Top 9 Google Spreadsheet Tips and Tricks to Use Like a Pro

I could hardly think of using any other spreadsheet program than Microsoft Excel. This was before Google decided to release Pages as part of its Web apps office suite. Google Sheets has helped me become platform and computer independent. Since I’ve had a good time using it, I’ve compiled some of the best and most used Google Sheets tips and tricks.

While Excel is much more powerful, Google Sheets comes with lots of features and packs a lot of punch. You need to know what to do and how to do it. That’s where we come in with a number of helpful ways to help you use Sheets like a pro.

Let’s start.

1. How to Lock a Row in Google Sheets

Locking a row or column locks it with the grid. This means that when you scroll down or to the side (row or column) it stays on top. In a Google Sheets document, select the row you want to freeze by clicking the corresponding number or alphabet.

Select Freeze under the View menu and you will see a bunch of options.

No lines option will unfreeze the selected lines. Then, one row freezes the selected row, while two rows freeze the row below it. Freezes all lines up to the current line (1), where your cursor is on the page. Below that are the same options, but for columns instead.

2. How to Merge Cells in Google Sheets

Select the rows and columns you want to merge on the page.

Click Format and select Merge cells to view all available options.

You can combine horizontally or vertically. Combine them all will do both. Once you select an option, you will see this popup.

Depending on the option you choose, merging cells will keep the leftmost value. Always.

In our case, only cells A1 and A2 are preserved, while the rest are deleted. So keep this in mind before merging any cells.

3. How to Make Charts in Google Spreadsheets

Data can be difficult to interpret, so we resort to graphs. Google Sheets comes with many different chart types. Before choosing one, make sure your data is ready. Select all the cells you want to represent graphically and click Graphics under Insert.

You should now see a bar chart by default with some options on the right. You can change the chart type from bar to pie or another, color it, select cells, add titles and descriptions, and more here.

I suggest you use some fake data and play around until you get used to it. Creating graphs and charts isn’t all that difficult anyway.

4. How to Wrap Text in Google Sheets

You type a long string of text and it moves to the next cell, blocking the value there or getting lost in the cell wall. Select the cell and click Text wrap under Format. This is where you select the wrap option.

Choosing the overflow option will allow the text to continue into the next cell while the Clip cuts short, as we saw in the screenshot above.

5. How to Sum a Column in Google Sheets

Google Spreadsheet can easily do mathematical calculations. Addition is a formula that most people use often. Select the cells in the column or row you want to sum and select the Sum option under the math icon.

Did you notice all the other formulas out there? Google Sheets can act as a pretty good calculator.

6. How to Add Columns and Rows in Google Sheets

When managing lots of data on a single sheet, it’s not a good idea to move them around just to add a single row or column. Fortunately, there is an easy way. Select the row or column where you need a new blank row/column and select Add 1 above or below.

You should now see the blank line. The index number/alphabet will change automatically throughout the page.

You can also use the same method to add columns.

7. How to Lock Cells in Google Sheets

Locking a cell will prevent accidental changing of the same cell. Don’t think it’s a security measure. People can still take screenshots, output, and even copy and paste the contents of the cell.

Select the cells you want to lock and under Data select Protected sheets and ranges.

Here you can lock not only cells, but also the whole sheet. In case you have more than one set, enter a description that will make it easier to identify locked cells in the future. Select Set permissions when done. You can now choose who has permission to access locked cells.

8. How to Create a Dropdown in Google Sheets

Drop-down lists save a lot of space, making it easy to select values ​​and fill out forms or play with variables. Select the cell for which you want to create a drop-down list and under Data click Data validation.

You can now select criteria for that cell. For example, you can create a list of dates, numbers, names, checkbox, or items. You can then select a range and specify what happens when invalid data is entered.

I chose a number between 10 and 100. So when I enter 5 in that cell, Google Sheets shows a red flag to indicate an error.

Creating a list with multiple optional values ​​will add a downward arrow to indicate the drop-down list.

9. How to Tag a Legend in Google Sheets

You can easily add text and format indicators in Google Sheets. The process is simple and easy to make your data easily identifiable, especially if you are sharing the page with other people.

Bow Well

Google Sheets is powerful, versatile, and free for life without any conditions. The fact that it’s available on all platforms and works directly from a browser makes it even more popular. Share your tips and tricks with us in the comments section below.

Next: Always working with Google Sheets? Here are some Google Sheets templates to save time and increase productivity.