Importing TXT Data Files into Google Sheets

Importing TXT Data Files into Google Sheets

Google Sheets is a popular online spreadsheet application that allows you to create, edit, and share spreadsheets with others. One of the features of Google Sheets is that you can import data from different file types, such as CSV, TSV, ODS, XLS, and TXT.

TXT files are plain text files that contain data separated by delimiters, such as commas, tabs, or spaces. You can import TXT files into Google Sheets to convert the data into cells and rows. There are two main methods to import TXT files into Google Sheets: using the IMPORTDATA function or using the File > Import menu.

Using the IMPORTDATA Function

The IMPORTDATA function is a built-in function in Google Sheets that allows you to import data from a URL. You can use this function to import data from a TXT file that is hosted online, such as on a website or a cloud storage service.

To use the IMPORTDATA function, you need to provide the URL of the TXT file as the argument. For example:

=IMPORTDATA("https://example.com/data.txt")

This will import the data from the TXT file into the cell where you enter the formula and the adjacent cells. The function will automatically detect the delimiter used in the TXT file and split the data accordingly.

You can also use the SPLIT function to manually specify the delimiter if the automatic detection does not work correctly. For example:

=SPLIT(IMPORTDATA("https://example.com/data.txt"), ",")

This will import the data from the TXT file and split it by commas.

The IMPORTDATA function has some limitations, such as:

• It can only import up to 50 MB of data per spreadsheet.
• It can only import up to 2 MB of data per cell.
• It can only import up to 100 URLs per spreadsheet.
• It refreshes the imported data every hour.

Using the File > Import Menu

Another method to import TXT files into Google Sheets is to use the File > Import menu. This allows you to import data from a TXT file that is stored on your device or on your Google Drive.

To use this method, follow these steps:

1. Open your Google Sheets spreadsheet and click File > Import from the top menu.
2. Choose where to locate your TXT file. You can select My Drive, Shared With Me, Recent, or Upload.
3. Select the TXT file that you want to import and click Open.
4. In the pop-up window that appears, choose the import location. You can create a new sheet, insert a new sheet, replace a sheet, replace your current sheet, append your current sheet, or replace the data in selected cells.
5. Choose the separator type. You can select Tab, Comma, Custom, or Detect Automatically.
6. Optionally, check the box to convert text to numbers, dates, and formulas.
7. Click Import Data.

This will import the data from the TXT file into your Google Sheets spreadsheet according to your settings.

The File > Import menu has some advantages over the IMPORTDATA function, such as:

• It can import larger amounts of data per spreadsheet and per cell.
• It does not refresh the imported data automatically unless you change it manually.
• It can import local files from your device or from your Google Drive.

Conclusion

Importing TXT data files into Google Sheets is a useful feature that allows you to convert plain text data into spreadsheet cells and rows. You can use either the IMPORTDATA function or the File > Import menu to import TXT files into Google Sheets depending on your needs and preferences.