How to Use IMPORTXML in Google Sheets

Are you looking to import web data into Google Sheets? Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to use IMPORTXML in Google Sheets.

The traditional method of extracting data from a website involves manually copying and pasting it into your Google spreadsheet. But why waste all that time when the IMPORTXML function in Google Sheets can do it much faster?

IMPORTXML retrieves publicly available data from the web and imports it into Google Sheets. Read on to explore everything you need to know about IMPORTXML, complete with concrete examples and step-by-step explanations.

Explainer Video: How to Use IMPORTXML in Google Sheets

What is the IMPORTXML Function in Google Sheets?

The IMPORTXML function allows you to import publicly accessible data from websites, XML documents, and other spreadsheets into Google Sheets.

The function can import various types of structured data into Sheets, including HTML, TSV, CSV, and XML. It can also perform web scraping and data collection by extracting data from XML RSS and ATOM feeds.

IMPORTXML requires the URL of the XML file you want to import. The IMPORTXML syntax is as follows:

=IMPORTXML(URL, xpath_query)

Here’s a breakdown of the parameters:

• URL is the web address that contains the data you want to extract. Enclose this value in double quotes.
• xpath_query refers to the data you want to retrieve. For example, if you use “//h2/@title” as the xpath_query parameter, the formula will return all the h2 tags from the source page.

XPath is the language used for paths in XML. It is capable of extracting different parts of XML files and documents.

How to Import Data into Google Sheets with IMPORTXML

Use Case #1: Importing H3 Headings into Google Sheets

Let’s start by exploring how you can extract data from websites into Google Sheets using IMPORTXML.

First, open the spreadsheet where you want to import the data. Then, open the website that contains the data you want to import.

For this example, let’s say you want to extract the H3 headings from one of our blog articles titled “Top 7 Apps for Salesforce Exchange”. Your formula would be:

=IMPORTXML("https://coefficient.io/salesforce-appexchange","//h3")

The IMPORTXML function will retrieve all the elements with the H3 tag from the blog, as shown below:

Voila! All the H3 headings now appear in separate cells in your spreadsheet. This is the ideal use case for the function: extracting a limited amount of web data into your spreadsheet.

Use Case #2: Importing a Data Table into Google Sheets

With IMPORTXML, you can fetch data from a table on a website and quickly import it into Google Sheets. Let’s take the data from this table on new cryptocurrencies from the coingecko.com website.

Right-click on the table and select the “Inspect” option at the bottom. Note: We will use the Google Chrome browser for this example.

You should see the page’s source code in a sidebar on the right side of your screen, displaying XML data.

Hover over the elements to make the browser highlight the table, and you will see the specific tag.

Look at the code to find the HTML elements associated with your data. The data in this example is encoded in HTML using the table row tag, <tr>.

In your IMPORTXML formula, specify your xpath_query as <code>//tr</code> to extract all the data associated with the <tr> tags. Your formula will look like this:

=IMPORTXML("https://www.coingecko.com/en/new-cryptocurrencies","//tr")

The table data will then appear in your spreadsheet.

This is a good example of using IMPORTXML to import tables into Google Sheets using HTML elements.

Other Similar Functions in Google Sheets

In addition to IMPORTXML, you can use other functions to extract data from web pages and import it into Google Sheets, depending on your use case.

IMPORTDATA Function

The IMPORTDATA function allows you to import data from publicly accessible CSV or TSV files on the web into Google Sheets.

The function enables you to quickly retrieve data with just one formula, saving you from manual copy-pasting tasks.

IMPORTFEED Function

The IMPORTFEED function allows you to fetch data from publicly accessible ATOM or RSS feeds into Google Sheets. IMPORTFEED automatically imports data updates from the specified feeds.

IMPORTFEED formulas should include the URL of the ATOM or RSS feed, the spreadsheet where you want to import the data, and the column that will receive the data.

GOOGLEFINANCE Function

The GOOGLEFINANCE function in Google Sheets imports financial data from Google Finance into your spreadsheet.

The function allows you to fetch financial data in Google Sheets, such as currency conversion rates, historical stock data, and current stock prices.

The function requires the stock symbol of the company from which you want to extract data.

Coefficient: Another Way to Import Data into Sheets

The IMPORTXML function is handy for extracting, scraping, and importing web data. However, it’s not always the most practical solution, especially when dealing with large data sets. A more efficient approach is to use data connector tools.

Coefficient allows you to easily import real-time data from Salesforce, Shopify, HubSpot, MySQL, and more into Google Sheets.

Read our blog to learn how to import live data into Google Sheets with Coefficient in just one click.

Key Considerations: The IMPORTXML Function in Google Sheets

Here are some important factors to keep in mind when using IMPORTXML in Google Sheets:

• Only HTML and XML formats work. IMPORTXML can only import data from HTML and XML documents. The function cannot extract data from other types of documents such as JSON or CSV files.
• Data is not refreshed automatically. IMPORTXML retrieves data from your source URL only once. To refresh the data, you will need to manually re-enter the formula or use Google Apps Script to write a function.
• Websites may block the function. Some websites block all scraping, which can prevent the IMPORTXML function from extracting data in Google Sheets.
• Only publicly accessible data can be imported. IMPORTXML can retrieve data only from publicly accessible websites, meaning it cannot extract data from sites that require a login or authentication.

For these reasons, IMPORTXML is ideal for specific use cases involving one-time imports of web data.

IMPORTXML: Import Web Data into Google Sheets

IMPORTXML is a useful function in Google Sheets that allows you to extract data from web pages and easily import it into your spreadsheet.

With some knowledge of XPath and web page structure, you can leverage this function to retrieve the web data you need.

But for many use cases, you may need to turn to an application like Coefficient to get the job done. Coefficient can import data from a wide variety of business systems, handle larger data sets, and perform automatic data refreshes.

Try Coefficient for free to automate your spreadsheet processes and import the data you need into Google Sheets.