Understanding Loopback URLs and Their Purpose

If you’re an MS Access developer trying to integrate Google Forms with Microsoft Access, you may have encountered the term loopback redirect server in the first step of our 10-Step Guide. In fact, if you’re not familiar with what a loopback URL is or why it is needed, don’t worry—you are not alone!

In this article, I will explain what a loopback URL is, why it is essential for OAuth authentication, and how to set up a local loopback redirect server. Moreover, you will see how this method supports the Google Forms to Access integration.

Table of Contents:

• What is a Loopback URL?
• Why Use a Loopback URL?
• Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Local Loopback Redirect Server
• Summary
• What’s Next?

What is a Loopback URL?

A loopback URL is a special URL that sends network traffic back to your own computer. For instance, consider these examples:

http://127.0.0.1:8080/

or

http://localhost:8080/

Both URLs remain on your local machine. In other words, they allow a local application—like your Access VBA script—to communicate with itself during the authentication process.

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Why Use a Loopback URL?

When you connect Google Forms to Access, you must authenticate with Google so your Access database can pull data from Google Sheets. However, Access is a desktop application without a public URL. Therefore, we simulate a web server on your own machine using a loopback URL.

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Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Local Loopback Redirect Server

This process is part of Step 1 in our Google Forms to Access 10-Step Guide. Follow these steps:

1. Install Python

The local loopback server is powered by Python. If you don’t have Python installed, download it from the official Python website.

2. Start the Loopback Server

Open the Command Prompt and type:

python -m http.server 8080

This command starts a simple local web server on http://localhost:8080/.

3. Verify the Server is Running

Open a web browser and navigate to:

http://localhost:8080/

If you see a directory listing or a blank page, the server is running correctly.

4. Leave the Server Running

Do not close the Command Prompt. Simply minimize it. If you need to stop the server, press Ctrl + C.

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Summary

Setting up a loopback URL may seem challenging at first. However, once you understand that it allows Access to securely authenticate with Google, the process becomes clear. In fact, this local authentication flow is essential for integrating Access with modern cloud services.

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