How to Create a Google Sheets Template Preview Link

Sharing a Google Sheet is easy, but sharing it the right way can be a game-changer. Sending a direct link often leads to chaos: collaborators accidentally deleting formulas, unwanted edit requests piling up, or your master template getting ruined. This guide will show you how to transform a standard Google Sheets URL into a professional, non-editable template link, giving people a clean preview and forcing them to make their own copy.

What Exactly Is a Google Sheets Template Link?

You’ve probably seen three types of Google Drive links in the wild:

The Standard Edit Link: This is the default link you get when you hit "Share." It opens the live document, letting anyone with access make changes directly to your sheet. It's great for real-time collaboration but risky for sharing templates.
The "View Only" Link: This gives people read-only access. They can see the data, but they can't edit it. They still need to manually go to File > Make a copy to create their own version, which isn't always obvious.
The Template Preview Link: This is the magic we're after. A user who clicks this link sees a clean, polished preview page of your spreadsheet. It's not the live document. In the top-right corner, there’s a big, inviting blue button that says “Use template.” Clicking it instantly creates a brand-new copy of the sheet in their own Google Drive, leaving your original version untouched.

A popular variation is the "force a copy" link, which skips the preview and immediately prompts the user to create a copy. Both methods serve the same primary goal: protecting your original file while making it incredibly simple for others to use your work. This is perfect for distributing project planners, budget calculators, content calendars, client reports, or any standardized document.

How to Create the `/template/preview` Link Step-by-Step

Creating this professional-looking template link involves two simple stages: getting the sharing settings right and making a small tweak to the URL. Let's walk through it.

Step 1: Set Your Sharing Permissions

Before you modify any URLs, you need to ensure your Google Sheet is accessible to the people you're sending it to. If the sheet is private, an edited link won't do anything - they’ll just hit an access-denied wall.

Open the Google Sheet you want to turn into a template.
Click the green “Share” button in the top-right corner.
Look for the “General access” section. If it says “Restricted,” click on it and change it to “Anyone with the link.”
Next to "Anyone with the link," make sure the role is set to “Viewer.” Setting it to “Commenter” or “Editor” isn’t necessary and could create confusion or security holes. “Viewer” is all that’s needed for the template link to work its magic.
Click the “Copy link” button, then click “Done.”

You now have a standard shareable link copied to your clipboard. This is the raw material we'll use in the next step.

Step 2: Modify the Sheet's URL

This is where the transformation happens. It might feel a little technical, but it's just a simple find-and-replace action.

Paste the link you just copied into a text editor, notepad, or even your browser's address bar so you can see it clearly. It will look something like this:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aBcDeFgHiJkLmNoPqRsTuVwXyZ123abc456def78/edit?usp=sharing

Let’s break down this URL so you understand what you're changing:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ — This is the standard base URL for all Google Sheets.
1aBcDeFgHiJkLmNoPqRsTuVwXyZ123abc456def78/ — This is the unique ID for your specific spreadsheet. Never change this part.
edit?usp=sharing — This is the piece that tells Google to open the sheet in edit mode. This is the part we will replace.

To create the template link, highlight the final part of the URL, from /edit to the end, and simply replace it with /template/preview.

So, our original link:

/edit?usp=sharing

Becomes:

/template/preview

Your new, fully transformed template link will look like this:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aBcDeFgHiJkLmNoPqRsTuVwXyZ123abc456def78/template/preview

Step 3: Test Your New Template Link

Always test your link before sharing it widely. The easiest way to do this is to open a new "Incognito" or "Private" browser window. This ensures you're viewing the link as a brand new visitor would, without being logged into your Google account.

Paste your new /template/preview link into the address bar and press Enter. You should see a clean preview of your spreadsheet with a prominent blue “Use template” button at the top. If that’s what you see, you did it! Your professional template link is ready to share.

Alternative Method: Forcing a Copy with a `/copy` Link

Sometimes you might want to skip the preview screen and have a user make a copy of your sheet immediately. This is useful for internal teams who already know what the template is and just need a fresh copy to start working in. The process is nearly identical but with a different URL ending.

When to Use `/copy` Instead of `/template/preview`

The /copy method is more direct. There's no page to preview the contents - the user is immediately taken to a page that asks, “Would you like to make a copy?” It removes one click from the process.

Use /template/preview for: Sharing resources with a public audience, customers, or anyone who might want to see what they’re getting before committing. It feels more formal and polished.
Use /copy for: Internal team documents, onboarding checklists, or any situation where the recipient fully expects to make a copy and doesn’t need a preview.

How to Create a `/copy` Link:

Follow the exact same Step 1 from above to set your sharing permissions to "Anyone with the link" can "View."
Copy the shareable link.
Paste the link into a text editor.
Find the /edit?usp=sharing at the end of the URL.
This time, replace it with /copy.

Your finished link will look like this:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aBcDeFgHiJkLmNoPqRsTuVwXyZ123abc456def78/copy

When you test this link in an incognito window, you'll see a page with your file's name and a blue "Make a copy" button. Clicking it saves a copy directly to the user's Google Drive.

More Google Sheets URL Tricks for Pro-Level Sharing

Once you’re comfortable manipulating the end of your Google Sheet URL, you can open up a whole new world of sharing possibilities. Here are a few more handy tricks.

Force a PDF Download

Need to share a report or invoice as a static PDF? Instead of manually downloading and emailing the file every time, you can create a link that triggers a download instantly.

Replace /edit?usp=sharing with /export?format=pdf.

Example:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/YOUR_SHEET_ID/export?format=pdf

Force a CSV Download for a Specific Tab

This is invaluable for developers, data analysts, or anyone who needs raw data from just one sheet within your file. Notice the URL for one of your sheets usually contains 'gid' with a unique ID number - that's the ID for your sheet.

Replace /edit#gid=SHEET_TAB_ID with /export?format=csv&gid=SHEET_TAB_ID.

Example (for the first sheet, which usually has a GID of 0):

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/YOUR_SHEET_ID/export?format=csv&gid=0

Share a "Presentation Mode" Sheet

If you need to share a dashboard or report for viewing on a screen, this trick gives you a minimalist view with no menus, gridlines, or editing tools. It's also great for embedding into a website using an iframe.

Replace /edit?usp=sharing with /preview.

Example:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/YOUR_SHEET_ID/preview

Best Practices for Creating Robust Templates

Creating a great sharing link is just one part of the equation. A well-designed template will save everyone time and reduce confusion.

Include an "Instructions" Tab: Add a first tab called "start here" or "instructions" explaining what the template is, how to use it, and where to fill in information.
Protect Key Cells and Ranges: Inside your sheet, protect any cells with important formulas or text you don’t want anyone to accidentally change (even in their own copy). Select the cells, right-click, and choose "protect range" to set permissions to "Only you" or "Show a warning."
Name Your Tabs Clearly: Use simple, descriptive names like "Monthly Budget," “Content Calendar,” or "Project Timeline" instead of the defaults of "Sheet1" and "Sheet2." This helps users navigate their new copy much faster.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to modify your Google Sheets URL to create /template/preview and /copy links is a small skill with a massive impact. It protects your master files from accidental edits, empowers your team and audience with easy-to-use resources, and provides a much more professional experience than dropping a messy edit link.

While mastering these sharing tricks can certainly make your manual reporting process easier, the best way to level up is to remove the manual work altogether. Instead of downloading CSVs and pasting data into a template every week, we built Graphed to connect directly to all your data sources (like Google Analytics, Shopify, Facebook ads, and Salesforce) and do the heavy lifting for you. You can create live, interactive dashboards using simple plain English — it’s like having a data analyst building your reports for you, saving you hours each week.