Skip to main content
How do I transfer formatting?

Learn how to transfer text formatting, number styles, borders, cell color, and more

Karoline Fernezlian avatar
Written by Karoline Fernezlian
Updated over 6 months ago

By default, Sheetgo only transfers raw data from the source spreadsheet into the destination sheet. This ensures that your data is transferred as quickly as possible.

Sometimes, however, styles and formatting may be an important part of your spreadsheet and key to your data process. In this case, it's possible to transfer some formatting with Sheetgo.

On the source step of your automations, there is a setting that enables you to transfer different formatting elements: number formatting, cell style, and text formatting.

Important:

  • Transferring formatting will double the time required to transfer your data. It is not recommended for large source or destination spreadsheets.

  • Transfer formatting also consumes double the amount of transfers than a normal automation.

What does this feature do?

When you enable this setting, Sheetgo will transfer all numbers, date-related, and cell styles formatting from your source sheet to your destination sheet. This includes

  • Date and time formatting

  • Number formatting

  • Currencies

  • Percentages and decimals

  • The dimensions of the columns and rows, including width, height, and alignment

  • Merged cells

  • Frozen Rows

  • Hidden Rows

  • Padding

  • Cell background colors

  • Text color

  • Font size

When can I use it?

Transfer formatting is available for:

  • Automations with Google Sheets as a source

  • Single automations (one source file to one destination file)

  • Append automations

When I can't use it?

Transfer formatting won't work if:

  • Your source and destination files are at different cloud storage platforms. Currently, formatting cannot be transferred from a file in Google Drive to a file in OneDrive/SharePoint or vice versa.

  • Transfer formatting will not work when you apply filter by condition and query filter.

  • If you are using a Filter by color it is not possible to transfer number formatting.

  • You cannot transfer formatting with Merge (multiple source files) or Split (multiple destination files) automations.

  • If the formatting is only applied to part of the cell, such as "bold in the middle", it will not be transferred.

Solving common issues

  • If your formatting is not transferred, try reapplying the formatting to the source sheet and updating the automation again.

  • If you are seeing formatting displayed in the wrong places, edit the automation to check if there are any filters enabled in your spreadsheet, and disable them before updating the automation again.

  • If the formatting is wrong or only partially transferred, try creating a new automation.

To import date formatting from Excel and CSV files, use the Date Format setting when you select your source data.

Need more help?

Contact us via chat, on our email ([email protected]), or send us a ticket!

Visit our Community for help, tips, tricks, and feedback for Sheetgo.

Did this answer your question?