Whatever data you work with in Google Sheets, most likely it's initially a set of plain-looking text values, numbers, maybe dates, etc. Turning those into a well-structured table can improve the way you analyze and share your data.
In this guide, I'll show you how to create a table in Google Sheets using a new Convert to table feature and traditional formatting tools. I'll also introduce you to a special add-on that lets you create your styles and apply them with a button.
Here's a short dataset I've put together. You can see some fruits, their types, suppliers and the prices along with the discounts they offer:
All records are displayed with the default settings: the default Arial font of size 10. All text values are aligned to the left, numbers — to the right. Nothing to make it look visually appealing. Let's see how you can format that as a table in Google Sheets.
Way 1. Convert Google Sheets to table
If you're familiar with Excel, you're probably looking for an easy shortcut, like Ctrl T, to instantly turn your data into a table. Luckily, Google Sheets recently introduced this feature — Convert to table — making it super easy to format your data as a table.
How to use the Convert to table feature
- Select the range with your data.
- Go to Format > Convert to table or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl Alt T:
Voila! Google Sheets will instantly apply a professional table format with a header, alternating colors, and filter buttons for each column:
What you can do after converting your data to table in Google Sheets
-
Set up column data types. Pick specific number formats to tailor how your column data is displayed — currency, date, text, etc:
-
Sort or filter data. Sort will arrange your data in ascending or descending order, for instance, take your highest sales to the top. The filter will hide unnecessary info so you can focus only on what's important, such as keeping the lower-rated customer reviews visible:
-
Group data. Dynamically group your data by column values: sales by region or product category, to analyze each trend easily:
You will get a temporary view with values grouped by common records from the selected column:
-
Save different table views. You can play around with different table set-ups of the table that include sorting, filtering and grouping, and save each of them into a View:
- Just click Save view at the upper right corner:
- Give your view a name and hit Save:
This lets you quickly switch between different ways to view your data. Click the icon with the Views next to your table name to switch to other table views:
- Just click Save view at the upper right corner:
-
Customize table colors. Pick one of the default schemes or choose your custom color:
-
Manage alternating colors. Google Sheets tables apply gray alternating row colors by default but you can easily turn it off:
How to turn off the Convert to table format
If you’ve applied the Convert to table feature but want to go back to plain data, here’s how you revert:
- Open the drop-down next to your table name.
- Click Revert to unformatted data:
This will strip away the alternating colors, font, filter buttons & colors returning your data to its raw form:
Note. Removing the table format doesn't clear the applied sorting, filter and number format.
Way 2. Easiest way to make a table in Google Sheets — Table Styles add-on
While Google Sheets has built-in tools to create tables, they’re scattered and take time to apply. They don't let you reuse your formats later on different tables.
This is where the Table Styles add-on for Google Sheets comes in.
It's your style vault where you can apply beautiful, ready-made table formats in one click or create your own table styles to reuse anytime. It's quick, easy, and fully customizable.
Format Google Sheets with 50 ready-made styles
With over 50 pre-designed table styles grouped by color patterns, you can apply a polished look to your data instantly. Choose a style that fits your needs, then adjust it as you like. No more hunting for different formatting options across menus:
Create & save your own table styles for Google Sheets
The real magic lies in creating custom styles tailored to your exact needs.
You can pick which table parts to format, like headers, alternating rows, left columns, and more:
And this all happens in one window, where you can preview the result in real-time:
Apply style in one click
Instead of manually formatting tables each time, this add-on acts as your shortcut. Once a style is saved, it works as an instant format for any new dataset.
Just click that green Style button at the bottom to style your whole table.
Want to change just the header or colors? Use the filter icon next to the button to pick and style only specific table parts:
This makes it ideal for those who frequently creates tables in Google Sheets and want a consistent, polished look without the hassle.
Video: How to format Google Sheets: see Table Styles in action
In just 2 minutes, you’ll see how easy it is to create beautiful tables with the Table Styles add-on:
Install Table Styles add-on for Google Sheets and start creating stunning tables right away!
Way 3. Traditional formatting tools to make a table in Google Sheets
If you prefer to manually style your tables, Google Sheets offers a range of tools like borders, fonts, alternating colors, etc.
These same tools (and more) are also conveniently integrated into the Table Styles add-on that I described above. The tool includes these formats in your style templates that you can apply to any table in a fraction of time.
But if you're still a fan of customizing tables manually, just be aware that they take a few extra steps and more time. With that in mind, here’s how you format Google Sheets as a table yourself.
Google Sheets table formatting — change fonts & sizes
You can easily customize the look of your table by changing the font style and size. Simply select the cells you want to format and use the font options in the toolbar to pick a clean, modern look, e.g. Calibri, size 12.
Number format for Google Sheets tables
Adjusting how numbers, dates, or text appear is crucial for readability. Go to Format > Number and choose from formats like Currency, Date, Percent, etc:
This will make your data clear especially when you're working with financials, timelines, or percentages:
Insert borders to make a table in Google Sheets
Adding borders will structure your table and improve readability. Spreadsheets let you turn on all of them at once (All borders) or choose specific borders (Inner, Vertical, Top, etc.):
You can even tweak their colors and styles:
Add header and footer to your Google Sheets tables
To make your header or footer rows stand out, select the rows and use the toolbar to apply Bold and choose a fill/text color, either suggested or custom:
For added clarity, center-align your text using the alignment options:
Create a table in Google Sheets with alternating colors
To visually separate rows, apply Alternating colors:
- Go to Format > Alternating colors:
- Choose a preset or customize hues for your header, rows, and footer:
Tip. If you'd like your coloring to depend on some values, set up conditional formatting rules by the steps from this tutorial.
Make a scrolling table in Google Sheets — freeze rows
If your dataset stretches beyond one screen, freeze the header row so it's always visible as you scroll.
Go to View > Freeze, and select the number of rows you want to lock in place:
You can freeze columns the same way if they contain essential labels:
Remove formatting from Google Sheets table
If you need to reset formatting, you can either remove specific styles (like frozen rows or alternating colors) by going back to their respective settings, or use Clear formatting under the Format tab to remove everything at once:
Tip. There's a quick shortcut to remove all style formatting from your table: Ctrl \ for Windows & Cmd \ for Mac.
It will remove all fill colors and borders, return the default font (black Arial 10) and alignment, remove all bold or italic settings. In other words, this returns your formatted Google Sheets table to its default initial state:
Have your own tips or tricks for making tables in Google Sheets? Share them in the comments section — I'd love to know what works best for you :)
The above is the detailed content of Only guide you need to make a table in Google Sheets. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

This tutorial explains how to calculate the median of numerical data in Excel using the MEDIAN function. The median, a key measure of central tendency, identifies the middle value in a dataset, offering a more robust representation of central tenden

Master Google Sheets COUNTIF: A Comprehensive Guide This guide explores the versatile COUNTIF function in Google Sheets, demonstrating its applications beyond simple cell counting. We'll cover various scenarios, from exact and partial matches to han

This tutorial provides a comprehensive guide to sharing Excel workbooks, covering various methods, access control, and conflict resolution. Modern Excel versions (2010, 2013, 2016, and later) simplify collaborative editing, eliminating the need to m

This tutorial explores various methods for converting .xls files to .jpg images, encompassing both built-in Windows tools and free online converters. Need to create a presentation, share spreadsheet data securely, or design a document? Converting yo

This tutorial clarifies the function of Excel names and demonstrates how to define names for cells, ranges, constants, or formulas. It also covers editing, filtering, and deleting defined names. Excel names, while incredibly useful, are often overlo

This tutorial clarifies the distinction between standard deviation and standard error of the mean, guiding you on the optimal Excel functions for standard deviation calculations. In descriptive statistics, the mean and standard deviation are intrinsi

This Excel tutorial demonstrates how to calculate square roots and nth roots. Finding the square root is a common mathematical operation, and Excel offers several methods. Methods for Calculating Square Roots in Excel: Using the SQRT Function: The

Unlock the Power of Google Sheets: A Beginner's Guide This tutorial introduces the fundamentals of Google Sheets, a powerful and versatile alternative to MS Excel. Learn how to effortlessly manage spreadsheets, leverage key features, and collaborate


Hot AI Tools

Undresser.AI Undress
AI-powered app for creating realistic nude photos

AI Clothes Remover
Online AI tool for removing clothes from photos.

Undress AI Tool
Undress images for free

Clothoff.io
AI clothes remover

Video Face Swap
Swap faces in any video effortlessly with our completely free AI face swap tool!

Hot Article

Hot Tools

DVWA
Damn Vulnerable Web App (DVWA) is a PHP/MySQL web application that is very vulnerable. Its main goals are to be an aid for security professionals to test their skills and tools in a legal environment, to help web developers better understand the process of securing web applications, and to help teachers/students teach/learn in a classroom environment Web application security. The goal of DVWA is to practice some of the most common web vulnerabilities through a simple and straightforward interface, with varying degrees of difficulty. Please note that this software

EditPlus Chinese cracked version
Small size, syntax highlighting, does not support code prompt function

MinGW - Minimalist GNU for Windows
This project is in the process of being migrated to osdn.net/projects/mingw, you can continue to follow us there. MinGW: A native Windows port of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), freely distributable import libraries and header files for building native Windows applications; includes extensions to the MSVC runtime to support C99 functionality. All MinGW software can run on 64-bit Windows platforms.

SecLists
SecLists is the ultimate security tester's companion. It is a collection of various types of lists that are frequently used during security assessments, all in one place. SecLists helps make security testing more efficient and productive by conveniently providing all the lists a security tester might need. List types include usernames, passwords, URLs, fuzzing payloads, sensitive data patterns, web shells, and more. The tester can simply pull this repository onto a new test machine and he will have access to every type of list he needs.

Notepad++7.3.1
Easy-to-use and free code editor
