Helmo Sources: bind live data to your graphics

Bind clocks, counters, JSON feeds and Google Sheets to elements so your graphics update themselves.

TutorialIntermediateUpdated 2026-10-28

Helmo Sources let your graphics show live, automatically-updating data: a clock, a counter, values from a Google Sheet, or any JSON API. Instead of typing a value by hand, you bind an element to a source, and the element updates whenever the source changes.

Where to find them

The SOURCES panel on the left side of the editor with the Create source button — The SOURCES panel below the Elements list.

Helmo Sources live in the SOURCES panel, on the left side of the editor, just below the Elements list. Click + Create source (or the + next to SOURCES) to add one.

The 6 source types

The list of the six source types when creating a source — The six source types.

Clock (Reloj): shows the current time, auto-updating.
Counter (Contador): a manual counter you can increment/decrement (for example, from Helmo Control).
Stopwatch / Timer (Cronómetro): a countdown or count-up timer.
Random (Aleatorio): generates random numbers.
JSON URL: pulls data from any JSON endpoint.
Google Sheets: syncs data from a spreadsheet, one row per record.

Binding an element to a source

The Connections section of the Inspector with a source selected for a text element — Binding an element to a source.

Once you have a source, connect it to an element:

Select the element on the canvas.
In the Inspector, open the data/connection section for that element type: - Crawler > Data Source > enable Bind ticker text to a source column. - Helmo List > Source > Select document to pick a connected Google Sheet. - Text / other > use the Connections section.
Choose the source (and column, where applicable). The element now updates live.

Tip

No Google Sheets connected yet? You create and manage sheet connections right from the Helmo Sources panel.