When it comes to spreadsheets, there’s no beating Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. These are at the top of their game currently. Be it office work, basic management, or documentation, these bad boys can pretty much do it all.
However, there are scenarios where you just might need to convert Excel to Google Sheets. No need to scratch your head on it, it’s really not that hard. In fact, there are multiple ways you can go about it. Wanna learn how? Well, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, we’ll cover everything there is related to the topic of converting Excel to Google Sheets. We’re gonna guide you step by step through each procedure. No need to wait, let’s hop in.
Ways to Convert Excel to Google Sheets
Trust me when I say this, there are a lot of Google Sheet loyalist workspaces out there. Also, even if you’re comfortable using Google Sheets, you might just have some Excel files come at your way from clients or other workspaces.
Fear not, we’re about to cover all the conversion methods there are. Let’s start with the fastest one.
Fastest Way to Convert Excel to Google Sheets
It really can’t get any easier than this to be honest, just follow the steps below and you’ll be done in no time.
- Firstly, open a blank sheet in google sheets.
- Go to File, and select Open.
- In the new window, go to upload in the open a file menu.
- Click and drag the excel file into the space.
- Now, click on open with, and select Google Sheets.
- And that’s pretty much it, your desired excel file will be converted to Google Sheets.
Using Google Drive
To execute this method, firstly, you need to know about the file formats of Excel that are supported in Google Sheets. Take a look at the list below.
- .xls
- .xlsx
- .xlsm
- .xlt
- .ods
- .csv
- .tsv
- .tab
Note: If you need to open a file in Google Sheets, the first condition is, it has to be saved in Google Drive. So, before you open a file in Sheets, make sure it’s present in Google Drive.
Let’s explain how to export Excel to Google Sheets.
- The first thing you’ll have to do is, open your browser and go to drive.google.com through the address bar.
- On the top left, you’ll find the New option. There’ you’ll have to choose File upload.
- Then, just select the Excel file that you want to upload to Drive from your computer.
- Wait a few seconds as it might take a bit to upload.
- View the file by simply double clicking on it. (This should work even if you haven’t got Microsoft Excel installed).
- If you want to edit the file, you have to open it using the Open with Google Sheets Options in the top.
- Or, you could just right click on it and select Open With > Google Sheets.
- All changes you make here will me saved on the original Excel file that you saved.
Converting an Excel File to Google Sheets Format
This one is for those who don’t just want to work/ edit in Google Sheets format, but want to save it in the Sheets format as well.
- The first thing you want to do here is, when the changes are done, go to file on the top left.
- There, you’ll see a dropdown menu.
- Within the dropdown menu, select Save as Google Sheets.
- This will result in two files of two separate formats in your Google Drive. One with the Excel Format, and the other with the Google Sheet Format.
Note: This method is best for those who want to keep their Excel file as it is and want to make all the changes in the new Google Sheets File.
How to Autosave as Google Sheets in Drive
This procedure will prove to be simply a lifesaver. Especially for those who need to use Excel files in Google sheets pretty often. Just follow the steps and you should be alright.
- Go to Google Drive and click on the gear icon on the top right.
- That should bring down the settings dropdown menu.
- In Settings, you’ll find an option that says “Convert Uploads”.
- There, you’ll want to check the option that says “Convert uploaded files to Google Docs editor format”.
- Once you’ve done that, all Office files that you upload will be converted to either Google Docs, Sheets or Slides.
Note: Previously uploaded files won’t be converted by the changes made to the settings.
Issues Regarding Compatibility
Yeah, working with Excel files in Google Sheets seem pretty awesome. However, they do have certain differences and Excel is considered to be richer in terms of features. Since Google Sheets lack a few functionalities, there might be some compatibility issues.
Just in case you face these issues while working with Google Sheets, let’s discuss them beforehand. Yes, I’m talking about the issues you’ll face during conversion. Here they are:
- It won’t be possible to import password protected Excel files to Google Sheets.
- Links or Hyperlinks that are associated to other workbooks are not taken into account after being converted to Google Sheets.
- Don’t expect PowerPivot, Power Query or other Data Model features to work in Google Sheets as they aren’t supported.
- VBA Macros won’t be working in Google Sheets. You can type in codes to AppScript while working in Google Sheets.
These issues may cause the data in your file data to get altered, lost, or remain hidden. So, it’s really important to keep these compatibility factors in mind.
A Few Complications after Conversion
Now that we’ve covered all the basics on how to convert Excel to Google Sheets, it’s time to let you know about some issues you might face. Some formats and functions may change regardless of you want them to or not. Here are those scenarios:
- Conditional formatting
- Certain charts
- Interactive controls
- Split worksheets
- Macros
You might not face problems regarding these; however, it doesn’t hurt to doublecheck things and stay alert.
Reasons to Prefer Google Sheets Over Excel
This whole writeup is basically going to help out those who want to, or have to work in Sheets instead of Excel. The browser-based Google Sheets has become quite popular and many have taken it to their default spreadsheet tool. Here’s why:
- The backup feature in Google Sheets is just awesome. No matter how many times you edit, you make, the file will always remain saved in your Google Drive.
- To put it straight, Microsoft Excel costs you, and Google Sheets is absolutely free. That’s a big reason in itself.
- Even though there are a lot of instances of inspiration from Excel, Google Sheet’s interface is cleaner and more intuitive.
- Working with others and making real time changes are really easy and convenient in Google Sheets. Even chatting with the collaborators of the same sheet is made possible here.
- Worrying about new versions and backward compatibility becomes a thing of the past in Google Sheets. All changes made are available to every single user.
- Running APIs and using codes in Google Sheets is really convenient and easy. This offers more flexibility, and not to mention efficiency in the workspace.
FAQ
Here are some relevant questions regarding converting Excel files to Google Sheets.
Q: Is Google Sheets Safe?
A: Yes, Google Sheets is safe as long as your google account passwords are secured. Also, there’s little possibility of losing data because of the cloud based autosave feature.
Q: Can Google Sheets be converted to Excel file?
A: Yes, it can be done. You have to import a Sheet to Excel in order to do that.
Q: How many Google Sheets can I save in my Google Drive?
A: The amount of data put in your Google Sheet defines the space it will consume. The rest depends on the space you have available in your Google Drive.
Final Words
Now that we’re done with all the details, here are a few words of advice. Choose the method that’s more suited to your needs. The first method saves more time than any other procedure. While the others may be more suited for users who need to convert their files on a daily basis.
If you’ve read the whole writeup, you already know every bit of detail concerning the conversion of Excel to Google Sheets. That’s pretty much it for now. Let’s close this one up.
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