How To Convert Excel Documents To Google Sheets? 3 Methods

While everyone has their go-to spreadsheet tool of choice, more and more individuals and small business owners are making the switch to Google Sheets, and it’s easy to see why!

Thanks to its simplicity, real-time collaboration features, and free interface, Google Sheets is quickly becoming the preferred tool for managing data, organizing tasks, and more.

So, what if you’ve been working with Excel files and want to make the switch? Or what if you’re collaborating with someone who uses Excel but your team runs on Google Sheets?

Can you completely move your files into Google Sheets without losing formatting or messing up formulas?

The short answer? Yes!  The fastest way to convert Excel documents to Google Sheets is to:

1. Upload your Excel spreadsheet document to Google Drive.
2. Right-click the document and select ‘Open with > Google Sheets’.
3. Adjust the cell widths and heights to align with the Excel formatting.

And that’s it! Your Excel workbook has now been converted into a Google Sheets file.

But guess what? That’s not the only way to convert your Excel document to a Google Sheets document!

Read more: Google Sheets vs Excel as a CRM.

Switching from Excel to Google Sheets doesn’t have to mean starting completely from scratch.

If you’ve got spreadsheets you want to bring over complete with formatting and formulas, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s possible to do this in just a few steps.

In fact, there are actually three ways you can quickly and successfully convert your Excel files into Google Sheets:

1. Import your Excel file to Google Drive.
2. Use the built-in ‘Import’ function within Google Sheets.
3. Leverage third-party Excel and Google Sheets add-ons.

Let’s walk you through these three methods now.

Read more: Is a spreadsheet a CRM tool? 

As I mentioned earlier, the quickest way to transform your Excel spreadsheet into a fully editable Google Sheet is to use Google Drive.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can convert your Excel file to Google Sheets in just a few clicks:

1. Open the Excel document you want to convert to Google Sheets.
2. Select ‘File > Export > Download as CSV’ and save the file to your computer.
3. Open Google Drive (you must be logged into a Google account to do this).
4. Click the ‘+’ button in the top-left corner and ‘File upload’ from the drop-down list.
5. Right-click the document and click ‘Open with Google Sheets’.

Your Excel file will then automatically be converted into a Google Sheets format. You can then easily view and edit your spreadsheet file directly inside Google Sheets.

After importing the file, you might need to do a few formatting adjustments to achieve the desired look.

These may include reviewing the formatting and layout, adjusting column widths or alignments, and checking the correct transfer of formulas, charts, and other elements.

Plus, you can collaborate with others by:

Clicking ‘Share’ in the top-right corner.

Inserting your team’s email addresses.

Clicking ‘Done’.

It’s worth noting that you’ll now gain access to all Google Sheets features and tools, such as real-time collaboration, auto-saving, sharing permissions, and cloud access.

This is the perfect method for teams who already store their files in Google Drive (or those who want to keep everything in the cloud).

It’s also a quick and clean solution for small business teams working across locations.

However, it’s important to note that by using this method, any changes you make to your Google Sheets spreadsheet will not update automatically inside Excel.

Read more: How to change ownership of a Google Sheet spreadsheet?

This method involves importing your Excel spreadsheet directly into Google Sheets using the built-in Google Sheets ‘Import’ feature.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open the Excel file you want to convert.
2. Click ‘File > Export > Download as CSV’ and save the file to your computer or Google Drive (you must have a Google account to use Google Drive).
3. Open Google Sheets in your browser.
4. Click ‘+ Blank spreadsheet’ below ‘Start a new spreadsheet’ to create a new spreadsheet, or open an existing file (where you want to add the Excel data).
5. Within the Google Sheets spreadsheet, click ‘File > Import’.
6. Click ‘My Drive’ to locate your file (if the file is already saved inside your Drive) or ‘Upload > Browse’ and find your file (if the file is on your computer).
7. After uploading, choose your ‘Import location’.
8. Click ‘Import’.

Once the file has been imported, you might need to do some fine-tuning (as mentioned in method 1) to get the document looking exactly how you want, such as:

1. Reviewing the formatting and layout.
2. Adjusting column widths or alignments if anything looks off.
3. Checking that formulas, charts, and other elements have been transferred correctly.

To collaborate with others:

1. Click ‘Share’ in the top-right.
2. Add your team’s email addresses.
3. Click ‘Done’.

And that’s it! Your Excel spreadsheet has now been converted to a Google Sheets document!

As Google Sheets is fully cloud-based, the software automatically saves your work for you. How impressive is that??

Like the first method, any changes you make to your new Google Sheets spreadsheet won’t apply inside Excel.

Read more: How to use Google Sheets conditional formatting?

As you can see, importing a single Excel file into Google Sheets only takes a few clicks.

But is that really the most efficient way to do it? Here are the limitations of converting an Excel file to a Google Sheets spreadsheet using the methods above:

There’s no flexibility: Sometimes you only need to convert a few specific columns or rows, not the entire spreadsheet. But this method gives you an all-or-nothing import.

With those drawbacks in mind, is there another way you can convert Excel documents to Google Sheets?

The third and final way you can convert your Excel documents to Google Sheets is to leverage specific third-party syncing tools.

Both Excel and Google Sheets offer powerful extensions (called add-ins in Excel and add-ons in Google Sheets) that can supercharge your spreadsheets with new features.

These tools essentially help you work smarter, not harder.

If you’re looking for a more efficient way to move data between Excel and Google Sheets, there are several add-ons designed to seamlessly sync your data in just a few clicks.

Here are two standout third-party options:

Unito: This no-code, powerful tool offers two-way syncing between Excel and Google Sheets (and over 30 other tools). The two-way synchronization automatically updates within both tools, with changes reflected almost instantly!

If you want real-time updates across your Excel-converted spreadsheet and don’t want to rely on constant manual file transfers, this method is for you!

Read more: How to create checkboxes in Google Sheets?

By converting your Excel file to Google Sheets, you’ll unlock everything Google Sheets has to offer, including flexibility, collaboration, and convenience.

Here’s why it’s a smart move:

Real-time collaboration: With Google Sheets, multiple users can work on the same file simultaneously, updating changes instantly. This means you’ll wave goodbye to endless back-and-forth emails and version confusion forever!

Accessibility and convenience: As your files are stored in Google Drive, you can easily access and edit them anytime, anywhere.

Integration with Google Workspace: If you already use Gmail, Google Docs, or Google Calendar, Google Sheets is a no-brainer. Simply embed data in emails, link sheets to Docs, and automate workflows using other Google Apps.

Automatic saving: With Google Sheets, your work is saved automatically, and you can restore previous versions with just one click!

Flexible permissions: Easily share a sheet with view, comment, or edit access for those looking to securely manage team input or client feedback.

Cost-effective for small businesses: Google Sheets is free and fully functional for those with a free Google account, ideal for budget-conscious teams.

Cross-device compatibility: Google Sheets works (and automatically updates) across your phone, tablet, and desktop without installing special software, perfect for on-the-go teams.

Additionally, if you’re looking to completely manage your customers, sales, emails, finances, projects, tasks, and more, the good news is that you can with Google Sheets!

Introducing……my Google Sheets Sheetify Business toolkits, Sheetify CRM, Sheetify Bookkeeping, and Sheetify Projects.

Sheetify Business toolkits are pre-built, multifunctional Google Sheets templates essentially designed to power up how small and micro-businesses operate.

These toolkits have been designed entirely inside Google Sheets for small businesses looking for a simple CRM, bookkeeping, or project management solution (or all three!)

These toolkits offer an entire suite of purpose-built sheets, offering features such as:

• Contact, lead, deal, and task tracking.
• Email marketing management and templates.
• Sales pipelines.
• Project planning.
• Client interaction recording.
• Issue tracking.
• Inventory and quote tracking and creation.
• Sales dashboards and reports.
• Income and expense tracking, and more.

Although these templates seem simple, they actually go way beyond simple spreadsheets. 

With pre-made headers, built-in Apps Script automations, integration features (like bulk Gmail campaigns), and easy one-click setups, you're up and running in minutes, not hours.

Plus, with a one-time payment, lifetime access, and no subscription fees, these tools are the most cost-effective choice for small businesses!

Sheetify toolkits essentially transform Google Sheets into a powerful, customizable, and all-in-one business solution.

Check out what else you can do with Sheetify business toolkits here.