Google Sheets cheat sheet: How to get started

Google Sheets is a powerful spreadsheet app that you use through your web browser. It stores your spreadsheets in the cloud with Google Drive. In addition to the web app, there are Sheets mobile apps for Android and iOS.

Anyone with a Google account can use Sheets and Drive for free. They’re also part of Google Workspace, Google’s subscription-based collection of web apps that also includes Gmail, Google Docs, Google Slides, and more. Sheets works similarly for everybody, but it has a few more advanced features for Workspace subscribers.

This guide will teach you how to create or upload spreadsheets and work with them in the Sheets web app, including how to collaborate on them with co-workers.

[ See more Google Workspace tips and tutorials ]

We’ll also cover a few Gemini (Google’s generative AI assistant) features that are integrated with Google Sheets. Gemini tools are available in Google Docs with a Google Workspace Business Standard or greater plan, a Google AI Pro or greater plan, or if you sign up for Google Workspace Labs with your Google account.

In this story:

Create or open a spreadsheet

Work in a spreadsheet (with or without Gemini AI)

Share your spreadsheet

Collaborate on your spreadsheet

Recover older versions of a spreadsheet

Download and export your spreadsheet to Excel or PDF

Use the Google Sheets mobile app

Use keyboard shortcuts

Create or open a spreadsheet

To start a new spreadsheet or load one you’ve already saved in Google Drive, you’ll need to sign in to your Google or Google Workspace account. If you haven’t signed in yet, you’ll be prompted to do so when you click either link below.

From the Google Sheets home screen: To start a new spreadsheet, click the Blank spreadsheet thumbnail or select a template to its right. To see more templates, click the Template gallery button in the upper-right corner of the screen; click any thumbnail to start a new spreadsheet in that template.

The Google Sheets home page.
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From the Google Drive home screen: To start a new blank spreadsheet, click the New button at the upper-left of the screen and then click Google Sheets. If you want to select a template to start a new spreadsheet, click the New button, then move the cursor over the triangle to the right of “Google Spreadsheets” and select From a template. The Google Sheets template gallery will open.

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Howard Wen / Foundry

From the web browser address bar: You can immediately launch Google Sheets and start a new blank spreadsheet in it by simply typing sheets.new in the address bar of your web browser. (This works if you’re already signed in to your Google or Google Workspace account on the browser.)

Open a spreadsheet

Spreadsheets that are already in your Google Drive storage appear on the Google Sheets and Google Drive home screens. Double-click a spreadsheet, and it will open in Google Sheets. You can use the search box at the top of either home screen to search for your spreadsheet’s file name or data that is in it.

On the Google Sheets home screen, you can also click the folder icon on the right above the spreadsheets list. This opens a simplified version of your Google Drive inside a panel.

To open a spreadsheet that someone else has shared with you via Google Drive: On the Google Drive home screen, click Shared with me in the left column, and then double-click the spreadsheet to open it in Google Sheets.

Upload a spreadsheet for editing in Google Sheets

If you have a spreadsheet on your PC that you want to edit in Google Sheets, you have to first upload it. Google Sheets supports Microsoft Excel (.xlsx), OpenDocument (.ods), and Comma Separated Values (.csv) formats.

To upload via the Google Sheets home screen: Click the folder icon on the right above the spreadsheets list, then click the Upload tab on the panel that opens. You can drag-and-drop the spreadsheet onto this panel or browse your PC’s storage drive to find and select the spreadsheet. The file is saved to your Google Drive in Sheets format and opens immediately in the Sheets web app.

To upload an Excel spreadsheet, drag the file onto this panel or browse to it on your hard drive.
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To upload via the Google Drive home screen: Click New > File upload and select the spreadsheet from your PC’s drive. The document retains its original formatting.

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Working with Microsoft Excel spreadsheets in Sheets

Google Sheets supports the ability to edit Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) files in their native format. You can edit and collaborate on an Excel file right in Sheets, with all changes made by you or your collaborators saved directly to the Excel file.

To retain the Excel format, though, you must upload the file through Google Drive. When you upload an Excel spreadsheet document through the Google Sheets home screen, it is automatically converted to the Sheets file format.

When you upload an Excel file through the Google Drive home screen, on the other hand, it is not automatically converted to Sheets file format — so an Excel spreadsheet will retain its format and.xlsx file extension. In the documents list, Excel files are designated with an X icon instead of the usual Sheets icon.

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Howard Wen / Foundry

If you would prefer that Excel (and other spreadsheet format) files be automatically converted to Sheets format when you upload them via Google Drive, click the gear icon in the upper-right corner of the Google Drive home screen and select Settings from the drop-down menu. On the Settings page, scroll down to “Uploads” and check the checkbox marked Convert uploads to Google Docs editor format.

To convert Excel macros to Google Sheets: If an Excel file you’re converting to Sheets format contains VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) code, which is used for macros, and you’re subscribed to a Google Workplace Enterprise Plus plan, install the Macro Converter add-on for Google Sheets. This will do as its name implies: convert your Excel file’s VBA code to the App Script format that Google Sheets uses, so that you can execute these macros in your spreadsheet when it’s loaded into Google Sheets.

Work in a spreadsheet

When you open a spreadsheet in Google Sheets, here’s what you see:

The Google Sheets editing interface.
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Your spreadsheet’s title appears along the top left of the screen. To change it, click anywhere inside the title and start typing.

The menu bar is just below the spreadsheet’s title and includes the following drop-down menus:

File: commands for taking action on the whole spreadsheet, including Print, Rename, and Share

Edit: quick tools for deleting columns or rows

View: control how you see the spreadsheet, such as showing or hiding formulas, freezing rows or columns, and grouping together columns or rows

Insert: insert cells, columns, or rows; graphical elements such as charts and images; and other items such as functions, comments, and checkboxes

Format: the same formatting tools as in the Sheets toolbar (described below), plus commands for conditional formatting and alternating colors

Data: tools for sorting a range of columns in alphabetical order, creating a filter, protecting sheets and ranges, and validating data

Tools: miscellaneous items such as creating a form and running spell-check

Extensions: work with add-ons, macros, scripts, and apps

Help: search for commands or get help for specific tasks

The Data menu includes tools for sorting, filtering, validating, and cleaning up data.
Howard Wen / Foundry

The toolbar is directly above your spreadsheet and has buttons for formatting the numbers and text in a cell. These include changing its number format (e.g., currency, date, percent) and font (type, size, style, color). Other buttons on the toolbar let you change the background color of a cell, merge cells, and adjust the horizontal or vertical alignment of numbers or text in a cell.

Note that there is no Save command; Sheets automatically saves any changes as soon as you make them.

To insert a chart: Click the Insert chart button (a square with vertical lines in it, like a column chart) toward the right end of the toolbar. (You might have to click the vertical three-dot icon to see it.) This opens a panel along the right from which you can select a preset chart or click the Customize tab to create your own chart.

Inserting a chart in Google Sheets.
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To insert a formula: Click the Functions button (a Greek sigma) at the very end of the toolbar. (You might have to click the vertical three-dot icon to see it.) This opens a drop-down menu of formulas (a.k.a. functions) that Google Sheets supports.

Click through the categories to find the formula you want. Once you find it, click the formula to insert it inside the cell where you’ve set the cursor.

Inserting a formula in Google Sheets.
Howard Wen / Foundry

For a complete list of formulas/functions that work in Google Sheets, see the official Google Sheets functions list.

To insert a table: When you start a new, blank spreadsheet, a Tables panel may open along the right. (For some users, it doesn’t appear automatically; it seems to depend on the type of Google account you’re signed into.) If the panel doesn’t automatically appear on a new spreadsheet or if you open an existing spreadsheet, you can open the Tables panel by selecting Insert > Pre-built tables from the top menu bar.

On this panel, you can browse through a wide selection of table templates designed for specific purposes, such as “Event tasks,” “Customer contacts,” and “Inventory tracker.” A few featured tables appear at the top of the panel, with the rest organized under categories such as “Event planning,” “Project management,” “Travel planner,” and “Team planner.” There’s also a “Blank table” option you can choose if you want to start from scratch.

You can choose from dozens of pre-built table templates, then fill in your own data.
Howard Wen / Foundry

When you select a table template, it’s inserted onto your spreadsheet. You can then customize it to your needs — filling in cell data, changing column headers, resizing it, and so on.

If you have access to Google’s AI assistant Gemini in Sheets, some of the templates include AI elements, such AI-generated ad copy in the “Ad creation” table template. Gemini users also see a prominent “Help me create a table” button in the Tables panel. If you click it, it opens the Gemini sidebar described below.

Use Gemini AI in your spreadsheet

If you have Gemini access as described at the beginning of this guide, Google’s AI can help you create and analyze data in your spreadsheet. Click the nova star icon at the upper-right corner (next to your Google account profile headshot) to open the Gemini sidebar along the right.

At the top of this panel, Gemini may generate a summary describing the data in the spreadsheet that’s open in the main window. You’ll also see suggested prompts you can select, such as creating a table for a specific purpose or analyzing the spreadsheet’s data to identify trends.

Gemini can summarize a spreadsheet, analyze its data, or create items like charts or formulas.
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Note: If you’re using Google Sheets under a plan that doesn’t include Gemini, clicking the nova star will open the Gemini panel showing you an ad for Gemini and a button you can click to start a trial.

Or you can type your own prompt inside the entry box at the bottom of the panel. You can instruct Gemini to do a variety of things, such as creating formulas, tables, or pivot tables; generating charts or other informational graphics; or doing other tasks like applying conditional formatting. Gemini continuously analyzes your spreadsheet so that it can help you create these and other items.

You can also try asking Gemini questions about the data in your spreadsheet. For example: You have a spreadsheet that lists sales figures (denoted as “price” on your spreadsheet) made by a specific person (“Mary”). When you type “What’s the sum of price by Mary?” Gemini should show you the total in sales that Mary made.

srcset='https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-12-gemini-pane-query.png?quality=50&strip=all 618w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-12-gemini-pane-query.png?resize=300%2C146&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-12-gemini-pane-query.png?resize=150%2C73&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-12-gemini-pane-query.png?resize=444%2C216&quality=50&strip=all 444w' width='618' height='301' sizes='auto, (max-width: 618px) 100vw, 618px'>You can ask Gemini questions about your data.Howard Wen / Foundry

Note: When you prompt Gemini to show you charts or generate formulas, it may not always do so, but it may try to guide you through the process by offering suggestions on how to best work with your data.

You can insert a chart or formula generated by Gemini into your spreadsheet by clicking Insert below the item in the sidebar.

There’s lots more you can do with Gemini in Google Sheets and the other Workspace apps. See “Google Workspace: 7 great ways to use the Gemini AI sidebar” for detailed instructions and use cases.

Manage multiple sheets in a spreadsheet

Each page of your spreadsheet is represented as a tab along the bottom of the screen. Clicking one of these tabs shows you its corresponding sheet on the screen.

To add a new, blank sheet to your spreadsheet: Click the “+” at the lower-left corner.

To delete or rename a sheet: Click the triangle on the sheet’s tab. From the menu that opens, select Delete or Rename.

To change the order of your sheets: Click-and-hold a sheet’s tab, then drag it left or right to another spot in the row of tabs, and release it.

Use the tab menu to delete, duplicate, copy, rename, or move a sheet.
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Select a design theme for your spreadsheet

On the menu bar along the top of the screen, click Format > Theme. A panel will open along the right, showing you several large thumbnails of themes. Scroll through the list and click the thumbnail for the one that you want to use for your spreadsheet. You can apply a theme to a new blank spreadsheet or to one that already has a design.

Applying a theme to a spreadsheet.
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Get assistance as you enter data

As you’re entering formulas into cells, Google Sheets may make corrections to your formula (if it thinks you’ve made a mistake) or fill in cells with suggested adjustments to your formula.

For example, if you’re entering the same formula cell-by-cell down a column, but changing the formula to correspond with the row number, Sheets may automatically insert your formula into the cells further down the column and apply what it predicts will be your succeeding adjustments to the formula.

This intelligent assistance is on by default, but if you find that it gets in your way, you can turn it off: On the menu bar along the top of the screen, click Tools > Suggestion controls and deselect Enable autocomplete, Enable formula suggestions, and Enable formula corrections. On this menu, you’ll see switches for other categories, such as table and data analysis suggestions, that you can switch off.

If Sheets’ formula suggestions aren’t working for you, you can disable them.
Howard Wen / Foundry

Share your spreadsheet

Through Google Sheets or Google Drive, you can share a spreadsheet for others to view or edit.

From the Google Sheets screen where you’re editing your spreadsheet, click the light blue Share button at the upper right. Or, from the Google Drive home screen, right-click the filename of your spreadsheet and select Share > Share from the menu that opens. Either way, the Share pane opens.

Google lets you share your spreadsheet privately by inviting specific people to access it, or publicly, which means anyone with the link to it can open it. In most cases, business users will want to share their spreadsheets privately with specific colleagues. But there may be a few times when you need to share it publicly, such as when you’re seeking public comments on a spreadsheet.

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Howard Wen / Foundry

Share your spreadsheet privately (only certain people can access it)

On the Share pane, type in the names or email addresses of the people you want to collaborate with on the spreadsheet. You can also type in a brief message to them.

By default, every person you add is given Editor access to your spreadsheet. You can change this by clicking Editor at the right of their name and selecting Commenter or Viewer from the dropdown that opens.

Editor means they can change your spreadsheet, add comments to it, and reshare it with other people.

Commenter means they can view your spreadsheet and add comments to it, but they cannot change it.

Viewer means they can view your spreadsheet, but they cannot change it or add comments to it.

Keep in mind that this setting applies to everyone you’re currently inviting to the spreadsheet.

When you’re done, click Send. Everyone you’ve added will receive an email with a link they can click to access the spreadsheet.

Change, limit, or revoke permissions

You can change anyone’s permissions for a spreadsheet at any time by reopening the Share pane for the spreadsheet. It will list everyone who has access to the spreadsheet. Click the dropdown next to their name to change their permission level or remove their access entirely, then click Save.

You can change permissions for people you’ve shared a spreadsheet with on an individual basis.
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You can also limit the overall permissions for a spreadsheet somewhat by clicking the gear icon in the upper right of the Share pane:

Uncheck the first checkbox to prevent others at the Editor level from resharing the spreadsheet or changing other collaborators’ permission level.

Uncheck the second to prevent other Editors from downloading, printing, or copying the spreadsheet. Uncheck the third to do the same for anyone with Viewer or Commenter status.

Set an expiration date

Under a Google Workspace plan, you can also cut off access to a person you’ve shared your spreadsheet with starting on a specified date.

To do this, click the down arrow to the right of a collaborator’s name on the Share pane and select Add expiration. Then, to the right of “Access expires…,” click the pencil icon and select an expiration date (and time if you want) on the pop-up calendar; it can be within one year of the current date. Click Done.

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Howard Wen / Foundry

Share your spreadsheet publicly (anyone can access it)

At the bottom of the Share pane is a “Copy link” button that you can click to copy the link to your spreadsheet. By default, this link is restricted to those you invite to the spreadsheet.

To change it to a public link, click Restricted and select Anyone with the link from the dropdown menu.

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Howard Wen / Foundry

By default, this link has Viewer access assigned to it. To allow people to comment on or edit your spreadsheet: Click the Viewer dropdown to the right and then select Commenter or Editor.

After you’ve made your above selections, click the Copy link button. You can now paste this link to your spreadsheet into an email, direct message, or document, or post it on a public forum or social media. Remember that anyone who sees and clicks this link will be able to access your spreadsheet.

To turn off this publicly accessible link to your spreadsheet, reopen the Share pane and click Anyone with the link. From the dropdown that opens, select Restricted. Then click the Done button.

Status of your shared spreadsheets

On your Google Drive or Google Sheets home screen, spreadsheets you’re sharing privately or publicly are marked by an icon of two silhouetted heads. (If you have the home screen of Google Drive set to “Grid layout,” this icon won’t appear with the thumbnail or filename of a shared spreadsheet.)

srcset='https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-20-shared-icon.png?quality=50&strip=all 717w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-20-shared-icon.png?resize=300%2C80&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-20-shared-icon.png?resize=150%2C40&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-20-shared-icon.png?resize=640%2C171&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-20-shared-icon.png?resize=444%2C119&quality=50&strip=all 444w' width='717' height='192' sizes='auto, (max-width: 717px) 100vw, 717px'>In file listings, shared spreadsheets show a “shared” icon to the right.
Howard Wen / Foundry

Collaborate on your spreadsheet

The people you’ve shared a spreadsheet with can view or work on it at the same time as you, or at other times. Remember that people who have Editor privileges to your spreadsheet can change all aspects of it.

Having multiple people making changes to a spreadsheet can get confusing and introduce errors. In most cases, setting everyone to Commenter is the best way to collaborate in Sheets. People can attach comments to specific cells, but their comments won’t interfere with your spreadsheet’s data.

To add a comment: Click inside a cell and, on the toolbar above the spreadsheet, click the Insert comment icon (the speech balloon with a + toward the right end of the toolbar — you might have to click the vertical three-dot icon to see it).

Click this toolbar button to insert a comment.
Howard Wen / Foundry

A blank comment card with your name on it opens by the cell. On this card’s entry line, type a brief comment, and when you’re finished, click the Comment button.

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Howard Wen / Foundry

To draw someone’s attention to a comment: As you’re composing the comment, type the @ symbol and begin typing their name, then select the person from the list of suggested Google contacts that appears. They’ll receive an email notifying them of the comment and linking to it.

To read and reply to a comment: A cell that contains a comment is denoted by a tiny triangle at its upper-right corner. To read it, move the pointer over the cell; the commenter’s name and their comment will appear next to it.

To reply: Click the card or cell. The card will expand to reveal an entry box where you can add a comment in response. Click Reply when you’re done. The comment card will now show the original comment and your reply to it.

srcset='https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-23-respond-to-comment.png?quality=50&strip=all 613w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-23-respond-to-comment.png?resize=300%2C188&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-23-respond-to-comment.png?resize=267%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 267w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-23-respond-to-comment.png?resize=134%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 134w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-23-respond-to-comment.png?resize=573%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 573w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-23-respond-to-comment.png?resize=398%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 398w' width='613' height='385' sizes='auto, (max-width: 613px) 100vw, 613px'>Reading and responding to a comment.
Howard Wen / Foundry

To edit, delete, or resolve a comment: Move the pointer over the cell that has a comment. The comment card will open. Move the pointer over the card.

Clicking the blue checkmark marks this comment as “resolved” and removes the card from the main spreadsheet.

Clicking the three-dot icon to the right of the original first comment opens a menu that lets you edit, delete, or get a link to your comment.

Clicking the three-dot icon to the right of any reply opens a menu that lets you edit or delete the reply.

To see all comments in a spreadsheet: Click the speech balloon icon that’s toward the upper right of the Sheets window (it’s to the left of the Share button). The Comments panel will open along the right of the screen; it lists all the comment cards in your spreadsheet.

When you click a comment card on this list, the view of your spreadsheet in the main window will jump to the cell where the comment is located, and the comment card will be opened. You can reply to the comment from within the Comments panel or the comment card on the spreadsheet.

srcset='https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-24-comments-pane.png?quality=50&strip=all 606w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-24-comments-pane.png?resize=219%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 219w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-24-comments-pane.png?resize=510%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 510w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-24-comments-pane.png?resize=123%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 123w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-24-comments-pane.png?resize=61%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 61w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-24-comments-pane.png?resize=351%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 351w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-24-comments-pane.png?resize=263%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 263w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-sheets-cs-24-comments-pane.png?resize=183%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 183w' width='606' height='829' sizes='auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px'>The Comments pane lets you quickly review all comments and jump to specific ones.
Howard Wen / Foundry

Resolved comments appear at the top of the Comments panel. To restore a resolved comment to the spreadsheet, move the pointer over its comment card, click the three-dot icon that appears on it, and select Re-open from the menu.

For more details about collaborating on your spreadsheet, including what it’s like to collaborate in real time, see “How to collaborate on a document” in our Google Drive guide.

Recover older versions of a spreadsheet

Mistakes happen, and you may want to undo changes you or others have made to a spreadsheet. To look up older versions of an open spreadsheet, click File > Version history > See version history. Or, above your spreadsheet, and toward the upper right, click the clock icon.

A panel opens on the right that shows a list of older versions of your spreadsheet, organized by date and time. To see what an earlier version of the spreadsheet looks like, click its date or version name in the list. That version will appear in the main window.

Viewing an earlier version of a spreadsheet with version history.
Howard Wen / Foundry

If you want to use this older version to replace the current version of your spreadsheet, click the blue Restore this version button at the upper-left of the screen. This restored version will then appear at the top of the version history list.

If you want to give an older version a unique name, click its date. You’ll be prompted to type in words to replace the date. The version’s date and time will then appear in smaller type underneath its new name.

Download and export your spreadsheet to Excel or PDF

You can download a spreadsheet and convert it to PDF,.xlsx (if it’s not already an Excel spreadsheet), or another format such as OpenDocument (.ods), Comma Separated Values (.csv), or Tab Separated Values (.tsv).

With the spreadsheet open, select File > Download in the top menu bar and choose a file format. The spreadsheet will be saved to your PC’s storage drive in that format.

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Howard Wen / Foundry

Alternatively, you can select File > Email and then pick either Email this file or Email collaborators. This action will open a panel that lets you email your document as an attachment. PDF is the default, but you can click the PDF drop-down menu and choose Excel or Open Office Spreadsheet.

Use the Google Sheets mobile app

With the exception of the Version history tool, the Google Sheets app (available for Android, iPhone and iPad) has many of the same features described in this guide. You probably won’t want to do any heavy spreadsheet editing on a phone screen, but the mobile app is handy for making quick edits, as well as sharing and commenting on sheets.

Toolbars along the top and bottom of the screen let you add comments and new sheets to your spreadsheet. Tapping a cell brings up top and bottom toolbars. The selections on these toolbars let you add columns or rows next to the cell, or edit the formula or text inside it.

Tap the three-dot icon at the right end of the top toolbar to use the “Data validation” tool or to create named ranges, share your spreadsheet (see our Google Drive guide for instructions on sharing from the mobile app), or export it to another file format.

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