API-Efficient Deduplication in Google Sheets: Why Row Deletion Fails at Scale

Directly deleting rows in Google Sheets creates exponential performance degradation due to repeated API calls and array shifting overhead. Using a Set-based deduplication strategy reduces operations to just two API calls, enabling scripts to handle 10,000-row sheets in seconds instead of timing out. This optimization is critical for automating routine data cleanup in form-driven and import-heavy workflows.