSA has issued for this vehicle's make, model and year.
=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "recalls", "true")
safetyRating
Add the NHTSA 5-star crash-test rating for the closest tested version of this vehicle.
=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "safetyRating", "true")

Fields you can pull

Add a field name as the last argument to land just that value in the cell.

Valid
=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "valid")
Decoded
=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "decoded")
Vehicle Descriptor
=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "vehicleDescriptor")
Make
=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "make")
Model
=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "model")
Year
=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "year")
Manufacturer
=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "manufacturer")
Vehicle Type
=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "vehicleType")
Body Class
=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "bodyClass")
TrimPremium
=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "trim")
Trim2Premium
=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "trim2")
SeriesPremium
=VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "series")

Premium marks data included on paid plans. On the Free plan a marked field is withheld and a marked input is ignored — either way the cell reads #PREMIUM(name) instead of a value, so a gated answer can never be mistaken for a real one. Everything unmarked works on every plan. Compare plans

Decode VINs, answered

Everything you need to wire it into a sheet.

How do I pull Decode VINs into Google Sheets?

Install the VerveSheets add-on, sign in once with your key, and type =VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "field", "valid") into any cell. The "field" argument names the value you want back, so the cell resolves to a single number or string you can chart, sort, or feed into another formula.

What data can I pull from Decode VINs?

Decode VINs returns valid, decoded, vehicleDescriptor, make and model, plus 4 more — name any one of them as the "field" argument and that value lands in the cell. Leave the field out and the whole record spills into a two-column table instead.

Can I narrow what Decode VINs returns?

Yes — Decode VINs takes "recalls" and "safetyRating" as optional inputs. They go in as "name", value pairs after the required ones, in any order, so =VERVE("vindecoder", "1HGCM82633A004352", "recalls", "true") shapes the result without changing anything else.

Which Decode VINs fields need a paid plan?

trim, trim2 and series are included from the Starter plan up. On the Free plan the cell returns #PREMIUM(field) rather than a wrong or empty value, so it's always obvious which one to upgrade for. Every other field works on Free.

Can I fill a whole column of Decode VINs at once?

Yes. Put your vin values down a column and point the formula at the range — A2:A50 instead of A2 — and one call returns a value for every row. Dragging the formula down works too, but the range form is a single billed call per column rather than one per cell.

How many credits does each Decode VINs cell cost?

Each resolved cell costs 10 credits. A cell only re-bills when it actually refreshes, so a sheet you aren't touching doesn't keep charging.

Does Decode VINs work in Excel as well as Google Sheets?

Yes — same arguments, same key, same fields. Excel namespaces custom functions, so the call is =VERVE.CALL() there and =VERVE() in Google Sheets; nothing else about it changes.

Decode VINs

One value per row

Enrich data in place

Live or frozen

Decode VINs, answered

Put Decode VINs in your next spreadsheet. Add the extension, paste the formula, and the cell keeps itself current.

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