Google Sheets is like a book of grid-patterned pages, with each page represented as a tab at the bottom of your screen. These tabs act as individual pages, allowing you to organise different sets of data in one file. Let’s explore how to manage these tabs to make the most of your spreadsheets.
How to rename tabs
The easiest way to rename a sheet is to double-click its tab and type a new name.
How to add colours to tabs
Colour-coded tabs improve data visibility and can represent the status of your data (e.g., green for completed). Open the tab menu (triangle icon, choose Change colour, and pick a colour.
How to duplicate and add sheets
Duplicate sheets to copy data and formatting by selecting Duplicate from the tab menu.
Alternatively, click the + button next to the tabs to add a blank sheet.
How to delete and hide sheets
Remove unwanted sheets through the tab menu’s Delete option. For sensitive or unused data, hide the sheet by selecting Hide sheet from the tab menu. Access hidden sheets through the hamburger menu (three lines) to unhide them.
How to move and navigate tabs
Rearrange tabs by dragging them to a new position. For files with many sheets, use the arrows to scroll through tabs or the hamburger menu to navigate quickly.
How to reference to a different sheet
Connect data across sheets using formulas. For example, =ClassA!A3 pulls data from cell A3 of the “ClassA” sheet. The sheet name is always followed by an exclamation mark then the cell reference.
Below we have the cell B3 on the “Year10” sheet looking at cell A3 on the “ClassA” sheet.
So, if the “ClassA” sheet is updated, for example, with new student names, and cell A3 is changed, cell B3 on the “Year10” sheet will also change, saving you the work of updating both sheets.
By mastering these tab features, you’ll not only keep your data organised but also enhance collaboration and analysis across multiple sheets.
See a more detailed look at multiple sheets in this YouTube video:
Find more tutorials on Google Sheets here.
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