Upload the file to Google Drive and double-click it, and it opens in Sheets. To bring it into an existing Sheet instead, choose File, then Import, pick the .xlsx file, choose an import option such as Create new spreadsheet and click Import. Password-protected files ask for the password first, then offer Preview or Edit.
You've been sent a workbook and you'd rather not install anything. Good news: Google Sheets will take an .xlsx file directly, and there are two ways in. The first is covered in Google's page on how to edit Office files in Docs, Sheets and Slides, and the second in its guide to importing files into Sheets.
The quick route: double-click it in Drive
- Upload the Excel file to Google Drive, or find it if it's already there.
- Give the file a double-click. Drive hands Office documents to the matching Google app, and for a spreadsheet that app is Sheets.
- Edit as you normally would in Sheets.
A locked workbook adds one extra step on the way in, where Sheets asks for the password and then lets you pick Preview, which is read-only, or Edit.
The import route: bring it into a Sheet you already have
Use this when you want the Excel data inside a spreadsheet that already exists, rather than opening the file on its own.
- Open the Sheet you want to work in.
- Choose File, then Import.
- Choose the file to bring in. Formats such as .xls, .xlsx, .xlsm and .csv are accepted, provided there's no password on it.
- Select an import option, then click Import to finish.
Which import option should you choose?
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Create new spreadsheet | Builds a spreadsheet from the data in a new browser tab |
| Insert new sheets | Adds the data as fresh sheets in your current spreadsheet |
| Replace spreadsheet | Swaps the whole spreadsheet for the imported data |
| Replace current sheet | Swaps only the sheet you're on |
| Append rows to current sheet | Adds the imported rows beneath what's already there |
If you're unsure, Create new spreadsheet is the gentle option, because nothing you already have gets overwritten. The two Replace choices are the ones to think twice about.
Insert new sheets and Append rows to current sheet sit in the middle. They add to what you've got rather than swapping it out, which suits combining a colleague's figures with your own.
A worked example: a workbook someone emailed you
Say a colleague has sent a workbook and your laptop has no spreadsheet app. Save the attachment, drop it into Google Drive, and double-click it. A few moments later it's open in Sheets and you can read it, filter it and type into it like any other Google spreadsheet.
Now suppose you keep a master sheet and just want their rows added to it. Open the master, go to File, then Import, pick their file and choose Append rows to current sheet. Their data lands underneath yours, and your original content stays exactly where it was.
It's worth keeping the original Excel file safe until you've checked the Sheets copy. A quick read-through of totals and formatting is usually enough to confirm nothing important changed on the way over, and it takes far less time than rebuilding a sheet that quietly lost something.
What won't survive the trip
Here's the catch worth knowing before you open an important workbook. Sheets can't run macros from an Office file you edit there, and linked spreadsheets don't carry over either. If the workbook depends on either, the Sheets version won't behave like the original.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
For a wider view of when Sheets is a fair swap, our comparison of Excel and Google Sheets sets out the trade-offs, and once you're in, wrapping text in Google Sheets is a common first tidy-up.
Frequently asked questions
Can I edit an Excel file in Sheets without converting it?
Double-clicking an Office file in Drive opens it in the matching Google app, so you can start editing straight away without a separate export step.
Which file types can I import?
Older workbooks and plain data files are covered as well as modern ones, across several spreadsheet formats, as long as the file isn't locked with a password.
What happens to a password-protected workbook?
Sheets shows a password screen first. After you enter it, the choice is Preview for read-only viewing or Edit.
Will my macros still work?
Expect them not to. Macro support isn't there for Office files edited in Sheets, so test an important workbook before relying on it.
Do linked spreadsheets carry over?
Not in editing. Links to other spreadsheets inside an Excel file aren't supported in Sheets, so don't assume they'll keep updating.
Which option keeps my current spreadsheet safe?
Choose the first one on the list, Create new spreadsheet, since it opens your data separately.
