Creating & Opening a Spreadsheet
1. Go to Google Sheets.
Enter https://sheets.google.com/ into the URL bar of your web browser. This will
take you straight to the Sheets home page.
● Or, go to https://www.google.com/sheets/about/ and click Go to Sheets.
● Or, click the 9-dot grid button in the upper-right corner of
https://www.google.com/, Gmail, or any Google web app. Select Sheets
from the menu.
2. Open a new spreadsheet. Hover over the Plus (+) icon in the bottom right of the
Sheets homepage.
This will pop up two options:
● Create a new spreadsheet: opens a blank spreadsheet.
● Choose template opens the template gallery, where you can choose a
premade layout that fits your spreadsheet needs.
● You can also open a new spreadsheet from Google Drive by clicking the
New button and selecting Google Sheets.
3. Rename your spreadsheet. New spreadsheets will have “Untitled spreadsheet”
in the upper-left title box. Click that text and type in the title you want for the
spreadsheet.
Opening an Excel File in Sheets
1. Upload a .xlsx Excel file to your Google Drive. You can drag and drop the
Excel file from your computer’s files (File Explorer on Windows, Finder on
macOS) into any Google Drive folder in your web browser.
● Alternatively, click New File Upload in Google Drive, then File Upload.
2. Right-click the Excel file. Then, choose Open with > Google Sheets in the
pop-up menu. This will open the Excel file in Google Sheets.
Note: The .XLSX icon next to the title in the Google Sheets editor indicates that you’re
working on an Excel file. If there’s a red dot notification on this icon, there may be a
compatibility issue. The formatting and formulas might not be exactly correct. You need
to change the format accordingly.
Saving & Sharing Spreadsheets
1. Finalise your spreadsheet. While Google Sheets automatically saves your
drafts, you can rename your spreadsheet or make a copy of it before sharing it
with others. You can find additional options in the File tab.
2. Share your spreadsheet. You can find the Share function under the File tab, or
as a blue button in the upper-right corner. Click Share and enter the email
addresses of the individuals you want to share the sheet with.
● Sharing a sheet with some means that they can view, comment on, or
edit the file directly.
● There’s also an option to create a shareable link that you can send to
people separately.
3. Download your spreadsheet. If you want a copy of your spreadsheet locally on
your computer, select the "Download as" option under the File tab.
There are several options, including downloading the document as an Excel
(.xlsx) file, .csv, or PDF.
4. Email your spreadsheet. You'll find this option under the File tab. You can either
email collaborators (the individuals you've already shared the spreadsheet with)
or email the spreadsheet to others as an attachment.
