How to Insert Data into Google Sheets

Getting your data into Google Sheets is the first step toward transforming raw numbers into meaningful insights. Whether you're tracking sales figures, marketing campaign performance, or project tasks, knowing how to import data efficiently is a fundamental skill. This guide will walk you through several methods for inserting data, from the simplest copy-paste to more powerful, automated techniques.

The Easiest Methods: Manual Entry & Copy-Paste

Sometimes, the most straightforward approach is the best one. These methods are perfect for small datasets or when you need to quickly move information into a spreadsheet.

Typing Data Directly

The most basic way to insert data is to type it directly into the cells. While it might seem obvious, a few keyboard shortcuts can make the process much faster:

• Enter: Moves the active cell down one row.
• Tab: Moves the active cell one column to the right.
• Shift + Tab: Moves the active cell one column to the left.
• Arrow Keys: Move the active cell in the direction of the arrow.

Using Tab to move across columns and Enter to move to the next row is a quick way to fill out a table of data without ever touching your mouse.

Copy and Paste (with a Pro Tip)

Copying data from another source - like a website, a document, or another spreadsheet - is a daily task for many. Simply highlight the data you want, copy it (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C), and paste it into Google Sheets (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V).

However, this often brings unwanted formatting, such as strange fonts, colors, and cell sizes, creating a messy spreadsheet that's hard to work with. Here's the pro tip:

Use Paste values only (Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+V or Cmd+Shift+V). This command pastes just the raw data - the text and numbers - without any of the original formatting. It's the best way to keep your spreadsheet clean and consistent, saving you the headache of manually reformatting everything.

Importing Files Directly into Google Sheets

When you have a complete dataset saved in a file, such as a CSV exported from another application, you can import it directly. This method is ideal for larger datasets and standard file formats.

Follow these steps:

1. Click on File in the top menu.
2. Select Import from the dropdown.
3. In the import window, you can choose to Upload a file from your computer or select one already in your My Drive.
4. After selecting your file (e.g., a .csv or .xlsx file), an "Import file" dialog box will appear.

This dialog gives you several critical options:

• Import location: You can choose to "Create a new spreadsheet," "Insert new sheet(s)," or "Replace spreadsheet." Be careful with "Replace," as it will overwrite all existing data in your current sheet. "Insert new sheet" is usually the safest bet.
• Separator type: Google Sheets is smart and will typically detect whether your data is separated by commas, tabs, or another character. You can also specify this manually.
• Convert text to numbers, dates, and formulas: Keeping this box checked is generally a good idea, as it helps Google Sheets correctly interpret your data types.

This process is perfect for one-time data dumps, like uploading a list of sales leads from an event or a monthly performance report from a tool that doesn't connect directly.

Using Formulas for Dynamic Data Imports

For data that updates periodically, using formulas is a more efficient approach. Instead of manually re-uploading files, these formulas pull data directly from other sources, and some will even refresh automatically.

IMPORTHTML: Scrape Tables & Lists from Websites

The IMPORTHTML function is perfect for pulling structured data, like tables and lists, directly from a web page. This is great for tracking public information like stock prices, sports statistics, or list-based data from sites like Wikipedia.

The syntax is:

=IMPORTHTML(url, query, index)

• url: The full URL of the webpage, in quotation marks.
• query: Either "table" or "list," depending on what you want to import.
• index: A number indicating which table or list on the page you want to pull (starting with 1). For example, 3 would be the third table on the page.

Example: To pull the first table of data from the Wikipedia page for "List of largest companies by revenue," you would use:

=IMPORTHTML("https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_companies_by_revenue", "table", 1)

Just paste that formula into cell A1, and Google Sheets will automatically fill the cells with the data from that table.

IMPORTRANGE: Pull Data From Another Google Sheet

If you or your team use multiple Google Sheets, IMPORTRANGE is a lifesaver. It allows you to pull a specific range of data from one spreadsheet into another. This is incredibly useful for creating summary dashboards or master reports without having to copy-paste updates constantly.

The syntax is:

=IMPORTRANGE(spreadsheet_url, range_string)

• spreadsheet_url: The full URL of the Google Sheet you want to pull data from.
• range_string: The sheet name and cell range you want to import, like "Sales!A1:F100".

Example: To pull columns A through F from a sheet named "Q3 Sales Data," you would use:

=IMPORTRANGE("YOUR_SPREADSHEET_URL_HERE", "Q3 Sales Data!A:F")

Note: The first time you use IMPORTRANGE to connect two sheets, you'll need to hover over the cell with the formula and click the "Allow access" button to grant permission for the sheets to talk to each other.

IMPORTDATA: Fetch Data from a CSV or TSV File Online

Similar to IMPORTHTML, the IMPORTDATA function imports data, but specifically from a URL that points directly to a .csv (comma-separated value) or .tsv (tab-separated value) file.

The syntax is simple:

=IMPORTDATA(url)

Many public datasets are made available in this format. For instance, if you had a URL pointing to a "live" CSV file of daily store sales that's updated automatically, you could use this function to keep your Google Sheet in sync.

Expand Your Reach with Extensions & Connectors

For data living in SaaS applications like Google Analytics, Facebook Ads, or HubSpot, manual exports and imports can become a time-consuming weekly chore. This is where the Google Workspace Marketplace comes in handy.

You can find third-party add-ons and connectors (like Zapier or Supermetrics) that build a direct pipeline between your favorite apps and Google Sheets. These tools often allow you to schedule automated data refreshes - for example, pulling your ad spend from Facebook Ads into a sheet every morning.

While often requiring a paid subscription, these add-ons can save teams dozens of hours a month on manual reporting tasks, making them a worthwhile investment for data-driven businesses.

Final Thoughts

Mastering a few of these methods will elevate your Google Sheets skills from basic data entry to building powerful, semi-automated reports. Whether you’re scraping a table from a website with IMPORTHTML, consolidating team data with IMPORTRANGE, or simply using Ctrl+Shift+V to keep your sheets tidy, you now have the tools to bring your data together efficiently.

As you get more comfortable pulling data together, you'll find the real bottleneck isn't getting the data into a spreadsheet, but stitching it all together into a cohesive report. For that, we built Graphed to automate the last mile of analytics. We connect directly to your data sources like Google Analytics, Shopify, and Facebook Ads, so you can skip the CSVs and formulas altogether. Just ask a question in plain English, and we'll instantly create the dashboards and reports you need, helping you get from data to decision in seconds.