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To open a CSV as editable spreadsheet cells, open Google Sheets and choose File > Import, then upload or select the file and choose the matching separator. To store the original CSV in Google Drive, upload it with New > File upload. Uploading to Drive and importing into Sheets are different actions.

Choose the right way to open your CSV

What you want to do Use this route Result
Edit the CSV as spreadsheet cells Google Sheets: File > Import Imports the file contents into a spreadsheet, with a separator choice. Google’s import guidance
Keep the CSV file in Drive Drive: New > File upload Uploads the original file to Drive; this does not by itself convert it into a Google Sheet. Google Drive upload instructions
Fetch a CSV or TSV published online Sheets formula: =IMPORTDATA(url) Retrieves data from a URL. Google’s IMPORTDATA guidance
Analyze a file too large for direct import Connected Sheets and BigQuery Connects the data for analysis through Sheets. Google’s data-ingestion guidance

Import a CSV from your computer into Google Sheets

  1. Open Google Sheets and open a spreadsheet, or create one.
  2. Select File > Import.
  3. In the import dialog, select the Upload tab and choose the CSV from your device. If the CSV is already in Drive, select it from Drive instead.
  4. Choose where the data should go, such as a new spreadsheet or an existing sheet, using the options offered in the dialog.
  5. Check Separator type and select the separator that matches the file.
  6. Select Import data.

For the editable spreadsheet result, use Sheets’ import command rather than assuming that uploading the CSV to Drive converts it. Google documents the import flow and the separator setting in its Sheets data-ingestion help.

Upload and access a CSV in Google Drive

On a computer, open Drive, select New > File upload, and choose the CSV. You can also drag the file into an open Drive folder. See Google’s file-upload instructions.

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This keeps the CSV file in Drive. If you need to work with its contents as cells, import it through Sheets. Google’s general guidance explains how to view and open files in Drive, but does not guarantee that double-clicking every CSV will open it as editable Sheets data.

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Fix a CSV that appears in one column

If the imported data is not divided into the expected columns, the separator selected during import may not match the file. Import it again and choose the appropriate Separator type. Google’s import instructions document this setting but do not enumerate every possible delimiter or guarantee how every file will parse.

If the text is already in a sheet, select the affected cells and use Data > Split text to columns, then choose a separator or Detect automatically. See Google’s instructions for splitting text into columns.

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Import a CSV or TSV from a web address

When the file is published at a URL and accessible to Sheets, enter =IMPORTDATA(url) in a cell, replacing url with the file’s address. This fetches remote CSV or TSV data; it is not the method for uploading a local file. Refer to Google’s IMPORTDATA documentation.

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What to do if the CSV is too large

Google’s Drive help page, accessed October 7, 2026, lists a limit of 10 million cells or 18,278 columns for spreadsheets imported from Excel, and says the same limits apply to Excel and CSV imports. Google help pages can vary by locale or version, so check the current Drive file limits guidance if the exact limit determines your next step.

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If Sheets reports that the file is too large to import directly, Google recommends Connected Sheets with BigQuery. Its documented route is to open the file and choose Data > Data connectors > Connect to BigQuery, select a Google Cloud project, name a table, and continue. Google says this lets users open CSV files of any size and analyze them with familiar Sheets tools; this is a Connected Sheets workflow, not an unlimited-size ordinary spreadsheet. See Google’s Connected Sheets guidance.

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