Sheets: How to Import an Excel File

Sheets: How to Import an Excel File

How to import an Excel file (.XLS, .XLSX, .CSV) into Google Sheets the correct way, using a downloaded file:

There are a few different ways to open Google Sheets. In your internet browser, you can type in sheets.google.com or you can access it within your GMail inbox. In GMail, look for the group of 9 dots forming a square, then click on it. This icon is the Google Apps icon, which shows all Google apps available. Once it opens, you’ll find a green Google Sheets icon. Let’s click on this to open Google Sheets.


Now, we will click the option to Start a new Blank spreadsheet.


Now, this step is critical in the process. Once you click File, you’ll see a few options that look appealing. The two quick ones that everyone sees, for opening Excel spreadsheets in Google Sheets, are the options Open and Import. For importing Excel spreadsheets into Sheets, it’s very important to choose Import here. If you were to select Open, it would open the Excel spreadsheet, but it will almost certainly break formatting. However, choosing Import, will keep the formatting and you will likely not notice any difference between having the file open in either Excel or Sheets.

Let’s go ahead and click on Import.


Now, on the Import file pop window, you have five options at the top. In most scenarios, you will have downloaded an Excel file from NetSuite, an Email or another way. Because you’re likely using a downloaded file, we will choose Upload at the top.

Once the Upload menu is open, you now have multiple ways to put your file into here. The first is the Drag and Drop feature. If you have File Explorer open, you can click to drag and drop it anywhere onto the Upload menu. Alternatively, we can choose “Select a file from your device”.


Now, it will open File Explorer, for you to locate the spreadsheet that you want to import. Go ahead and click on the file to import.


Now, you’ll have another window open up, called Import File. This is to verify that you wish to replace the current spreadsheet or import the file into a new spreadsheet. Because we chose the option for a Blank spreadsheet at the beginning, we’ll choose to replace that Blank spreadsheet with the new file that is being imported.


Congratulations, you’ve successfully imported an Excel spreadsheet into Google Sheets, retaining all formatting!

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