Getting Started with Google Sheets: Tips for a Great Start

Google Sheets is a powerful spreadsheet application that you can use through your web browser. It stores your spreadsheets in the cloud with Google Drive. Anyone with a Google account can use Sheets and Drive for free. They are also part of Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), Google’s subscription-based office suite for businesses and professional users. There are also Google Sheets mobile apps available for Android and iOS.

This guide will teach you how to create a new spreadsheet in the Sheets web app or upload a spreadsheet that you have already saved on your computer, including a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. It will also explain the basic interface and unique features of Sheets, such as sharing and collaborating on your spreadsheets with other users.

Create or Open a Spreadsheet

To create a new spreadsheet or load a spreadsheet already saved on Google Drive, you need to sign in to your Google or Workspace account. Then:

• From Google Sheets: At the top of the Sheets homepage, you will see a “Create a new spreadsheet” header with a row of thumbnails below it. To create a new blank spreadsheet, click on the “Blank” thumbnail or select a template from the thumbnails on the right. To see more templates, click on the template gallery in the upper right corner; click on any thumbnail to start a new spreadsheet in that template.

Below the thumbnails, you will see a list of spreadsheets stored in your own Google Drive or shared with you. To open a spreadsheet, click on it.

This list appears in reverse chronological order, starting with the spreadsheet you most recently opened. By clicking on the “AZ” icon in the top right corner of this list, you can change the sorting order to “Last modified by me,” “Last modified,” or by alphabetical order of the spreadsheet title. You can also browse a specific folder by clicking on the folder icon next to the “AZ” icon.

Finally, you can use the search bar at the top to find spreadsheets in Google Drive. Enter words or numbers that might be in the spreadsheet you are looking for.

• From Google Drive: Spreadsheets stored in your Google Drive are listed in the main window of the Drive homepage. To see a list of spreadsheets shared with you, click on “Shared with me” in the left column. In either list, double-click on a spreadsheet to open it in Google Sheets. You can also use the search box at the top of the page.

To create a new blank spreadsheet, click on the “New” button in the top left of the screen, then click on “Google Sheets.”

If you want to use a template to create a new spreadsheet: Click on the “New” button, then select “Google Sheets” > “From a template.” The template gallery for Google Sheets will open; click on a thumbnail to start a new spreadsheet in that template.

Upload a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet to Edit in Google Sheets

If you want to edit a spreadsheet that is not already stored in your Google Drive, you need to upload it to Drive first. You can do this from either Sheets or Drive.

• From Google Sheets: Click on the folder icon (“Open file picker”) located in the top right of the list of spreadsheets. On the panel that opens, click on the “Import” tab. Drag the Excel file (.xls or .xlsx) onto this panel, or browse your computer’s disk to select it and click “Open.”

• From Google Drive: Click on the “New” button, then click on “File upload” and select the Excel file from your computer’s disk and click “Open.”

Traditionally, when you uploaded Excel files to Google Drive, they were automatically converted to the Sheets format. This is still the case when you upload Excel files via the Google Sheets homepage.

However, Google also supports the ability to edit Microsoft Office files in their native format. By default, all .xlsx files you upload through Google Drive will remain in the Excel format. You can edit and collaborate on an Excel file directly in Sheets, with any changes made by you or your collaborators saved directly to the Excel file. On the Google Sheets and Drive homepage, native Excel files are indicated by a green “X” icon, and when you open a native Excel file in Sheets, you will see an “.XLSX” indicator to the right of the document title.

If you prefer Google to automatically convert Excel files to Sheets format when you upload them via Google Drive, click on the gear icon in the top right of the Google Drive screen and select “Settings” from the drop-down menu. In the settings box next to “Convert uploads,” check the box for “Convert uploaded files to Google Docs editor format.”

To convert Excel macros to Google Sheets: If an Excel file that you convert to Sheets format contains Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code, which is used for macros, and you are subscribed to a Google Workspace Enterprise Plus plan, install the Macro Converter add-on for Google Sheets. As the name suggests, this add-on will convert the VBA code in your Excel file to the App Script format used by Google Sheets, so that you can run those macros in your spreadsheet when it is loaded in Google Sheets.

Working in a Spreadsheet

When you open a spreadsheet in Google Sheets, here’s what you see:

• The title of your spreadsheet appears at the top of the screen. To edit it, click anywhere inside the title and start typing.

• The menu bar is just below the title of the spreadsheet and includes the following dropdown menus:

  • “File”: Allows you to perform actions on the entire spreadsheet, including printing, renaming, and sharing.
  • “Edit”: Contains quick tools for deleting columns or rows.
  • “View”: Controls the appearance of the spreadsheet, such as showing/hiding formulas, freezing rows or columns, and grouping columns or rows.
  • “Insert”: Allows you to insert cells, columns, or rows; graphical elements such as charts and images; and other elements such as functions, comments, and checkboxes.
  • “Format”: Provides the same tools as the toolbar just below the menu bar (described below), as well as conditional formatting and alternating colors commands.
  • “Data”: Offers tools for sorting a range of columns alphabetically, creating a filter, protecting sheets and ranges, and validating data.
  • “Tools”: Leads to various items such as creating a form and running spell check.
  • “Extensions”: Allows you to work with add-ons, macros, scripts, and apps.

• The toolbar is just above your spreadsheet and contains buttons to format numbers and text in a cell. You can change the number format (e.g., currency, date, percentage) and font (type, size, style, color). Other buttons on this toolbar allow you to change the background color of a cell, merge cells, and adjust the horizontal or vertical alignment of numbers or text in a cell.

To insert a chart, click on the “Insert chart” button towards the right end of the toolbar. This opens a sidebar from which you can select a pre-defined chart or click on the “Customize” tab to create your own chart.

To insert a formula, click on the “Functions” button at the right end of the toolbar. This opens a dropdown menu of formulas supported by Google Sheets. Browse through the categories to find the desired formula. Once found, click on the formula to insert it inside the cell where you have placed the cursor. For a complete list of formulas/functions that work in Google Sheets, refer to the official Google Sheets function list.

Managing Multiple Sheets in a Spreadsheet

Each page of your spreadsheet is represented by a tab at the bottom of the screen. By clicking on any of these tabs, you can view the corresponding sheet on the screen.

• To add a new blank sheet to your spreadsheet: Click on the “+” in the bottom left corner.

• To delete or rename a sheet: Click on the downward arrow on the sheet tab. In the menu that opens, select “Delete” or “Rename.”

• To change the order of pages in your sheets: Click and hold on a sheet tab, drag it left or right to another position in the tab row, then release it.

Selecting a Color Theme for Your Spreadsheet

In the menu bar at the top of the screen, click on “Format” and select “Theme.” A sidebar will open on the right, showing you several large thumbnails of themes. Scroll through the list and click on the thumbnail of the theme you want to use for your spreadsheet. You can apply a theme to a new blank spreadsheet or to a sheet that already has a design.

Getting Help While Entering Data

When you enter formulas in cells, Google Sheets can make corrections to your formula (if it thinks you made a mistake) or fill cells with suggested adjustments to your formula. For example, if you enter the same formula cell by cell in a column, but change the formula to match the row number, Sheets can automatically fill down your formula in the lower cells of the column and apply what it predicts will be your next adjustments to that formula.

This smart assistance is enabled by default, but if you find it gets in your way, you can disable it: In the menu bar at the top of the screen, click on “Tools” > “Preferences” and uncheck “Enable formula suggestions” and “Enable formula corrections”.

Sharing a Spreadsheet

When viewing your spreadsheet in Google Sheets, click on the green “Share” button at the top right.

Or, from the homepage of your Google Drive, click to highlight the spreadsheet you want to share. Then, towards the upper right corner of the page, click on the share icon (a silhouette of a head with a “+”).

In both cases, the “Share with people and groups” panel will open.

Sharing a Spreadsheet Privately

In the input field, enter the email addresses (or names of your Google contacts) of the people you want to share with. You can also type a brief message for them. By default, the people you invite to your spreadsheet can edit it and share it with others.

• To change access permissions for invited people: Click on “Editor” to the right of the input field and choose another option from the dropdown menu. “Commenter” means they can view your spreadsheet and add comments but cannot edit it. “Viewer” means they can view your spreadsheet but cannot edit or add comments. This setting applies to all people you are currently inviting to the document.

• To prevent your spreadsheet from being shared, downloaded, or printed: Click on the gear icon in the top right of this panel. On the smaller panel that opens, uncheck the boxes for “Editors can change permissions and share” and “Visitors and commenters can see the download, print, and copy options”.

Once you have finished setting permissions, click on “Send,” and all the people you added will receive an email with a link they can click on to access the document.

• To limit or change someone’s access to your spreadsheet: Click on the “Share” button to display the “Share with people and groups” panel again. It shows a list of all the people you have invited, along with their permission status. Click on the downward arrow at the right of a person’s name, modify their permission level, or remove their access entirely, then click “Save.”

If you have a Google Workspace subscription, another option is to select “Grant temporary access” and, next to “Access expires,” select a date within the upcoming year. If you set an expiration date for someone you designated as an “Editor,” their access will be downgraded to “Commenter” on the expiration date.

• Note: A spreadsheet that you have shared (or that others have shared with you) will have a double underlined heads icon next to it in the list of spreadsheets on your Google Sheets and Google Drive homepages.

Sharing a Spreadsheet Publicly

At the bottom of the “Share with people and groups” panel, there is a “Get link” area where you can copy the link to the document. By default, this link is restricted to those you invite to the document. To change it to a public link, click on “Change to anyone with the link.” A link to your document will be generated.

Click on “Copy link,” and the link will be copied to your computer’s clipboard. You can then share this link by pasting it into a chat message, document, email, forum post, or most other means of online written communication. Anyone who clicks on this link will be able to view your spreadsheet online. (Be aware that anyone can copy and share the link again.)

• To allow anyone in the public to comment or edit your spreadsheet: At the bottom right of the “Get link” area, click on “Viewer” and select “Commenter” or “Editor” from the dropdown menu. Then click on the blue “Done” button. Now, the web link to your spreadsheet will allow anyone who clicks on it to add a comment to your spreadsheet or edit it.

• To disable public sharing for your spreadsheet: Bring up the “Share with people and groups” panel again. In the bottom left corner, click on “Change.” Then, on the extended “Get link” panel, click on “Anyone with the link,” select “Restricted,” and click on the “Done” button.

• Note: You can apply both public and private sharing methods to your spreadsheet. For example, you could allow the public to only view your spreadsheet but allow specific people you invite to comment or edit it.