Your Sheetiest Questions, Answered
Direct answers to Google Sheets how-tos. The fix first. Then videos, glossary terms, and formula guides when you want to go deeper.
Also see the glossary, formula directory, and tutorials.
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Popular questions
How to merge cells in Google Sheets
Select the cells you want to combine, then go to Format → Merge cells and pick Merge all, Merge horizontally, or Merge vertically. You can also click the Merge icon in the toolbar. Only the top-left value is kept; other values are discarded. Use merge for titles and labels, not for data you still need to sort or filter.
Get the answer →How to alphabetize in Google Sheets
Click any cell in the column you want to alphabetize, then go to Data → Sort sheet → Sort sheet by column A to Z (or Z to A). To sort only part of the sheet, select the range first and use Data → Sort range. Turn on “Data has header row” so titles stay put. For a live sorted copy, use the SORT formula instead of permanently rearranging the sheet.
Get the answer →How to wrap text in Google Sheets
Select the cells, then go to Format → Wrapping → Wrap (or use the Text wrapping toolbar icon and choose Wrap). Sheets expands the row height so the full text stays visible inside the cell. Choose Overflow to let text spill into empty neighbors, or Clip to hide overflow. Wrap is best for notes, addresses, and multi-line labels.
Get the answer →How to sort in Google Sheets
Select your data, then use Data → Sort sheet or Data → Sort range. Pick the column and A → Z or Z → A. For multi-column sorts, open Data → Sort range → Advanced range sorting options and add sort columns. Sorting changes the sheet in place. If you want a sorted view that stays linked to the source data, use =SORT(range, sort_column, is_ascending) on another sheet.
Get the answer →How to freeze a row in Google Sheets
Click View → Freeze → 1 row to lock the top header while you scroll. You can also drag the thick gray freeze handle just below row 1 (or to the right of column A for columns). Frozen rows stay visible as you move through long lists. To undo, choose View → Freeze → No rows.
Get the answer →How to add columns in Google Sheets
Right-click any column letter and choose Insert 1 column left or Insert 1 column right. To add several at once, select multiple columns first, then insert. On a keyboard, select a column and use Ctrl + Alt + = (Windows) or Option + Ctrl + = (Mac) after opening the insert menu via right-click is the surest path. New columns shift existing ones and keep formulas adjusted when references are relative.
Get the answer →How to subtract in Google Sheets
Type a formula with a minus sign, for example =A1-B1, and press Enter. You can also use =MINUS(A1, B1). Subtract dates to get day counts, or subtract times for durations (format the result as a number or duration). For a whole column, put the formula in the first data row and fill down, or wrap it in ARRAYFORMULA.
Get the answer →How to make a pie chart in Google Sheets
Put categories in one column and numbers in the next. Select both columns, then Insert → Chart. In the Chart editor, set Chart type to Pie chart (or Doughnut). Use the Customize tab for slice colors, legend, and titles. Pie charts work best for parts of a whole with a few categories; use a bar chart when you have many slices or want precise comparisons.
Get the answer →How to sort by date in Google Sheets
Click a cell in your date column, then Data → Sort sheet → Sort by that column A to Z for oldest to newest (Z to A for newest first). Dates must be real date values, not text that only looks like dates. Format the column as Format → Number → Date first if sorts look wrong. For a list that stays sorted automatically, use =SORT(A2:C, 1, true) pointing at the date column.
Get the answer →How to freeze rows in Google Sheets
Go to View → Freeze and choose 1 row or 2 rows, or pick Up to row N after selecting a row. You can also drag the freeze handle below the row numbers until the rows you want are locked. Frozen rows stay on screen while the rest of the sheet scrolls. Unfreeze anytime with View → Freeze → No rows.
Get the answer →Common questions
- What is the Google Sheets questions hub?
- Short, direct answers to common how-to questions in Google Sheets. Each page leads with the fix, then links Better Sheets YouTube videos, glossary terms, and formula guides.
- How is this different from the glossary?
- The glossary explains what a term means. Questions pages answer how to do a task. Use both together when you need the steps and the vocabulary.
- Where do the videos come from?
- YouTube cards link to matching videos on youtube.com/bettersheets.
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