Google Sheets: What They Are, How They Work, and Why You Should Use Them

Author Валерій | 29 Apr 2026 Updated: 21 May 2026 | 8 min read 0 views

Google Sheets: What It Is, How It Works & How to Use It — Spilno Agency

Google Sheets is Google’s free cloud spreadsheet application — a Microsoft Excel alternative with real-time collaborative editing for multiple users. Supports 400+ formulas, charts, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and automation via Google Apps Script. Files live in Google Drive, accessible from any device or OS.

What Is Google Sheets

Google Sheets is a web-based spreadsheet application by Google. It lets you create, edit, and analyse data in a browser — no software installation required. Documents are automatically saved to Google Drive and can be accessed from any device, operating system, or location.

Unlike Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets is free for personal and business use within a standard Google account. Google Workspace (paid tier) adds enterprise administration, enhanced security, and larger storage quotas.

Key facts:

Launched in 2006; actively updated through 2025–2026
Supports 400+ built-in functions and formulas
Limit: up to 10 million cells per document
Free for personal use and small businesses
Native integration with Google Workspace, Analytics, and Ads

How Google Sheets Works

Google Sheets runs on a cloud architecture. The entire document is stored on Google’s servers and synchronised between all collaborators in real time. When you make a change, everyone on the document sees it instantly — even if they’re in a different country.

The document structure is standard: rows and columns form cells identified by coordinates (A1, B2, etc.). One file can contain multiple sheets (tabs), making it convenient to organise data by category, month, or project.

Google Sheets key capabilities
Feature	Description	Best for
Collaboration	Multiple people edit simultaneously; changes appear in real time	Teams, agencies
Formulas & functions	400+ mathematical, statistical, logical and text functions	Analysts, finance
Charts & graphs	15+ visualisation types with custom styles and colours	Marketers, managers
Conditional formatting	Highlight cells by rules (colours, icons, data bars)	HR, project managers
Filters & pivot tables	Analyse large datasets without formulas	Analysts, power users
Apps Script	JavaScript automation: macros, email sending, API calls	Developers, ops teams
Import / Export	CSV, XLSX, PDF, ODS — all common formats supported	All users
Offline mode	Work without internet via Chrome; syncs when reconnected	Mobile users

Google Sheets vs Excel: Key Differences

The ‘Google Sheets or Excel?’ question is common among European businesses and marketers. Short answer: for team collaboration and everyday business tasks — Google Sheets; for complex analysis of large datasets and financial modelling — Excel.

Google Sheets vs Excel — Comparison 2026

Price: Google Sheets is free; Excel starts at €6.99/month (Microsoft 365)
Collaboration: Google Sheets — unlimited simultaneous editors; Excel — only via SharePoint/OneDrive with limitations
Offline: Excel is fully offline; Google Sheets works offline via Chrome or the mobile app
Limits: Excel — up to 17 billion cells; Google Sheets — up to 10 million
Unique Sheets formulas: IMPORTRANGE, ARRAYFORMULA, GOOGLEFINANCE, QUERY — not available in Excel

Who Needs Google Sheets

Google Sheets by professional role
Role	Typical Google Sheets use cases
Marketer / PPC specialist	Media plans, campaign reports, ROAS analysis, pivot tables
HR manager	Candidate database, leave schedules, surveys via Google Forms
Finance / accounting	Budgeting, P&L, Cash Flow, financial forecasts
Project manager	Roadmaps, task tracker, Gantt charts
SEO specialist	Keyword clusters, site audits, rank trackers, competitor analysis
Sales manager	Spreadsheet CRM, sales funnel, KPI tracker
Content manager	Content plan, editorial calendar, reach reports

How to Get Started: Step-by-Step Checklist

Google Sheets: Beginner's Checklist — 5 Steps

Step 1: Basic Setup

Sign in to your Google account (or create one free at google.com)
Go to sheets.google.com or open via Google Drive
Open a blank spreadsheet or choose a template from the Gallery
Rename the document (click ‘Untitled spreadsheet’ in the top-left corner)
Set locale and timezone: File → Spreadsheet settings

Step 2: Spreadsheet Structure

Enter column headers in row 1 (Date, Amount, Client, etc.)
Format headers: bold, background colour, alignment
Freeze the top row: View → Freeze → 1 row
Adjust column widths (double-click the column boundary)
Add multiple sheets if needed (click the + at the bottom)

Step 3: Essential Formulas

=SUM(A2:A100) — sum all values in a column
=AVERAGE(B2:B100) — arithmetic mean
=COUNT(A2:A100) — count numeric cells
=COUNTA(A2:A100) — count non-empty cells
=IF(A2>1000, “Done”, “Pending”) — conditional logic
=VLOOKUP(A2, D:E, 2, 0) — lookup a value by key
=IFERROR(formula, 0) — handle errors gracefully
=ARRAYFORMULA(…) — apply a formula to an entire column

Step 4: Collaboration

Click ‘Share’ in the top-right corner
Enter colleagues’ emails → choose access level (Edit / View / Comment)
Or copy a shareable link → set visibility restrictions
Add a comment: select a cell → right-click → Add comment
Mention a colleague in a comment using @email to notify them
Review changes: File → Version history → See version history

Business Features

Automation with Apps Script

Google Apps Script (GAS) is a JavaScript platform for automating Google Sheets. Even without deep programming knowledge you can:

Automatically send an email when a cell value changes
Generate PDF reports from Sheets and save to Google Drive
Sync data between multiple spreadsheets
Run a script on a schedule (Triggers → Time-driven)
Connect to external APIs (Google Analytics, Google Ads, CRM systems)

Pivot Tables

Pivot tables are the most powerful analysis tool without formulas. Insert via: Insert → Pivot table. Within minutes you can analyse:

Sales by manager / region / product
Monthly cost dynamics
Conversion rates by traffic channel
Any data slice without writing formulas

Integrations

Google Sheets integrations
Service	What you can do	How to connect
Google Analytics 4	Import traffic metrics, conversions, source data	Extensions → Google Analytics → Add connection
Google Ads	Export campaign data: clicks, spend, conversions	Reports → Download → Google Sheets or via GA4
Google Forms	All form responses automatically feed into the spreadsheet	Form → Responses → Open in Sheets
Looker Studio	Build dashboards from Sheets data	Looker Studio → Data source → Google Sheets
Zapier / Make	Automate workflows between 5,000+ services	Connect via Zapier/Make + OAuth
IMPORTRANGE	Pull live data from another Google Spreadsheet	=IMPORTRANGE(“URL”,”Sheet!A:Z”)
IMPORTDATA	Import CSV or XML data from a URL	=IMPORTDATA(“URL_to_CSV”)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Google Sheets?

Google Sheets is a free cloud-based spreadsheet application by Google. It works in any browser without installation. Files are stored in Google Drive and accessible from any device. It supports 400+ formulas, charts, conditional formatting, and automation via Apps Script.

How is Google Sheets different from Excel?

Google Sheets is free and cloud-based; Excel is a paid desktop application. Sheets allows real-time collaboration for multiple users simultaneously. Excel offers more advanced features for large datasets and financial modelling. For most European business needs, Google Sheets is fully sufficient.

How do I share a Google Spreadsheet with colleagues?

Click the ‘Share’ button in the top-right corner, enter email addresses or copy a shareable link. Choose the access level: Viewer, Commenter, or Editor. You can also make the spreadsheet public via a link for anonymous viewing.

Can I use Google Sheets offline?

Yes. Enable offline sync in Google Drive settings. All changes are saved locally and synced automatically when your connection is restored. Offline mode is available in Chrome browser and the Google Sheets mobile app.

What is the maximum number of rows in Google Sheets?

Google Sheets supports up to 10 million cells per document and up to 18,278 columns (column ZZZ). For very large datasets (tens of millions of rows), connecting to BigQuery via the Data Connector is recommended.

What basic formulas should I know in Google Sheets?

Essential formulas: =SUM() for totals, =AVERAGE() for averages, =IF() for conditional logic, =VLOOKUP() or =INDEX(MATCH()) for lookups, =COUNTIF()/ =SUMIF() for conditional counting, =CONCATENATE() or =TEXTJOIN() for combining text, =IMPORTRANGE() for pulling data from another spreadsheet.