IMPORTDATA for CSV/TSV in Google Sheets - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

IMPORTDATA lets you bring data from a CSV or TSV file on the web directly into your Google Sheets. This saves time by automatically loading and updating data without copying and pasting.

When you want to track live stock prices from a CSV file on a finance website.

When you need to import a list of products from a supplier's online CSV file into your inventory sheet.

When you want to analyze weather data published as a TSV file on a government site.

When you want to update your sales report automatically from a CSV file hosted on your company server.

When you want to combine data from multiple online CSV files into one sheet for comparison.

Steps

Step 1: Click

- any empty cell in your Google Sheet

The cell is selected and ready for input

Step 2: Type

- the selected cell

The formula appears in the cell

💡 Start with an equal sign (=) to enter a formula

Step 3: Enter

- the formula bar or cell

The data from the CSV or TSV file loads into the sheet, filling cells below and to the right

💡 Use the syntax =IMPORTDATA("URL") where URL is the web address of the CSV or TSV file

Step 4: Verify

- the imported data range

You see the data arranged in rows and columns matching the original file

Before vs After

Before

Cell A1 is empty with no data in the sheet

After

Cells starting at A1 show data loaded from the CSV or TSV file, filling multiple rows and columns

Settings Reference

URL

📍 inside the IMPORTDATA formula

Specifies the location of the data file to import

Default: None

Common Mistakes

Using a URL that does not point directly to a CSV or TSV file

IMPORTDATA only works with direct links to raw CSV or TSV files, not web pages

Use the direct link to the file ending in .csv or .tsv

Forgetting to put the URL inside double quotes in the formula

Without quotes, Google Sheets treats the URL as a name or function, causing an error

Always enclose the URL in double quotes like =IMPORTDATA("https://example.com/data.csv")

Summary

IMPORTDATA imports CSV or TSV data from a web URL directly into Google Sheets.

The formula automatically fills cells with the data in rows and columns.

Make sure to use a direct link to the CSV or TSV file and enclose it in quotes.