Excel to Google Sheets: Common Migration Problems

Excel and Google Sheets are close but not identical. Most spreadsheets move across cleanly; the problems appear in specific features that behave differently in each tool.

What commonly breaks

• Formulas — a few Excel functions have different names or behaviour in Sheets.
• Macros and VBA — Sheets does not run VBA macros; they need reworking in Apps Script or a different approach.
• Formatting — fonts, conditional formatting and layout can shift.
• Charts — chart types and options do not always carry over exactly.
• Data validation — dropdowns and rules can be lost or changed.
• Permissions and sharing — Sheets sharing works differently from Excel files.
• File size — very large files may need trimming or splitting.
• External links — links to other Excel files break when moved.
• Dates and locales — day/month order and decimal separators can change.

How to migrate cleanly

1. 1Identify which features the spreadsheet actually relies on.
2. 2Check formulas against the Sheets equivalent before relying on the result.
3. 3Recreate macros as Apps Script or replace them with a Sheets-native approach.
4. 4Confirm dates, locales and data validation after import.
5. 5Test the result on a copy before deleting the original.

Cost and scope

A simple migration with a few formula checks is a small job. A migration that involves reworking macros, restructuring data or rebuilding charts is larger and is scoped separately.

What to send us