How To Open A CSV File Via Google Sheets

Opening a CSV file via Google Sheets is a straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you do just that:

1. Access Google Sheets: First, navigate to Google Sheets. You can do this by typing “sheets.google.com” in your web browser’s address bar or by accessing Google Sheets via your Google Drive.
2. Start a New Spreadsheet: Once you’re in Google Sheets, start a new spreadsheet. You can do this by clicking on the “+ Blank” option or opening an existing spreadsheet where you want to import the CSV data.
3. Import the CSV File:
   • In the spreadsheet, click on “File” in the menu bar.
   • Select “Import” from the dropdown menu.
   • This will open a new window where you can upload your CSV file.
4. Upload the CSV File:
   • In the Import window, go to the “Upload” tab.
   • You can either drag and drop your CSV file into the space provided or click on “Select a file from your device” to browse and select your CSV file.
   • After selecting the file, it will be uploaded to Google Sheets.
5. Choose Import Settings:
   • Once the file is uploaded, a new dialog box will appear with several import options.
   • You can choose to create a new spreadsheet, insert new sheets into an existing spreadsheet, or replace an existing sheet.
   • You also have options to choose how the CSV data should be separated (usually comma-separated), which cell to start the import from, and whether or not to convert text to numbers/dates.
6. Finalize the Import: After selecting your preferred settings, click on “Import Data”. The data from the CSV file will be imported into your Google Sheets spreadsheet.
7. Save and Edit: The data is now in Google Sheets and you can save, edit, or format it as needed.

Remember, CSV files are plain text files that contain data separated by commas (or sometimes other characters like semicolons), and they do not contain any formatting. Once you import the CSV data into Google Sheets, you can add formatting, formulas, charts, and more to better analyze and display the data.

Eric Chan

Hi! I’m Eric and I work on the knowledge base at GadgetMates.com.  You can see some of my writings about technology, cellphone repair, and computer repair here.

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