Importing TXT and PDF Files in Google Sheets: Examples and Usage

Google Sheets provides the capability to import external data from TXT (text) and PDF (Portable Document Format) files. This feature allows you to extract data from these file formats and work with them directly in your spreadsheet. In this article, we will explore the process of importing TXT and PDF files into Google Sheets and provide examples to demonstrate their usage.

Importing TXT Files

To import a TXT file into Google Sheets, follow these steps:

1. Open your Google Sheets spreadsheet.
2. Click on the "File" menu and select "Import".
3. Choose the "Upload" tab.
4. Select the TXT file from your local drive and click "Open".
5. Configure the import settings, such as the delimiter used in the TXT file.
6. Click "Import" to import the TXT file into Google Sheets.

Importing PDF Files

Importing PDF files into Google Sheets requires an additional step of converting the PDF to a TXT file before importing:

1. Convert the PDF file to TXT format using an online converter or a PDF-to-text conversion tool.
2. Follow the steps mentioned earlier to import the converted TXT file into Google Sheets.

Example: Importing External Data

Suppose you have a TXT file containing a list of product prices. You can import this data into Google Sheets for further analysis and calculations:

1. Convert the TXT file to a CSV (comma-separated values) format using a text editor or an online conversion tool.
2. Import the CSV file into Google Sheets using the steps mentioned earlier.
3. Format the imported data as needed, such as applying number formatting or sorting the data.
4. Perform calculations or analysis using the imported data in Google Sheets.

This example demonstrates how importing external data from TXT files can help you integrate and utilize data from different sources within your Google Sheets spreadsheet.

Conclusion

Google Sheets' ability to import TXT and PDF files provides flexibility and convenience in working with external data sources. By following the necessary steps, you can seamlessly import data from TXT files or convert and import data from PDF files into Google Sheets. This capability allows you to incorporate data from various formats and sources into your spreadsheets, enabling better analysis, calculations, and reporting. Experiment with importing TXT and PDF files, explore different import settings, and leverage the power of Google Sheets to work with diverse data sources and enhance your data-driven decision-making processes.