In Excel: in Google Drive, File ▸ Import ▸ Upload the .xlsx (or just drag it in and open it) — and going back, File ▸ Download ▸ Microsoft Excel (.xlsx).
Excel → Sheets: open Google Drive, drag the .xlsx in, then double-click it to open.
For full Sheets functionality, choose File ▸ Save as Google Sheets rather than staying in compatibility mode.
Check the formulas that matter, especially anything using newer Excel functions, and check every PivotTable.
Sheets → Excel: File ▸ Download ▸ Microsoft Excel (.xlsx).
Search the downloaded file for #NAME? to find Sheets-only functions that did not survive.
If the workbook depends on VBA or Power Query, do not move it — rebuild the automation in Apps Script, or keep it in Excel.
What this does
Both directions work and both lose things. Google Sheets opens .xlsx directly, either in Office-compatibility mode (the file stays .xlsx) or converted to native Sheets format via File ▸ Save as Google Sheets, which is the mode where Sheets features actually work. What does not survive the round trip is predictable: VBA macros are dropped entirely, Power Query connections do not exist in Sheets, PivotTables are rebuilt as Sheets pivot tables with different options, conditional formatting with complex rules is simplified, and some newer Excel functions have no equivalent. Going the other way, File ▸ Download ▸ Microsoft Excel converts Sheets formulas back where an equivalent exists and leaves #NAME? where one does not — ARRAYFORMULA, QUERY, IMPORTRANGE and GOOGLEFINANCE have no Excel counterpart. Keep the inputs visible and clearly labelled and the whole thing stays auditable — anyone who opens the file later, including you, can see at a glance exactly what feeds the result and change one assumption without hunting through the formula. Treat “import an excel file into google sheets” as a small repeatable workflow rather than a one-off click you hope to remember next time. Use a small test block before the live file, so any surprise in the affected sheet shows up while it is still harmless. When this is a ribbon command, the selection matters more than the button: confirm the range, apply the command, then spot-check the output before saving. That turns a data step that keeps your analysis trustworthy into a method you can reuse, explain, and defend when the workbook leaves your screen.
A worked example
Upload budget.xlsx to Drive and double-click it: Sheets opens it in compatibility mode with the .xlsx badge in the title. Its SUMIFS and XLOOKUP formulas keep working; its macro-driven refresh button does nothing. Choose File ▸ Save as Google Sheets to get a native copy where collaboration and version history behave properly. Coming back, File ▸ Download ▸ Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) produces a file Excel opens cleanly — but any cell using =QUERY() lands as #NAME?. Files cross between the two constantly — a client sends .xlsx, a team collaborates in Sheets — and knowing exactly what does not survive is what stops a silently broken formula reaching a report. A practical tip before you scale it up: build it once on a small block of test data, confirm the number against the tool on this page, and only then point it at your real sheet. That one habit catches almost every mistake while it is still cheap to fix, long before a wrong figure reaches a report or a colleague.
In Google Sheets
If you are in Google Sheets rather than Excel, the good news is that the formula shown here is identical and the workflow barely changes — menus sit across the top instead of in a ribbon, and a few function names differ slightly, but anything you build here moves across with little or no rework. The aim was to get you unstuck fast and leave you a little more capable than a copy-paste would. The answer is at the top, the tool proves it, and the detail above shows why it holds — so the next time a colleague asks, you can answer without reaching for search. The short version of “import an excel file into google sheets”: the answer is at the top of this page, the tool proves it on your own numbers, and the sections above explain why it holds so the next variation does not stump you. Excel rewards people who reference cells instead of typing values and who keep inputs separate from formulas, because that is what makes a result you can audit months later. Build it once, deliberately, with the live tool as a check, and you convert a one-off lookup into a reusable skill — which is the whole point of learning the why and not just the what.
Common mistakes
- Expecting macros to come across; VBA is dropped without warning in either direction.
- Working in compatibility mode long-term and wondering why some Sheets features are greyed out.
- Converting a workbook with linked external files, which breaks every link.
- Downloading from Sheets and shipping the file without searching for
#NAME?. - Round-tripping repeatedly — each pass loses a little more formatting, so pick one system as the source of truth.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert an Excel file to Google Sheets?
Upload the .xlsx to Google Drive and open it, then choose File ▸ Save as Google Sheets for a native copy. Opening it directly keeps it as an .xlsx in compatibility mode.
How do I convert Google Sheets to Excel?
File ▸ Download ▸ Microsoft Excel (.xlsx). Check the result for #NAME? errors, which mark Sheets-only functions such as QUERY, ARRAYFORMULA and IMPORTRANGE.
Do macros transfer?
No. VBA is not supported in Google Sheets and Apps Script is not supported in Excel. The automation has to be rebuilt on whichever side you land.
What else gets lost?
Power Query connections, some conditional-formatting rules, chart formatting details, and PivotTable layout options. Formulas mostly survive; anything version-specific may not.
Other ways people ask this
People reach this page typing “how do you import a file into excel” and “how to import excel file into google sheets”, among other phrasings; whichever wording you used, the fix above is the one you want.
Platform & version notes
- Several of those searches mention Google Sheets — and the good news is that "import an excel file into google sheets" works there almost identically: the formula syntax carries over unchanged, only the surrounding menus sit across the top of the screen instead of in a ribbon.
Can I do this in Google Sheets too?
Yes. "import an excel file into google sheets" carries over to Google Sheets with the same formula and almost the same steps — the menus are arranged differently, but the result is identical.
Why do people search for this in so many different ways?
Because the same task has many names. “how do you import a file into excel”, “how to import excel file into google sheets” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.