Google offers a variety of spread­sheet templates for different purposes. Besides the built-in templates, ad­di­tion­al options are available through add-ons or third-party providers. Some Excel templates can also be imported.

What can I use Google Sheets spread­sheet templates for?

Creating a new Google spread­sheet only requires a few steps. With just a few clicks, you can enter data, use Google Sheets formulas and create charts. While a standard template is practical, if you need a document for a specific purpose, a cus­tomized solution is even better. Google Sheets spread­sheet templates have been perfectly designed for specific use cases and the range of templates available is huge.

There are free and fee-based templates for different types of budget planning, to-do lists, de­ploy­ment and travel plans, invoicing and project man­age­ment. In the next sections, we’ll show you how to install and use them.

How to add a Google spread­sheet template to Google Sheets

Google itself provides numerous spread­sheet templates for Google Sheets. If you want to use one of them, there are two possible ways to go about this. One way is to:

  1. Open the Google Sheets website.
  2. Here, you’ll find several popular templates next to the Blank spread­sheet option under Start a new spread­sheet.
  3. If you cannot find the template you want in this list, click on Template gallery to open further sug­ges­tions.
  4. Once you’ve found the right option, simply click on the template and it will open as a new document.
Image: Screenshot of different format templates for Google Sheets spreadsheets
There are already several templates available on the home page of Google Sheets.

Al­ter­na­tive­ly, you can access Google Sheets templates from within a spread­sheet document. To do this, follow the steps below:

  1. Go to the Google Sheets website.
  2. Open a new spread­sheet by clicking on Blank spread­sheet.
  3. Click on File at the top left.
  4. Now select New.
  5. Click on From template gallery. A new window will open where you can choose from different templates.
Image: Screenshot of the Google Sheets template gallery
Google offers numerous free templates for spread­sheets.

How to use templates from Google Workspace Mar­ket­place

Although the selection of templates listed in the template gallery is generous, you may need ad­di­tion­al options or styles for your Google Sheets spread­sheet template. You can also use the check the Google Workspace Mar­ket­place for different template options. All you need is an add-on. Here’s how to install the add-on:

  1. Go to Google Sheets.
  2. Open a new spread­sheet by clicking on Blank spread­sheet.
  3. Select Ex­ten­sions in the top tab.
  4. Then click on Add-ons.
  5. In the next step, select Get add-ons. Google Workspace Mar­ket­place will now open in a new window.
Image: Screenshot of the add-ons for templates in Google Sheets
You can use filter the options so only free templates are displayed.
  1. At the top you’ll find a search bar. Enter Template or Template Gallery, for example, to find more templates for your Google Sheet. You can also use the filter function to search for free templates if you don’t want to end up paying any ad­di­tion­al costs.
  2. Now install the add-on you want to use and follow the in­struc­tions given. Once you have granted all the ap­pro­pri­ate au­tho­riza­tions, you can add the add-on and access ad­di­tion­al templates.

How to import Google spread­sheet templates from Excel

There are many sim­i­lar­i­ties between Excel and Google Sheets. If there’s a Microsoft template you’d like to use, you can use it in Google Sheets. Keep in mind though that there may be potential lim­i­ta­tions or changes to the for­mat­ting. To import an Excel template, follow the steps below:

  1. Save the Excel template locally on your computer.
  2. Open Google Sheets in your browser.
  3. Click on the folder icon labeled Open file picker. It’s located on the right side of the screen below the template gallery options. A new window will open.
  4. Select Upload from the top menu bar.
Image: Screenshot of Google Sheets’ drag and drop menu
It’s easy to add external formats.
  1. Drag the Excel file into the cor­re­spond­ing field to upload it.
  2. As soon as the process is complete, the new template will open au­to­mat­i­cal­ly.
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What other templates are there for Google Sheets?

If you still haven’t found what you need or don’t want to use widely used templates, you can also get spread­sheet templates for Google Sheets from third-party providers. However, with this option you may have to pay a fee. Once you’ve found the right template, follow the steps below:

  1. Download the template to your computer. Make sure that it is com­pat­i­ble with Google Sheets or Google Docs.
  2. Open Google Sheets in your browser.
  3. Click on Open file picker on the right side of the screen. A new window will open
  4. Select Upload.
  5. Drag and drop the template into the cor­re­spond­ing field.
  6. The template will then open au­to­mat­i­cal­ly when it has finished uploading.
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