How to import csv into google sheets on mac: the File menu steps, with fixes

Before you import: check the CSV file

Most import problems start before you open Google Sheets. A CSV is plain text. Each row is one line, and a character, usually a comma, separates the values in that line. That simple format moves between apps easily. It also means small problems in the file turn into messy columns later.

Open the file before you import it. If it asks for a password, Sheets can't use it. Remove the password in the app that saved the file, then save a fresh copy. Keep the original as a backup in case you need to start over.

Google's Drive help sets size limits for spreadsheets. A spreadsheet created in or converted to Google Sheets can hold up to 20 million cells or 100 MB. Many everyday CSV files sit well below that. A large export from a database or an analytics tool can get close, so check before you import.

• Confirm the file isn't password-protected.
• Check that the file is under 100 MB.
• Count the rows and columns, so you can compare them after the import.
• If the data came from Excel, watch for long text. Google's limits page says cells over 50,000 characters are removed when an Excel file converts to Sheets.
• Note which tab you'll import into. Replace options overwrite data, so know what's already there.

Pick the right import location

The import location decides what happens to the data already in your spreadsheet. Pick the wrong one and you can overwrite work you wanted to keep. Google lists six options. Each one does a different job, and the names tell you most of what you need.

• Create new spreadsheet: puts the CSV in a new file and leaves your current file alone.
• Insert new sheets: adds the data as new tabs in the file you have open.
• Replace spreadsheet: overwrites the whole file with the CSV.
• Replace current sheet: overwrites the tab you are on.
• Append rows to current sheet: adds the CSV rows under the rows already there.
• Replace data starting at selected cell: overwrites data from the cell you select.

Here's a common case. Your tracker already has headers in row 1, and you have a new export from another app. If the export also has a header row, appending copies that header under your data. Remove the header row from the CSV first, or import into a new tab to compare before you combine.

For a first look, use Create new spreadsheet or Insert new sheets. You can check the result without touching your work. Then copy the rows you need across, or switch to the append option once you trust the file.

Choose the separator character

The separator character tells Sheets where one value ends and the next begins. Google offers four choices: Detect automatically, Tab, Comma, and Custom. Start with Detect automatically when you're not sure what the file uses.

Comma is the right pick for a standard CSV. Quote marks matter here. Suppose one row holds a name, a city written as Lisbon, Portugal, and a job title. If the city sits inside quote marks, the row has three values. The quotes keep the comma inside the city from splitting it.

Choose Custom when the file uses another character. Semicolon files often come from apps set to use commas for decimals. Choose Custom, then type the semicolon when Sheets asks for the character.

If your columns look merged or split, the separator is the first thing to check. Import again with the right choice instead of fixing each cell by hand.

A worked example: importing a bank export

Say your bank lets you download a month of transactions as a CSV. The file has a header row, and each line holds a date, a description, and an amount. Your budget sheet already has headers in row 1 and transactions from row 2 down.

Start by importing into a new tab. Choose Insert new sheets, set the separator to Comma, then click Import. Check that the date column reads as dates and that a simple SUM over the amounts gives the total your bank shows.

Once the new tab looks right, move the rows you need into the budget sheet. If you want to add the export straight under your existing rows, use Append rows to current sheet, but delete the header row from the CSV first. Otherwise the header lands as a data row in the middle of your budget.

Mistakes people make on a Mac

These mistakes show up again and again. Each one has a simple fix, and most of them take less time to avoid than to clean up.

• Clicking a Replace option without reading it. Replace options overwrite existing data, so undo right away if it happens.
• Importing into the wrong tab. Check the tab name before you click Import.
• Opening the CSV in Excel and saving over it. Excel can change values, such as ZIP codes with leading zeros, when it resaves a file.
• Leaving Detect automatically on when the file uses semicolons, then blaming Sheets for the columns.
• Expecting formatting to come along. A CSV holds values only, so colors, fonts, and formulas from the original app don't carry over.

Rename the new tab after the import, with the date or the source in the name. You will thank yourself when the next export lands next to the old one.

What to check after the import

Don't stop when the data appears. Scroll to the last row, then compare it with the row count in your original file. A missing row often points to a separator problem, or to a line break inside a quoted value.

Then check the numbers and dates. A value that lands as text won't add up in a formula, even if it looks like a number. Select a few cells in each column and read them before you build totals on top of the data.

Once the data looks right, make the sheet easier to work with. Freeze the top row so headers stay in view while you scroll. Then sort the data by column or add a filter to a range to find the rows you need.

If the import created duplicates, remove duplicate rows. If you overwrote data by accident, check revision history to find the version from before the import.

Keyboard shortcuts that help on a Mac

Google's keyboard shortcut list for Sheets includes three Mac keys that help after an import. Find is ⌘F, Open is ⌘O, and Paste values only is ⌘⇧V.

Google's list doesn't include a shortcut for Import. Use the menu bar instead, with File > Import. That path is the one Google's own help page describes.

Paste values only is useful when you move imported rows into another sheet. It pastes the values without the formatting, so the new sheet keeps its own look. For the full list, read the shortcut guide for Sheets.

Where your CSV lives and which app to use

Your CSV might sit in a folder that syncs through Google Drive for desktop. That app needs macOS Ventura 13.0 or higher. If your Mac runs an older version, download the file to your Downloads folder and import it from there.

Google's help pages describe Sheets as a browser app. They don't name a separate Mac app for it. The steps here use the browser version, so if your screen looks different, look for the File menu and then Import.

Google's help pages don't show version numbers or update dates. The steps here aren't tied to one release, so a label may move after an update. Check Google's help center if a menu name doesn't match.

Some sites online give different cell limits than Google does. Use Google's figure, 20 million cells, from the Drive help page when you plan a large import.