Google Sheets and Excel spreadsheet programs are very similar in many ways, as both allow you to create spreadsheets that can be used and viewed for similar purposes. However, even with such remarkable similarities, others prefer to work with Google Sheets over Excel or vice versa, and with good reason, ranging from the offline capabilities of Excel to the fantastic menus and features of Google Sheets.
In situations where you prefer using Excel or even collaborating with others who usually use Excel, converting Google Sheets to Excel is necessary. The process is relatively straightforward with various methods like Google Sheets’ download features, Google Drive, and even with the help of third-party tools.
This article will show you how to convert Google Sheets to Excel in just a few clicks through the various methods in a step-by-step guide. The process is self-explanatory; keep reading to learn more.
There are many reasons why you might need to convert your Google Spreadsheet to Excel, with one of the most common ones emerging when working with other people who prefer Excell to Google Sheets and with others who are not and do not want to be part of the Google franchise community and ecosystem.
Sometimes, the environment and policies around the work or data you are dealing with will require you to convert your Google Sheets to Excel, like in situations where one spreadsheet doesn’t have the functions needed for that work type or even if needed to send work as an attached file or folder rather than a link.
Google Sheets, an online type of spreadsheet platform, working with large sheets, tends to reduce responsiveness and performance, which can become annoying and time-consuming, leading you to convert such Google sheets into Excel, which gives impressive responses even with large datasets.
Here are the different methods to convert Google Sheets to Excel.
This is the easiest and most direct method to convert Google Sheets to Excel, where you can use the built-in download feature that will allow you to download the spreadsheet in various formats, Excel being one of them.
You can achieve this by following the steps as illustrated below.
Step 1: Open the Google Sheets document you want to convert
Open the Google Sheets website and select the spreadsheet document you wish to convert into an Excel document, as shown in our example below.
Step 2: Press on “File” in the Menu Bar
After you have opened the Sheets document, click on the File option on the menu bar at the top of the page, and another drop-down menu will be displayed.
Step 3: Select “Download” from the drop-down menu
Here, you will click on the Download option, which will present another sub-menu containing the available options, allowing you to choose the format you wish to download the opened document.
Step 4: Choose “Microsoft Excel” as the file format
We intend to download the document as an Excel document. You will select the Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) option in the menu, and this will immediately download the file to your computer. You will locate the file in your downloads folder for the web browser you are using.
In this method, you can use the download feature available in Google Drive to automatically download your Google spreadsheet in Excel format. Because Google is one extensive ecosystem and Google Drive is the central hub for all other Google components, you can easily access your Google spreadsheets.
You can achieve this by following the steps shown below.
Open the Google Drive website, and once logged in, identify the Google Sheets Spreadsheet document you want to convert, as illustrated below.
Step 2: Right-click on the Google Sheets Doc to be converted to Excel
Once you have identified the Google Sheets document you want to convert into Excel, you will hover your mouse cursor over it, right-click, and display a drop-down menu, as in our example below.
Step 3: Select “Download” from the drop-down menu
Move down the menu displayed and select Download as shown.
Step 3: Wait for Google Drive to convert the Google Sheet document to Excel
On clicking download, a notification will appear at the bottom left section of the window, notifying you that the selected document is being converted into an Excel document. See below
Step 4:Open the downloaded document to see the converted file
Check-in your downloads folder to find the converted Excel document. The document will have “.xlsx as its format, which will open as an Excel file like in our example.
Google Sheets offers add-ons that enhance and improve user experience, including add-ons designed explicitly for converting files. Here’s how to use an add-on to convert Google Sheets to Excel.
Step 1: Open the Google Sheets document you want to convert
You will begin by opening the Google sheet document you wish to convert.
Step 2: Click on Extensions on the menu bar
Move your mouse cursor over the Extensions option at the menu bar on the top section of the spreadsheet. A menu will be displayed as illustrated below.
Step 3: Click on “Add-ons” in the menu bar
In the displayed menu, click Add-ons, and another sub-menu will appear where you click on Get add-ons, like in the illustration below.
Step 4: Search for a suitable conversion add-on
After clicking on Get ad-ons, a pop-up of the add-ons store will appear, and here, you will search for a suitable add-on from the many available that will allow you to convert your Google Sheet to Excel.
Some of the most popular add-ons that allow you to convert documents include” Save as Doc,” “Sheetgo,” and” Excelify,” among others.
Step 5: Choose and install a Suitable Add-on
Among the search results, choose a suitable addon that will allow you to convert your sheets document by reading the brief description below the add-on name and installing it to your device.
Step 6: Follow the instructions provided by the Add-on to Convert
Once installed, follow the instructions given by the add-on to convert your Google Sheets to Excel. The instructions may vary from one Add-on to another, and some add-ons require you to review your permissions before converting.
Apps script is a powerful extension feature available in Google Sheets. This is because it involves codes; you might be deceived into thinking of it as complicated, but it is not if you understand how to go about it. You can easily convert your spreadsheet to Excel in just a few lines of code.
Step 1: Open the Google Sheets document you want to convert
You will start this process by opening the Google sheet document you wish to convert.
Step 2: Click on the Extensions on the menu bar
Click on the Extensions option on the menu bar, and a drop-down list will be presented immediately, as illustrated below.
Step 3: Click on App Script
Click on the Apps script option in the drop-down menu presented, and this will open a new Apps script editor tab, as in our example below.
Step 4: Delete any existing Code to start with a fresh script
Once the script editor opens, clear everything inside the script to allow you to begin with a new script where you will now input the code that will convert the Google sheets to Excel see below.
Step 5: Create and insert the Conversion Code
In the new empty script, you will insert the code that will convert your spreadsheet to an Excel document. The code should be similar to the one below.
javascript function convertToExcel() < var spreadsheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet(); var sheet = spreadsheet.getActiveSheet(); var values = sheet.getDataRange().getValues(); var excel file = DriveApp.create file(spreadsheet.getName() + ".xlsx", values); var downloadUrl = excelFile.getDownloadUrl(); var response = UrlFetchApp.fetch(downloadUrl, >); var fileBlob = response.getBlob(); fileBlob.setName(spreadsheet.getName() + ".xlsx"); var folder = DriveApp.getRootFolder(); // Change this to your desired folder folder.createFile(fileBlob); >Your script editor should now look like the one below.
Step 6: Save and Run the code
After you have ensured the lines of code are inserted correctly, Save by clicking on the Floppy disc symbol at the top, and immediately, the Run option will become available. Now, you can run the code by simply clicking on Run. Follow the illustration below.
Step 7: Click Review Permissions
After clicking on Run, an Authorization required pop-up will appear, and here, you are required to review permissions and give access to the App script by choosing your Google account. Click on Review permissions and select your Google Account.
Step 8: Wait for the code to Run
Once you have reviewed your permissions and selected your Google Account, the code will automatically begin to run, and you will be notified when the execution starts and when it is completed, as shown below.
Step 9: Find the Converted Excel file in your Google Drive
Since we instructed the code to save the Excel file to Google Drive, you will find the converted Excel file saved with the same name as the Google Sheets file in your Google Drive account under Spreadsheets.
In conclusion, knowing how to convert Google Sheets to Excel is a beneficial and vital skill that will enable you to easily collaborate with others no matter which type of spreadsheet software they prefer, and this will be of great benefit in all areas, including work and projects at hand.
The methods illustrated above are straightforward, and with a few clicks, you can achieve this, whether through inbuilt features like the download options or even more precise third-party add-ons.
Yes, it is possible to convert multiple Google Sheets files to Excel format simultaneously. You can use the “Download as” feature in Google Drive to download multiple files in Excel (.xlsx) format.
When converting from Google Sheets to Excel, most formulas and functions will be preserved. However, there might be some differences in syntax or compatibility between the two applications. You should review and test the procedures after the conversion to ensure they work correctly in Excel.
