google sheets features and formulas
Google Sheets features

How to make a table in Google Sheets? [5 Methods]

Jonatan Silva
Table of contents
CE
You can manually make a table in Google Sheets or use Gemini, Google’s AI. But how does it work?

How to make a table in Google Sheets?

You can make a table in Google Sheets in 5 ways:

  1. Enter data manually
  2. Insert a table
  3. Enter data and convert to table
  4. Create a table with Gemini (AI) directly in Google Sheets
  5. Make a Google Sheets table in Gemini and Export it

Method 1: Enter data manually

The first way to make a table in Google Sheets is to enter data into cells manually.

  1. In the first row, enter the column names representing the data you want to track.
  2. Use the remaining cells to enter your data.

For example, I created a table to store attendee data from an online event.

Did you know?
You can save daily hours by automating Google Sheets workflows and eliminating manual data entry. For example, you can sign up for Sheetgo to create forms to collect data from users and automatically populate your Google Sheets file.

Method 2: Insert a table

This method is helpful if you want to start with a blank table structure.

1. Click Insert > Tables at the top menu bar.

2. A side panel will open on the right. Click “Insert” next to the table you want to create, whether it’s an event, a project, or a content tracker.

Method 3: Enter data and convert to table

On May 14, 2024, Google announced a new way to make a table in Google Sheets. Here is how it works:

1. Manually enter your data in  Google Sheets

2. Select your table and click Format > Convert to Table
And there you go! You just created a new table in Google Sheets.

This method is also impressive because it allows you to format columns quickly.

3. Click the arrow next to a header element and choose Edit column type > Dropdown.

4. A panel will open on the right. Choose your own colors and click Done.

Method 4: Create a table with Gemini directly in Google Sheets

The fourth way to create a table in Google Sheets is to use Gemini, Google’s AI.

1. Select the cell where you want the table to start from and click the Gemini icon in the top-right corner of your Google Sheets. Then, write your prompt in the bottom-right corner and press “Enter” on your keyboard.

2. Gemini will create a new table. If satisfied, click “Insert” or the “arrow” icon.
What if you aren’t satisfied? You can give more instructions to Gemini. However, Gemini can sometimes tell you it cannot edit the Sheets content.

However, you can still click the “Retry” icon to ask Gemini to try again.

Method 5: Create a Google Sheets table directly in Gemini

The fifth way to make a table in Google Sheets is in Gemini.

1. Start a new chat in Gemini.

2. Enter your prompt and click “Enter” on your keyboard or click the submit arrow.

Here is the prompt I used:

“Create a sales inventory table for a shop that sells electronics. The table should have 15 rows and the following columns: Item ID, Product Name, Category, Stock Quantity, Unit Price, Total Value”

3. Gemini will follow your instructions and create a table.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the table and click Export to Sheets > Open Sheets.
You will now see your table in Google Sheets.
5. Follow “Method 3” in this article to convert your table.

Table advanced formatting options

Google Sheets provides various advanced table formatting options to create professional-looking tables, such as:

1. Conditional formatting

Conditional formatting changes the appearance of cells (like background color, text color, or font style) depending on the data they contain or their relationship to other data. For example, you can use conditional formatting to highlight duplicates in Google Sheets.

For more information, check out our guide on conditional formatting.

2. Alternating colors

Alternating colors are excellent for large tables with many rows or columns. They help you easily follow the data across the table.

For step-by-step instructions, check out our tutorial on how to create alternated colors in Google Sheets.

3. Filters

In Google Sheets, a filter allows you to isolate relevant information without altering the original dataset. It can also temporarily hide rows that don’t meet specific criteria.

For example, here is my table before applying any filters:

Now, I want to see the Stock Quantity in descending order, from the highest number to the lowest.

For more information, check out our complete guide on Google Sheets filters.

There are also  more ways to format your tables in Google Sheets, like:

You can create a table in Google Sheets

And there you have it! This guide showed you five ways to create tables in Google Sheets. You can create and design the table manually or use AI (Gemini) to do it faster.

You can also check out the following guides to make better Google Sheets tables.

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