How to Get Data from Google Sheets

Google Sheets is the unofficial database for millions of businesses, acting as a flexible hub for everything from ad spend tracking to content calendars. But its real power is unlocked when you get data out of the spreadsheet and into other tools for analysis, visualization, or integration. This guide walks you through the best methods for pulling data from Google Sheets, from simple copy-pasting to connecting it with sophisticated dashboard tools.

Best Practices for Using Google Sheets as a Data Source

Before pulling your data, a little preparation goes a long way. To make any extraction method smoother and more reliable, it helps to treat your Google Sheet like a clean, structured database table. Following these principles will save you headaches down the road, no matter which method you choose.

Keep Raw Data and Analysis Separate: Create one tab dedicated to your raw data input. Use other tabs for your summaries, pivot tables, formulas, and charts. This way, when you connect an external tool, you can point it directly to the clean "raw data" tab without worrying about breaking your formulas.
One Header Row Only: Ensure the first row of your data tab contains clear, unique headers for each column. Avoid multiple header rows, merged cells in the header, or extra text above it. Most data connectors use the first row to identify the data fields.
Maintain Consistent Data Formatting: Keep the data type in each column consistent. A "Date" column should only contain dates, and a "Revenue" column should only contain numbers. Mixed data types (like having "N/A" text in a number column) can cause errors during import or analysis.
Avoid Merged Cells: Merged cells are great for visual formatting but are a nightmare for data tools. They disrupt the grid structure of cells in rows and columns, often leading to import errors or skewed data. Keep each piece of information in its own individual cell.
Understand Sharing Permissions: Be mindful of who has access to your source sheet. If you're connecting it to a BI platform, the user or service account making the connection needs at least "View" access. Accidental changes to the source sheet by someone with "Edit" access can break your entire reporting workflow.

Method 1: Copy and Paste for Quick, One-Time Analysis

Let's start with the most basic method. Sometimes, you just need a quick data snapshot for a presentation or a one-off chart in another tool. In these cases, a simple copy and paste is perfectly fine.

When to use it: When you need data for a single-use task and don't require a live connection for ongoing updates.

How It Works:

Open your Google Sheet and highlight the exact range of cells you need.
Press Ctrl+C (on Windows) or Cmd+C (on Mac) to copy the data.
Navigate to your destination - another spreadsheet, a Google Doc, a report in another SaaS tool - and press Ctrl+V or Cmd+V to paste.

Pros: It's the fastest and simplest method, requiring zero setup.

Cons: The data is static. If the source sheet updates, your copied data will be outdated, forcing you to repeat the process. This method is highly inefficient for any sort of regular reporting.

Method 2: Use the IMPORTRANGE Function Between Sheets

If your goal is to pull data from one Google Sheet into another, the IMPORTRANGE function is your best friend. It creates a live, one-way sync, making it perfect for creating a master dashboard or combining information from multiple sheets without manual updating.

When to use it: For creating summary dashboards within Google Sheets or when a specific team needs to view - but not edit - data from a central spreadsheet.

How It Works:

The function’s syntax is straightforward:

=IMPORTRANGE("spreadsheet_url", "range_string")

spreadsheet_url: The full URL of the Google Sheet you want to pull data from. Enclose it in double quotes.
range_string: The name of the tab and the cell range you need, like "Sheet1!A1:G100". Enclose this in double quotes as well.

Let's say you want to pull sales data from a master spreadsheet into a separate regional report. In your new sheet, you'd paste the following formula into cell A1:

=IMPORTRANGE("https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/abc123xyz...", "Q4 Sales!A1:F250")

The first time you use this formula to connect two sheets, you will get a #REF! error. Simply hover your mouse over the cell and click the "Allow access" button that appears. This grants permission for the two sheets to share data. Once connected, the data from your source sheet will instantly populate your new sheet and will update automatically as the source data changes.

Pros: Creates a dynamic link between sheets, keeping data in sync automatically. More secure than public sharing, as it requires one-time permission.

Cons: Importing huge datasets can slow down your spreadsheet's performance. It only works for connecting Google Sheets to other Google Sheets.

Method 3: Publish to the Web for a Public Link

This method generates a shareable link that presents your Google Sheet data as a simple webpage, a CSV file, or another format. This is extremely useful for feeding data into other applications that can import from a URL.

When to use it: When you need to provide a live data feed to an application, embed a simple table on a website, or share non-sensitive data publicly.

How It Works:

In Google Sheets, go to File > Share > Publish to web.
In the "Link" tab, choose whether you want to publish the entire document or a specific tab. This is crucial for avoiding sharing unintended data.
Next, choose the format. "Web page" is for embedding, but for getting data, you'll often want Comma-separated values (.csv). This creates a direct download link to your data in a universally recognized format.
Under "Published content & settings," ensure "Automatically republish when changes are made" is checked to keep the data fresh.
Click "Publish" and copy the final URL.

You can now use this link in any tool that accepts a CSV from a URL, giving you a semi-live data feed. Note there can be a delay of up to five minutes for changes to be reflected at the public link.

Pros: Provides a stable URL for data access. Great for tools that can ingest data from a CSV link.

Cons: The data is public. Anyone with the link can see it, so this method should never be used for sensitive or private information.

Method 4: Connect Google Sheets to a Business Intelligence Tool

For serious reporting and data visualization, you'll want to connect Google Sheets directly to a dedicated BI tool. Platforms like Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio), Power BI, and Tableau are designed to turn raw data into interactive dashboards.

When to use it: When your goal is to create professional, automated reports and dashboards, or when you need to blend your Google Sheets data with data from other sources like Google Analytics, Shopify, or Salesforce.

How It Works (Using Looker Studio as an example):

Navigate to Looker Studio and start a new report or data source.
Search for the list of available connectors and select "Google Sheets."
You'll be asked to authorize Looker Studio to access your Google Drive files. Grant permission.
A list of your available spreadsheets will appear. Select the file you want to connect, the specific worksheet (tab), and configure options like "Use first row as headers."
Click "Connect" in the top right corner.

That's it. Looker Studio will load the fields (column headers) from your sheet, and you can start dragging and dropping them to build charts and tables. This dashboard will update automatically based on the data in your source Google Sheet.

Pros: Unlocks powerful data visualization and reporting capabilities. Allows you to merge Sheets data with dozens of other business data sources for a complete picture.

Cons: Requires learning a new tool. Depending on your needs, a BI platform might come with its own costs and a steeper learning curve than simple formulas.

Final Thoughts

Getting your data out of Google Sheets opens up a huge range of possibilities, from simple data sharing with IMPORTRANGE to robust, multi-source dashboards in a dedicated BI tool. The right method is simply the one that best fits your immediate goal, technical comfort level, and the sensitivity of your information.

As you build more sophisticated reports, you'll often find that the next step is combining your Google Sheets data with performance data from other platforms. Here at Graphed, we’ve designed our platform to make this process intuitive. You can easily connect a Google Sheet containing your sales targets or budget data, and then ask questions that merge it with live data from Google Ads, Facebook Ads, or your Shopify store, all in one place. Instead of spending time manually configuring connectors and reports, Graphed allows you to get straight to insights by simply describing the dashboard you want to see in plain English.