How to convert XLSX to Google Sheets
- In Google Drive, click New › File upload and pick the .xlsx; open it and choose File › Save as Google Sheets.
- If Sheets refuses the file, drop it here and convert it to CSV (or to XLSX from an old XLS).
- Import the result in Sheets with File › Import.
Google Sheets reads Excel files natively: upload the XLSX to Google Drive, double-click it, and use File › Save as Google Sheets to get a real Sheets document with live formulas. Most workbooks convert well; what does not transfer is macros (VBA), some chart types, data validation rules referring to other workbooks and a few newer Excel functions.
Sometimes Sheets cannot open the file: an old .xls from Excel 97-2003, a workbook with a damaged index, a protected file, or one above the 100 MB import limit. In those cases convert the file here first. CSV is the universal format Sheets imports without question (one sheet per file); XLSX from an XLS gives a modern file Sheets accepts, and PDF lets you simply read it.
Formulas are kept in XLSX output and turned into values in CSV. Up to 50 files of 300 MB per run; everything is deleted after 30 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Can Google Sheets open XLSX directly?
Yes. Upload it to Drive, open it, then File › Save as Google Sheets. Convert here only when Sheets rejects or mangles the file.
Why does Sheets refuse my file?
Usually an old .xls, a damaged file, a password or a file over 100 MB. Converting it to XLSX or CSV here solves the first three.
Will formulas survive?
In XLSX, yes, and Sheets recalculates them. In CSV, only the values are kept.
What about macros?
Google Sheets does not run Excel macros (VBA). The data and formulas convert; the macros do not.
Is it free?
Yes, no account needed.