Are you looking to import data from another workbook into Google Sheets? Luckily, there are several ways to do it! To help you choose the method that suits you best, here’s a brief summary of each:
Option File > Import
This option is best when you have a copy of the sheet (whether in your Google Drive or on your local computer) and you want to import all the sheets from the source workbook into Google Sheets. If you want to import only one sheet, you can also check out the other options.
Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Click on the File option in the main menu, then select Import from the dropdown list. A large popup window titled “Import file” will appear.
Step 2: You have four options for the source workbook of the sheet to import: (1) your Google Drive (titled My Drive), (2) Shared with me, (3) Recent, and (4) Upload. Choose the option that will allow you to select the source workbook.
Step 3: After selecting the workbook (or uploading it if you chose to do so from your local computer), a small box will appear, asking what to do with the current sheet. You can (1) create a new spreadsheet, (2) insert the new sheets into the current workbook (without replacing existing sheets), or (3) replace existing sheets. Select your option.
Once you have selected your option, you can start working with the data in Google Sheets.
Using the IMPORTRANGE function
The IMPORTRANGE function allows you to import a specific range of data from another Google Sheets workbook. It has the following syntax:
importrange("workbook_url", "data_range")
The URL and data range must be placed in quotation marks. The workbook must either be a public workbook or you must have access to it. If the workbook you include is also yours, a popup window will appear asking you to connect the sheets. Click “Allow Access.”
After that, the data will be loaded.
If the sheets are in the same workbook (and therefore have the same URL), they still need to be added individually using the IMPORTRANGE function.
Using the QUERY function
For the sake of completeness, we will briefly discuss the QUERY function here. The QUERY function is Google Sheets’ way of incorporating SQL queries into Google Sheets, giving you another powerful way to process and analyze data. This method is a bit of a workaround, as it also uses the IMPORTRANGE function, but it offers more flexibility, especially when it comes to formatting columns, changing labels, and preprocessing data before importing it into your spreadsheet.
With the IMPORTRANGE function, there is so much more you can do with the QUERY function. Just make sure you have access to the source workbook! To get started, you can read here about how to import data from another spreadsheet with SQL: How to Query Multiple Sheets in Google Sheets.
Here are two tutorials you can follow:
- How to Use SQL Queries to Find Specific Words in Google Sheets
- How to Perform SQL Query with Multiple Criteria in Google Sheets
Now that you know these three easy methods for importing data from another workbook into Google Sheets, you can easily leverage these features and optimize your workflow. Happy data importing!
