Use both Excel & Sheets: Best practices

On this page 

• Work with Excel files in Drive
• Use Excel and Sheets together
• Edit Excel files in Sheets
• Import Excel data into Sheets
• Convert Excel files to Sheets
• Share a copy of a Sheets file in Excel format

Work with Excel files in Drive

There are different ways to work with Microsoft Excel files. You can:

• Import Excel data into Sheets.
• Convert Excel files to Sheets.
• Edit Excel files in Drive without converting them.
• Convert Sheets files to Excel or other formats.

Use Excel and Sheets together

If your team uses Microsoft Excel and Sheets, here are some best practices for when to use each product.

Convert existing Excel spreadsheets to Sheets if:

• You need to collaborate or simultaneously edit with your team.
• Your dataset is 10 million cells or fewer.

Continue working in your existing Excel spreadsheets if:

• Your dataset is greater than 10 million cells.
• You’re using the Hyperion add-on with Excel.
• If you use rare chart types, such as 3D pyramid charts or pie-of-pie charts.

Edit Excel files in Sheets

Chrome Browser only

1. Make sure the Office Editing for Docs, Sheets, & Slides extension is not installed:
   1. Open Chrome Browser and in the top-right corner, click MoreMore ToolsExtensions.
   2. If you see the Office Editing for Docs, Sheets, & Slides extension, click Remove.
2. In Drive, double-click an Excel file.

   A preview of your file opens.

3. At the top, click Open with Google Sheets.

Import Excel data into Sheets

1. In Sheets, create a new or open an existing spreadsheet.
2. Click FileImport.
3. Choose the Excel file and click Select.
4. Choose an import option:
   • Create new spreadsheet
   • Insert new sheet(s)
   • Replace spreadsheet
5. Click Import data.
6. If prompted, click Open now.

Convert Excel files to Sheets

Instead of importing data, you can convert an Excel file to Sheets and keep working on it in Sheets. Your Excel file won’t be changed.

1. Open Drive and double-click an Excel file.

   The file opens in Google Sheets.

2. Click FileSave as Google Sheets.

To automatically convert all future uploads of Office files to Google Sheets:

1. In Drive, at the top, click Settings Settings.
2. Next to Convert uploads, turn on Convert uploaded files to Google Docs editor format.

   Note: Previously uploaded files will not be converted.

In Drive, you’ll see the Excel file and the new Sheets file. You can keep the Excel file or delete it. If you keep the Excel file, to avoid confusion, you can rename it to something like [Archived] My doc.xls.

Tip: Use these icons to quickly differentiate Sheets and Excel files in Drive: 

Sheets Excel

Share a copy of a Sheets file in Excel format

You can work on a spreadsheet in Sheets and then send a copy by email as an Excel file (or a PDF).

1. In Sheets, open the file.
2. Click FileEmail as attachment.

3. Under Attach as, choose Microsoft Excel.

4. Enter the email address, subject, and message.
5. (Optional) Check the Send a copy to myself box.
6. Click Send.

You can also download a copy of the Sheets file in Excel, PDF, CSV, ODS, or other formats.

1. In Sheets, click FileDownload as.
2. Select the file format you want to download.