If you’re using Google Sheets, you probably need to reference or import data from another sheet every once in a while. It’s not very complicated, and there are a few ways to do that.
You can copy/paste the data, of course. For a tiny, select dataset, that might work. But that way, your data won’t be linked to the original source, which means it won’t update automatically if there are changes to the source data. Besides, we’re not fans of copy/pasting.
We have three ways for you to import your data from one Google Sheet to another — whether your sheets are in the same doc or not, we’ve got you covered.
1. Import data from another sheet in the same document
If the data you want to import is in the same document and comes from one cell only, you can use the simple formula [=SheetName!CellName] in the destination cell.
This method works fine for simple imports and calculations. It also links both cells. So when you make a change in the original cell, it’s reflected automatically in the destination cell.
What if your data is in another document or you want to transfer more than one cell at a time? ⬇️
2. Import data from a sheet in another document
You might keep your data in separate docs to calculate in one and report in another or keep your client’s data separate but want to combine it for your internal overview reporting.
In this case, you can use the [=IMPORTRANGE] formula.
- Open your destination sheet.
- Select an empty cell. Note that your data will transfer in the top left corner.
Make sure all the cells covered by your data are empty — otherwise, you’ll get an error message.
- Enter
[=IMPORTRANGE(“SheetURL”,”SheetName!CellRange”)]in your top-left cell. - Use the URL for the sheet you want to import data from. The sheet name and cell range are optional.
- Press “Enter”.
- Allow access to your sheet.
- That’s it! Your data is now imported and linked. Every time you update your original sheet, the destination sheet will update as well.
But wait, there has to be an easier way.
3. The easiest way to import data from one sheet to another
Whether you want to import your data from a sheet in the same doc or a different one, follow these simple steps to import and connect your data to another sheet.
If you don’t have a Supermetrics license for Google Sheets yet, get started with a trial.
- Open your destination sheet.
- Select an empty cell. Note that your data will transfer in the top left corner.
- Click on “Add-ons” ➡️ “Supermetrics” ➡️ “Launch sidebar”.
- Select your data source ↘️ scroll to Google Sheets.
- Enter the URL for the sheet you want to import your data from in the “Report configuration” field.
- Press “Get Data to Table”.
- Voilà!
Pro tip: You can set up an automatic refresh and email for your imported data. Simply click on the “Schedule” tab in the sidebar.
This method is especially useful if you’re sharing a report with an external partner or client. So when you update your original sheet, they can get an email with the refreshed data.
Looking for some advanced settings to customize your imported data? Here are the ones we’ve included so far. Simply enter the setting name in the “Options” ➡️ “Advanced Settings” section of the sidebar.
ALLOW_SUM_UNIQUE disables the safeguards we have against summing values of unique count metrics (e.g. users or unique pageviews)
COMBINE_DIMENSIONS concatenates dimension values when multiple dimensions have been specified
DATES_NOTE displays the query date range (and comparison date range if used) above the results table
KEEP_RESULTS_ON_REFRESH_ERROR in case a query refresh returns an error, with this setting, the results of a previous successful refresh are preserved
STORE_ERROR_QUERY stores the query even if it returns an error
TIME_DISP_START_DATE shows first day of month or week, instead of month/week number
DISABLE_DIMENSION_AUTOFORMAT prevents Google Sheets from applying automatic formatting to the dimension values
Over to you!
Those were the three ways to import your data from one Google Sheet to another.
Looking for templates to get you started on your marketing analytics journey? Check out our Google Sheets template roundup!
