How to import data into Google Sheets from another sheet

Google Sheets’ wide variety of functions, features, and add-ons makes it a great tool for manipulating and sharing data. If you use separate files or tabs for different calculations and data processes, you probably need to reuse some of the data in multiple files. Copying and pasting is one way to import data into Google Sheets, but it’s not a very good one. If the source data is updated, you’ll have to copy and paste it again.

Fortunately, there are multiple methods available to link your data across multiple Sheets files. In this article, you will learn how to import data from another tab in the same Sheets file, as well as how to import data from a different Sheets file. One of the methods you will learn uses the IMPORTRANGE function, which you can learn about in more detail in our related article on how to use the IMPORTRANGE function in Google Sheets. The last section shows which function to use when the data comes from a CSV file or a web page.

Import data from another tab in the same file

You can easily import data from one tab to another by linking the cells.

1. Open the spreadsheet containing the data you want to import.

2. Click on the tab you want to import the data to. If you don’t already have one, click “+” to add a new tab.

3. Choose an empty cell and type an equal sign (=).

4. Click on the tab with the data you want and select the first cell you want to import. You’ll see the reference to the tab and the cell added to the formula.

5. Press “Enter” immediately after selecting the cell. You will be switched back to the tab with the formula, which now contains the imported cell.

6. To expand the selection, click on the cell with the formula, then on the blue square on the bottom-right corner of the cell. Drag it to expand.

Alternatively, you can type in the reference directly after the equal sign. For example, =Sheet1!A1:A20 would import the first 20 rows of column A from Sheet1.

For more ways to link data across tabs and files, see how to reference another sheet in Google Sheets.

Import data from another Google Sheets file

You can import data from one Google Sheets file to another by using the IMPORTRANGE function. Alternatively, you can use Sheetgo, an AI-powered data automation platform, to transfer selected data between your files automatically, as shown below.

To import the data with IMPORTRANGE:

1. Open both the Sheets source file – containing the data you want – and the Sheets destination file – the one to which you want to import the data.

2. In the destination file, click on the cell where you want to import the data and type in the IMPORTRANGE formula. Make sure that there are enough empty cells for the data you want to import.

3. The first parameter is the URL of the source file, which you can copy from the address bar of that file.

4. Add the URL, enclosed in quotation marks (“”), as the first parameter of the formula, then add a comma.

5. The second parameter provides the range of cells to import and should also be enclosed in quotes (“”). If the source file has multiple tabs, you’ll need to specify the sheet first: “Sheet_name!Cell:range”. Once you’ve added the range, close the parenthesis and press “Enter”.

6. You’ll see a “#REF!” error that can be resolved by clicking on “Allow access” to connect the files.

If the cell still shows an error after you allow access, our article on IMPORTRANGE not working lists the common causes and fixes.

7. That’s it! Your data has been imported to the destination file.

For the full syntax and the function’s limits, see our IMPORTRANGE guide.

Import data with Sheetgo

If you want a simpler and more reliable way to import Google Sheets data into another Google Sheets file (or Excel file) you can connect your files and transfer data between them automatically. This enables you to:

• Import data from one Google Sheets file into another
• Pull data from Google Sheets into Excel
• Share data with colleagues — without sharing your spreadsheet
• Save time on copy-pasting and manual work
• Combine data from multiple Google Sheets into one
• Generate automated reports and dashboards
• Control data access

Additionally, you can transfer the formatting from the source file, so you won’t have to waste any time fixing it in the destination file. You will also be able to keep the source file private, allowing you full control over who has access to what data. To learn more about this, check out this post on Google Sheets’ IMPORTRANGE vs. Sheetgo.

Sheetgo turns spreadsheets into a data pipeline that’s ready for AI. It can connect Google Sheets files to each other and to Excel or CSV files. The four steps below import data from one Google Sheets file into another.

Step 1: Open Sheetgo

Go to app.sheetgo.com.

Log in and click +Create workflow > Connect.

At the top of the screen, give the Untitled workflow a name so you can identify and edit the workflow later.

Step 2: Select your source data

Firstly, select which file type you want to import data from. 

Click Sheet file(s) to import data from a single or multiple spreadsheets.

In this example, I want to import survey data from my colleague’s spreadsheet. It’s a file named “Customer Survey USA”.

Select how much data you want to import:

• Entire Tab – Import all the data from a specific tab in your spreadsheet.
• Data Range – Select a specific range of rows and columns instead of the full tab. This is ideal for large datasets or when you only need part of the data.

Click the Next Step button.

Step 3: Filter (optional)

By default, Sheetgo will import the entire dataset from your source tab into another file — but you don’t need to import all of the data in the tab if you don’t want to.

Click on Filter data to choose exactly which data you want to import. You can select data by condition, cell color, or by writing a SQL-type query.

Step 4: Select your destination file

Under Send data to, select which file type you want to import the data into. This is your destination file. It can be another Google Sheets file, an Excel file, or a CSV file.

For all file types, you can send the data to an existing file or a new file that Sheetgo will create for you automatically.

Sheetgo will create a new tab (sheet or worksheet) in the destination file containing the imported data.

Import data into an existing spreadsheet

1. Click +Select file, locate the file from inside your cloud storage then click Done.
2. Enter a name for the new tab in the New File Tab box. If you leave this blank, Sheetgo will automatically generate the name Sheetgo_SourceTabName.

Import data into a new spreadsheet

1. Under Destination, select which file type you want to create.
2. By clicking Change destination folder you can choose which cloud storage platform you want the file to be saved in.
3. Give the new spreadsheet a name in the New File Name box.
4. Enter a name for the new tab in the New File Tab box.

In this example, I want to import the data to a new Google Sheets file. I name the file “Regional Analysis January” and the tab “USA”. Sheetgo will create the destination file for me automatically and save it in my Google Drive.

Check out your destination file. It now contains a new tab with the imported data from your source file. The padlock icon and green bar show you that this is a connected tab.

How to update the imported data

After each update, any changes to the source sheet will be reflected in the destination sheet.

Schedule automatic updates

To ensure you’ve always got the latest data in your spreadsheets without having to open Sheetgo, you can schedule automatic updates.

Click Automate on the floating menu bar and choose how frequently you want the data to be updated: from once an hour to once a month.

This can help you compile automated reports or power dashboards with accurate and up-to-date information.

To copy the source file’s formatting along with the data, see how to transfer data between Google Sheets automatically.

Import data from multiple Google Sheets files

Now that you’ve created a workflow you can expand it by connecting more files to automate and integrate your processes even further.

Often, you may want to combine, or merge, data from multiple Google Sheets into one. You can do this by creating a new workflow and selecting Send Data to > Multiple Files or by adding more files to the workflow you’ve already created.

Add more files

To add another source file to your existing workflow, open Sheetgo and select the workflow from the list on the left of the screen. Click +Connect on the floating workflow menu and add another source file. Under Destination, select the same destination file and destination tab as your previous connection. This will import data from multiple Google Sheets, consolidating the information into one central tab.

Other ways to import data into Google Sheets

When the data isn’t in another spreadsheet, pick the tool that matches where it lives. Each function links to its own guide with the syntax and examples.

File > Import copies the file once, so you import it again when it changes. The three functions keep a live link instead: Google Sheets checks the source for new data about once an hour.