askvity

How Do I Import a Column into Google Sheets?

Published in Google Sheets Data Import 6 mins read 


You can import a specific column from another Google Sheet into your current sheet using a combination of the `IMPORTRANGE` and `QUERY` functions. This powerful method allows you to pull only the data you need, directly into your sheet.

## The Core Method: IMPORTRANGE within QUERY

To import a specific column, you will leverage the `IMPORTRANGE` function to connect to the source sheet and pull a range of data, and then use the `QUERY` function to filter that data down to the single column you wish to import.

As specified by the reference (04-Sept-2024), you should:

1.  Start with the `IMPORTRANGE` function and specify the URL of the source spreadsheet and the range of data you want to import.
2.  Wrap the `IMPORTRANGE` function inside a `QUERY` function.
3.  In the second argument of the `QUERY` function, specify your query string using Google Visualization API Query Language to select the desired column.

### Understanding the Functions

*   **`IMPORTRANGE("spreadsheet_url", "range_string")`**: This function imports a range of cells from a specified spreadsheet.
    *   `spreadsheet_url`: The URL of the source Google Sheet (or its ID).
    *   `range_string`: The sheet name and range to import (e.g., `"Sheet1!A1:Z100"`).
*   **`QUERY(data, query, [headers])`**: This function runs a Google Visualization API Query Language query across data.
    *   `data`: The range of cells to run the query on. This will be the result of your `IMPORTRANGE` function.
    *   `query`: The query string to perform (e.g., `"SELECT Col1, Col2 WHERE Col1 > 10"`).
    *   `headers`: Optional. The number of header rows in the data.

### Selecting a Specific Column with QUERY

When `QUERY` processes the data returned by `IMPORTRANGE`, the columns are referred to using `Col1`, `Col2`, `Col3`, etc., corresponding to the order of the columns in the *imported range*, not their original letter names (A, B, C, etc.) in the source sheet.

To select just one column, your query string will look like `"SELECT ColX"`, where `X` is the number corresponding to the position of the desired column within the range specified in `IMPORTRANGE`.

**Example:** If your `IMPORTRANGE` pulls data from `Sheet1!A1:E100` (columns A, B, C, D, E), and you want to import *only* column C, you would use `"SELECT Col3"` in your `QUERY` string because C is the third column in the A:E range.

## Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s how to implement this method in your Google Sheet:

1.  **Open your destination Google Sheet** where you want to import the column.
2.  **Select the cell** where you want the imported column to start (e.g., A1).
3.  **Enter the formula** using the `QUERY` and `IMPORTRANGE` functions. The basic structure is:

    ```excel
    =QUERY(IMPORTRANGE("Source_Sheet_URL_or_ID", "SheetName!StartColumn:EndColumn"), "SELECT ColX")
*   Replace `"Source_Sheet_URL_or_ID"` with the actual URL or ID of the source sheet.
*   Replace `"SheetName!StartColumn:EndColumn"` with the sheet name and the range in the source sheet that includes the column you want to import. **Crucially, this range must span from the first column of interest up to and including the target column.**
*   Replace `X` with the number corresponding to the target column's position within the specified range (e.g., `Col1` for the first column in your range, `Col2` for the second, etc.).
  1. Authorize IMPORTRANGE: The first time you use IMPORTRANGE for a given source sheet in a new destination sheet, you will need to grant permission. The cell containing the formula will initially show an error like #REF!. Hover over the error, and a button will appear allowing you to "Allow access" between the two sheets. Click this button.
  2. The column data should now appear in your destination sheet.

Practical Example

Let's say you have a sheet with data in columns A through D, and you want to import only the data from column C into another sheet.

  • Source Sheet URL: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/abcdef12345/edit
  • Source Data Range: Sheet1!A1:D100 (This range includes columns A, B, C, D)
  • Column to Import: Column C (This is the 3rd column within the A:D range)

The formula in your destination sheet would be:

=QUERY(IMPORTRANGE("https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/abcdef12345/edit", "Sheet1!A1:D100"), "SELECT Col3")

This formula first imports the range A1:D100 from the source sheet and then uses QUERY to select only the data from the 3rd column (Col3) of that imported data, effectively pulling only column C.

Table: Formula Breakdown

Part of Formula Description Example
=QUERY(...) Starts the query function to process data. =QUERY(...)
IMPORTRANGE("URL", "Range") Imports the raw data range from the source sheet. This becomes the data argument for QUERY. IMPORTRANGE("source_url", "Sheet1!A1:E100")
"SELECT ColX" The query string: selects the X-th column from the imported range. Col is case-sensitive. "SELECT Col3" (to get the 3rd column in the A1:E100 range, which is column C)
Full Formula Structure Combines QUERY and IMPORTRANGE to filter the import down to a single column. =QUERY(IMPORTRANGE("source_url", "Sheet1!A1:E100"), "SELECT Col3")

By following these steps and understanding how QUERY references columns within the imported range (Col1, Col2, etc.), you can easily import any specific column from one Google Sheet to another.

Related Articles