diff --git a/auto_archive.py b/auto_archive.py
index 0c0a033..e0638ae 100644
--- a/auto_archive.py
+++ b/auto_archive.py
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ def process_sheet(sheet, header=1, columns=GWorksheet.COLUMN_NAMES):
         # loop through rows in worksheet
         for row in range(1 + header, gw.count_rows() + 1):
             url = gw.get_cell(row, 'url')
-            status = gw.get_cell(row, 'status')
+            original_status = gw.get_cell(row, 'status')
+            status = gw.get_cell(row, 'status', fresh=original_status in ['', None])
             if url != '' and status in ['', None]:
                 gw.set_cell(row, 'status', 'Archive in progress')
 
@@ -146,7 +147,7 @@ def process_sheet(sheet, header=1, columns=GWorksheet.COLUMN_NAMES):
 def main():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         description='Automatically archive social media videos from a Google Sheets document')
-    parser.add_argument('--sheet', action='store', dest='sheet')
+    parser.add_argument('--sheet', action='store', dest='sheet', help='the name of the google sheets document', required=True)
     parser.add_argument('--header', action='store', dest='header', default=1, type=int, help='1-based index for the header row')
     for k, v in GWorksheet.COLUMN_NAMES.items():
         parser.add_argument(f'--col-{k}', action='store', dest=k, default=v, help=f'the name of the column to fill with {k} (defaults={v})')
diff --git a/utils/gworksheet.py b/utils/gworksheet.py
index e10df10..cf6535c 100644
--- a/utils/gworksheet.py
+++ b/utils/gworksheet.py
@@ -44,16 +44,20 @@ class GWorksheet:
     def get_values(self):
         return self.values
 
-    def get_cell(self, row, col: str):
+    def get_cell(self, row, col: str, fresh=False):
         """
         returns the cell value from (row, col), 
         where row can be an index (1-based) OR list of values
         as received from self.get_row(row)
+        if fresh=True, the sheet is queried again for this cell
         """
+        col_index = self._col_index(col)
+
+        if fresh:
+            return self.wks.cell(row, col_index + 1).value
         if type(row) == int:
             row = self.get_row(row)
 
-        col_index = self._col_index(col)
         if col_index >= len(row):
             return ''
         return row[col_index]