Are you looking to take your Google Sheets skills to the next level? If so, then this article is for you! We’ll share eight powerful tips and tricks that will help you become a Google Sheets expert.
1. Use Keyboard Shortcuts and Operation Tricks
One of the most basic but also very useful keyboard shortcut is Undo. This can be activated by pressing Ctrl + Z on your keyboard. So if you accidentally delete something or make another mistake, you can simply undo it and fix it without having to start all over again.
Another great keyboard shortcut is Redo. This is especially handy if you’ve undone something but then decide that you actually wanted to do it after all. To redo an action, simply press Ctrl + Y on your keyboard.
There are also some great shortcuts for working with cells in Google Sheets. For example, if you want to quickly add up a range of cells, you can use the Sum shortcut. Simply select the range of cells that you want to add up and then press Alt + = on your keyboard.
There is also a way to lock only a few cells and leave the rest as is. By default, when you protect a sheet in Google Sheets, all cells are locked. But what if you only want to lock certain cells? That’s where the “lock only specific cells” trick comes in. To do this, first select the cells that you want to lock. Then go to the “Data” tab and click on “Protected sheets and ranges”. Finally, click on the “Add a sheet or range” button and enter the cell range that you want to lock. You can also right-click the cells you selected cells and select the “Protect range” option from the right-click popup. There is also the additional option of setting editing permissions on the cells you locked.
Finally, if you want to quickly apply formatting to a cell or range of cells, you can use the Format Painter shortcut. Simply select the cell or range of cells that you want to format and then press Ctrl + Shift + F on your keyboard. This will open up the Format Painter dialog box where you can choose from a variety of different formatting options.
By learning just a few of these keyboard shortcuts, you can save yourself a lot of time when working with Google Sheets. So next time you’re struggling to remember how to do something, simply press one of these shortcuts and you’ll be able to get it done much faster!
2. Utilize Data Validation
Data validation is an extremely useful feature in Google Sheets that can help you ensure that your data is clean and accurate. By setting up data validation, you can specify the type of data that you want to allow in a cell, as well as set up rules to prevent invalid data from being entered.
One of the most common uses for data validation is to set up a drop-down list in a cell. This can be helpful for restricting the options that someone can choose from when entering data into a sheet. For example, let’s say you have a column for tracking the status of projects. You could set up data validation so that the only options that can be entered into this column are “Not Started”, “In Progress”, and “Completed”. This would prevent someone from accidentally entering an incorrect status, or from having to scroll through a long list of options.
Another use for data validation is to set up rules for numeric data. For example, you could specify that a cell can only contain values between 1 and 10. This can be helpful for ensuring that data is entered in the correct format, or for preventing errors when doing calculations.
Data validation is a powerful tool that can help you keep your data clean and accurate. By taking advantage of this feature, you can make sure that your sheets are always up-to-date and error-free.
3. Use Filters
Google Sheets is a powerful tool, and one of its most useful features is its filtering capabilities. Filters allow you to view and analyze your data in many different ways, making it easy to find the information you need.
One of the best things about filters is that they can be applied to both individual cells and entire ranges of cells. This means that you can use them to view your data in different ways, depending on what you’re looking for.
For example, let’s say you have a list of customer names and addresses. You could use a filter to view only the customers who live in your city, or only the customers who have made a purchase within the last month.
Filters are also great for finding specific information in your data. For instance, if you want to find all the customers who live in California, you could use a filter to view only those cells that contain the word “California.”
4. Create Drop-Down Lists
Drop-down lists are another great way to ensure data accuracy in your spreadsheet. They allow you to restrict the values that can be entered into a cell to a predefined list of options. To create a drop-down list, select the cells you want to affect, then click Data > Data Validation. Under the “Criteria” section, choose “List from a range”, then enter the range of cells that contain your predefined list of options.
5. Leverage Google Sheets Add-ons
There are a number of different add-ons available for Google Sheets that can help improve your productivity. These add-ons provide additional features and functionality, such as the ability to create pivot tables and charts, perform mathematical operations, and more. To browse available add-ons, click the Add-ons menu item, then select Get add-ons.
6. Insert Images
Google Sheets allows you to insert images into your spreadsheet cells. This can be helpful for adding visual representations of data, or simply making your spreadsheet more visually appealing. To insert an image, select the cell you want to insert it into, then click Insert > Image.
7. Use Conditional Formatting
Conditional formatting is a powerful feature that allows you to highlight cells that meet certain criteria. This can be helpful for quickly identifying important data points or trends. To use conditional formatting, select the cells you want to format, then click Format > Conditional formatting. From here, you can choose from a number of different formatting options.
8. Utilize Google Sheets Scripts
Google Sheets scripts are pieces of code that can be used to automate tasks. There are a number of different scripts available, and they can be used to perform a wide variety of tasks, such as sending emails, creating charts, and more. To use a script, simply click the Tools > Script editor menu item. From here, you can choose from a number of different pre-written scripts or write your own.
These are just a few of the many helpful tips and tricks that can be used to become a Google Sheets expert. As you can see, there’s a lot more to this program than meets the eye. So, get out there and start exploring all that Google Sheets has to offer!