Import filtered data from Excel to Google Sheets

Written by
Holly Meikle
Undoubtedly, both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets make our lives easier when it comes to managing data. Although both powerful, Excel and Google Sheets do offer different features, which is often why you might want to import specific data from one of these tools to another.

There are many circumstances in which you’d need to import filtered data from Excel to Google Sheets. For example, let’s say I have an Excel spreadsheet containing all of the current work tasks across departments. I want to import all of the Marketing department’s tasks into Google Sheets, as this is their preferred spreadsheet tool. What’s more Google Sheets offers collaborative features that allow the Marketing team to input their task progress simultaneously.

Unfortunately, neither Excel nor Google Sheets offer a native feature in order to import data from one tool to another. However, using the Sheetgo web app, not only can you can effectively filter my Excel data to import into Google Sheets, but you can do this automatically. As a result, you can make the most of interchanging between these two spreadsheet tools, whilst saving a lot of time in the process.

Let’s explore more of the benefits of using Sheetgo for this process, and how to do it in just a few simple steps.

Why import data from Excel to Google Sheets?

As mentioned previously, both Excel and Google Sheets offer different features. It’s common that you may want to switch between them both in order to make the most efficient use of these features. For example, you may want to import from Excel to Google Sheets in order to make the most of Google’s collaborative features, which allow multiple users to edit the same spreadsheet at the same time.

Not only does Sheetgo make this importing process easy and completely automated, but it also offers additional benefits which are particularly useful, including:

  • Import from one storage solution to another: With Sheetgo, you can easily import data from a file in one storage solution to another, including SharePoint, OneDrive, and Google Drive, making data handling a lot easier.
  • Sync file updates from different storage solutions: Any edits from a file version located in one storage solution will automatically be applied to the file in the other storage solution. No matter which file you work from, you’ll always have the latest version of data.
  • Powerful data processing features: Sheetgo offers a Filter feature, which allows you to filter your data based on either condition, SQL language, or cell color.
  • Avoid human error: As the entire process is automated from start to finish, you can completely avoid any error from manual input, so your data remains accurate and up-to-date.
  • Schedule automatic updates: You can create a custom schedule of updates for your workflow so that your files remain updated with the latest changes without you having to open your files.
import excel into google sheets 1
Now that you understand the reasons to import Excel to Google Sheets with Sheetgo, let’s go through a step-by-step on exactly how to do that!

How to import filtered data from Excel to Google Sheets

Using the use case above, let’s say I have an Excel file containing all of the current work tasks across all departments.

import excel into google sheets 1
I want to import only the Marketing tasks to send to the Marketing team so that they can input their progress status. As Google Sheets has better collaborative features and the Marketing team prefers to use Google Sheets, I need to import this data from Excel into a Google Sheet.

The best thing about Sheetgo is that you can take the Excel data from your preferred storage solution (Sharepoint, OneDrive, etc.) and send it to the Google Sheets within your Google Drive immediately. Any changes you make in the Google Drive version will automatically be updated in the version in the original storage solution, and vice versa. For example, if the Marketing team applies their task progress in the Google Drive version, I can view these straight from my Sharepoint version.

Let’s take a look at how to automatically import filtered data from Excel to Google Sheets using the Sheetgo web app.

1. Sign up to Sheetgo

Click on the button below to sign up to Sheetgo. You can use your Google, Microsoft, or Dropbox account to sign in.

This will give you access to the Sheetgo web app, where you can begin creating your custom automated workflows.

2. Create a new workflow

In the Sheetgo web app, head to My workspace and select + New workflow.

Under Create a custom workflow, find the From new connection option and click the Create connection button.

import excel into google sheets 2

3. Upload your Excel file

Under Select source, you can choose whether to upload a single file, multiple files, or an entire folder. In this case, choose Single file, then select +Choose file.

Choose the storage account where your Excel file is located and search for the spreadsheet. Alternatively, if your file is stored on your computer, click Upload file. Once you’ve selected your file, choose the tab where your data is located using the dropdown menu below. Here, I’ll choose “All tasks”.

Once finished, click Next.

import excel into google sheets 4

4. Apply filter

Under the Process section, select the Filter feature. Here, you can choose whether to filter your data by a condition, SQL language, or cell color.

In this case, as I want to filter my data by text (tasks assigned to the Marketing department), I will choose to Filter by condition.

import excel into google sheets 4
To create my condition filter, I first need to choose the column where the department data is located (column A). Then, in order to filter only “Marketing” rows, I select the criteria as Text is exactly, and type the value “Marketing”. You can choose to add more conditions to filter your data further.

Once you’re happy with your filter, click Next.

import excel into google sheets 5

5. Add Google Sheets destination file

Now it’s time to choose where you want to send your data. As I want to import this filtered data to a single Google Sheet, I simply select Single file.

import excel into google sheets 6
Here, you can choose whether to add your data to an existing file or a new file. If you choose a new file, you can select the file type, as well as where it will be located. In this example, I will create a new Google Sheets file within my Google Drive and name it “Marketing tasks”.

Once you’ve applied all of these things, click Finish and save.

import excel into google sheets 7

6. Run and schedule automatic updates

Now that your workflow is finished, you can update the connections to immediately transfer your filtered data to your Google Sheets file.

To do this, head to Workflow and click the Run button on the bottom left-hand corner.

import excel into google sheets 8
You can also schedule automatic updates. This is a good idea if you’ll have more data added to your source data, which you want to import into your destination folder without any manual effort.

In Workflow, click the Automate button. Then, customize your update schedule based on the days of the week and hours you wish to run it.

Click Save when you’re happy with the schedule.

import excel into google sheets 9

Filter data from one file to another

And there you have it! Now that my workflow has successfully imported my filtered data from Excel to Google Sheets, I can share the Google Sheets file directly with the Marketing team and they can add their task progress updates.

With Sheetgo, I now have a fully self-sufficient system that will keep updating my files with no manual work required!

import excel into google sheets 10
Interested in learning more about importing from one file to another? Why not take a look at our article on How to import CSV to Google Sheets automatically?

Alternatively, check out some related blog posts below!

Editor’s note: This is a revised version of a previous post that has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

You may also like…