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. The same idea underpins a lot of everyday Excel work, so the few minutes spent getting it right here pay back across every sheet you build afterwards. Treat it as a pattern, not a one-off, and it stops being something you look up and starts being something you reach for. For “transfer excel to google sheets”, the reliable version is a short checking loop, not just the first command that appears to work. Run it on a deliberately small range first, watch how the affected sheet change, and only then apply the same setup to the full sheet. 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 is what makes a layout choice that keeps the sheet readable and sortable useful in real work: repeatable, auditable, and not dependent on memory or luck.
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
Everything above works in Google Sheets too. Excel and Sheets share the formula syntax used here; only the surrounding menus are arranged differently. That portability is deliberate — learn it once and it follows you between the two tools and across Windows and Mac. Keep this page bookmarked for the next time the same question comes up. Better still, rebuild the example once in your own sheet — doing it yourself, with the tool above to check against, is what turns a copied formula into a technique you own. Here is the takeaway for “transfer excel to google sheets”: copy the answer if you are busy, but if you have a spare few minutes, rebuild the example in Excel yourself with the tool above open beside it. That single pass — type it, run it, watch the result move when you change an input — is what turns a formula you found into a technique you trust. Keep your inputs labelled and referenced, never hard-coded, and the same sheet stays correct and auditable as it grows. Done that way, you will not need to look this up again, and you will be the person others ask.
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
This is also commonly searched as “how to transfer google sheets to excel” and “transfer excel to google sheets”. They describe the identical operation, so you are in the right place no matter how you phrased it.
This guide also answers
- transfer from excel to google sheets
Platform & version notes
- Several of those searches mention Google Sheets — and the good news is that "transfer excel to 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. "transfer excel to 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 to transfer google sheets to excel”, “transfer excel to google sheets” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.