Google Sheets gets big upgrades for Excel file imports and Connected Sheets

Google is rolling out a double-header update for Google Sheets, focusing on two areas where power users often hit friction: converting spreadsheets from Microsoft Excel and analyzing massive datasets in Connected Sheets.

Whether you frequently import .xlsx files from colleagues or query BigQuery databases directly inside a spreadsheet, these new features eliminate manual work and make data presentation significantly cleaner.

Seamless Excel imports – native tables and live pivot tables

Converting Microsoft Excel files into Google Sheets used to require a fair bit of cleanup. Previously, Excel tables didn’t convert into native Sheets tables, stripping away structural formatting and converting any linked pivot tables into static, uneditable grids. With the latest update to file importing in Google Sheets:

• Excel tables convert to Sheets tables: Imported Excel tables now automatically map to native Sheets tables, preserving your original formatting, sort controls, and structural benefits right out of the gate.
• Linked pivot tables remain dynamic: Pivot tables in Excel that rely on table ranges now import as fully functional, interactive pivot tables rather than flat, static data snapshots.

These import improvements mean imported spreadsheets are ready to use immediately without needing to manually rebuild data structures. Table imports are available now, while linked pivot table support is rolling out gradually to all Workspace domains and personal Google accounts.

Connected Sheets upgrades – list parameters and column aliasing

For organizations using BigQuery, Google is also introducing two key usability features to Connected Sheets designed to make database analysis far more accessible to non-technical team members:

• List Parameters: When writing BigQuery queries, users can now reference an entire range of cells as a single list parameter. This allows power users or data admins to set up user-friendly input sheets with drop-down menus or selection grids. Collaborators can filter massive database queries dynamically without ever touching the underlying SQL code.
• Column Aliasing: Database column headers can often be cryptically named or difficult for broader audiences to read. Users can now create presentation-ready column aliases directly within Connected Sheets without changing the underlying database references or breaking existing formulas.

Both Connected Sheets features are rolling out now for all Google Workspace customers and personal account users with Connected Sheets access.