Simplify Bulk Operations in Google Workspace with Google Sheets

Introduction

Let’s learn about how to Simplify Bulk Operations in Google Workspace with Google Sheets. Google Sheets is a cloud-based spreadsheet offered by Google Workspace. You can easily create a project, edit, and collaborate using Google Sheets. Moreover, you can optimize other tasks, such as report generation and data analysis, with other resources (like BigQuery). It provides 400 + spreadsheet functions and allows the creation of custom functions with App Script.

About some common operations of Google Sheet

You can automate and simplify your regular Google Workspace tasks by using Google Sheets. These help your employees to use Google Sheets efficiently and increase productivity. 

• Automatic data entry using Form

Sometimes, you have to create survey responses using Google Sheets, and most of the time, you must manually enter the responses within the spreadsheet. But instead of this method, you can use Google Forms to automate the response generation. The Form will help you send an instant response through Sheets. Additionally, your response will appear in real-time if the sheet is linked to your survey. Let’s see how you can do this – 

1. Open Forms on your computer. 
2. Select More > Select response destination from the Response tab.
3. Next, select the Create a new spreadsheet option. Here, you can change the name of the Form if you wish.
4. Finally, click Create.

Similarly, you can create a response for an existing spreadsheet. So, follow these steps –

1. Repeat steps 1 and 2 from the above section.
2. Then, Select existing spreadsheet > Select.
3. Finally, click Select.

• Find and update data in Sheet

If you want to search and update for a particular text or number in Sheets, you don’t have to search them manually. Automate it through some simple steps –

1. Go to Sheets and open a spreadsheet.
2. Then click Edit > Find and replace from the upper left corner. 
3. After that, enter the data in the Find search box that you want to find.
4. Then, enter new data in the Replace with a search box. 
5. Choose the sheets which you want to search and customize search options. So, you can choose case-sensitive search, regular expressions, searching with formulas, or finding exact matches. But these are optional. 
6. Now, choose any one option. You can choose to replace one data at a time. So select Find > Replace. Otherwise, you can replace all data. For this, you have to select Replace all. 

• Create a report with Google Analytics

You can easily import data from Google Analytics to your Google Sheets. You can create graphs after importing data into a sheet and then share them with your team members. To do that –

1. Go to a spreadsheet from Google Sheets.
2. Then, click Extensions > Google Analytics > Create a new report.
3. Finally, enter your data. Then, click Create Report. 

A new spreadsheet will contain your analytics data. 

If you don’t sign in to Google Analytics, then – 

1. Go to Extensions > Add-ons > Get add-ons from Google Sheets.
2. Then, search for Google Analytics add-on. Once you have found it click Install. 
3. Finally, click Continue. 

• Remove duplicate data

Duplicate data is a big issue for spreadsheets. Sometimes, it becomes costly to fix this issue. To remove duplicates, you must follow the steps mentioned below –

1. Select the range of data from which you want to remove the duplication.
2. Then, click Data > Remove duplicates.
3. Then, select the columns. Also, select if your data contains any header.
4. After that, click Remove duplicates. Finally, click OK from the status window. 

If you want to remove duplicate spaces, then –

1. Select Data > Trim whitespace after selecting your data range. 

• Validate your data

You can easily validate your data in your sheet. It reduces data entry errors and saves you time. So, validate your data in the following way – 

1. Select a column of your spreadsheet.
2. Then, click Data > Data validation.
3. After that, select List of items beside Criteria. 
4. Enter the valid options. Separate them with commas.
5. Ensure that you have checked the Show dropdown list in cell box.
6. Then, select Show warning or Reject input for invalid data.
7. Finally, click Save. 

• Create filter views

The filter view operation becomes useful when you want to create a customized view for your sheet's data. You can create a view that only you can see, or you can create a view for your team members. In this way, you can create multiple filter views and save them. 

To create a filter view that only you can see, follow these steps –

1. After opening Sheets, go to this path – Data > Filter views > Create new filter view. 
2. Then, sort and filter your data.
3. Then, close your filter view, and the filter will be saved automatically.

To create a filter for your team members, you have to perform these steps –

You can create this filter in two ways –

• Selecting multiple cells and clicking Data > create a filter.
• Or, you can choose one cell and then click Create a filter. 

You can use filter options like Search, Filter by color, Filter by condition, etc. To use these options, you have to click Filter from the top.

• Sending emails to the collaborators

You can directly send emails to the collaborators from Sheets.

1. So, click File > Email > Email collaborators.
2. Then, add a message.
3. Finally, click Send. 

Automate repetitive tasks in Google Sheets 

Macro helps to automate the recurring tasks in Google Sheets. For example, you need to create similar charts in multiple spreadsheets or perform the same steps at different times. In these cases, you can use a macro. Macro records the actions you want to perform several times. You can store these actions in a macro without writing any code.

1. So, open Sheets. Then go to Extensions > Macros > Record macro. 
2. Then, choose a cell reference for using your macro. Either you can choose to Use absolute references or choose to Use relative references. When you select absolute references, your macro will work on those particular cells. If you choose relative references, your macro will work on the selected cells and their nearby cells, too. 
3. Then, complete your actions and record them in macro. After that, click Save. 
4. Give the name of the macro, create a shortcut, and click Save again. 

Some shortcuts for using Sheet

Keyboard shortcuts

1. To check the list of keyboard shortcuts, press Ctrl + / for Windows or press ⌘ + / for Mac.
2. To get the tool finder, press Alt + / for Windows or Option + / for Mac. 

Smart Fill

1. Open your Google Sheet and enter data.
2. If you are using a Window then press Ctrl + Shift + Y or press ⌘ + Shift + Y for Mac.

Learn more shortcuts from here. 

Empower yourself with the automation of Foresight

Foresight is an inventive automation platform that optimizes regular workflows easily. As a Google Cloud partner, it provides automated solutions for Google Workspace workflows. Thus, Google admin and users can easily handle their complex workflows without struggling too much. The simple UI and pre-built functionalities of Foresight create cutting-edge automation. So, it improves productivity and saves more time. 

You can learn use cases like – How To Bulk Reset Users Passwords In Google Workspace, etc.

Conclusion

So, these are a few simple operations of Google Sheets that can save you time and reduce the risk of costly errors. Also, learn about automating Google Workspace workflows with Foresight to lower your company overhead cost and increase productivity. So, try a 14-day free trial of this platform and see the transformation in your company’s work process.