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11 Incredibly Useful URL Tricks for Google Sheets

Did you know that by changing the URL of a Google Sheet we can change how it behaves?

In this post, we look at 11 incredibly useful URL Tricks for Google Sheets.

For example, we can create a URL that automatically downloads the Sheet as a PDF. Or create a template ready for copying. And much more.

URL Tricks for Google Sheets

Take a look at any Google Sheets URL in the address bar of your browser.

It will take the following form:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ + file ID + / extension

We can change the /extension at the end of the URL to ensure a different action happens when a user uses that URL.

Feel free to click on any of the links below to see how they work. They are all linked to the following template, which you can copy for your own reference (bonus points if you use the correct URL trick to do that).

URL Tricks for Google Sheets

1. Standard Sharing Link Format

This is the default sharing link for Google Sheets. Users with appropriate permissions can view or edit the sheet.

  • Advantages: Provides direct access to the Sheet with full functionality.
  • Limitations: If set to “Anyone with the link can edit,” any users can make changes.
  • Best For: Team collaboration when you want users to view or edit the Sheet.

Extension Format:
/edit?usp=sharing

Example link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h8kgPdJx8myJP_C_8WRfs4x6Uqqg2E7s5YdTpJDbcUM/edit?usp=sharing

2. Preview

Opens the spreadsheet in a read-only format without showing the editing toolbar.

  • Advantages: Cleaner presentation without distractions from menus and tools.
  • Limitations: Users cannot edit or copy directly from this view.
  • Best For: Great for sharing data in a presentation format when you don’t want users to make edits.

Extension Format:
/preview

Example link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h8kgPdJx8myJP_C_8WRfs4x6Uqqg2E7s5YdTpJDbcUM/preview​

3. HTML View

Converts the sheet into a basic HTML page.

  • Advantages: Loads faster and is accessible without needing Google Sheets’ interface.
  • Limitations: Some formatting and interactive features may not function properly.
  • Best For: Useful for reports since it eliminates sheet controls but allows you to still navigate between tabs.

Extension Format:
/htmlview

Example link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h8kgPdJx8myJP_C_8WRfs4x6Uqqg2E7s5YdTpJDbcUM/htmlview

4. Template

Opens a “Use Template” preview, allowing users to see and create their own copy of the file.

  • Advantages: Prevents accidental changes to the original document while ensuring consistency across copies.
  • Limitations: Users must have permission to access the original file.
  • Best For: Ideal for distributing Google Sheets to wider audiences so they can create their own copies.

Extension Format:
/template/preview

Example link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h8kgPdJx8myJP_C_8WRfs4x6Uqqg2E7s5YdTpJDbcUM/template/preview​

5. Make a Copy

Prompts users to create their own editable copy of the spreadsheet.

  • Advantages: Ensures the original file remains unchanged and user makes a copy.
  • Limitations: Requires users to be signed into Google to create a copy.
  • Best For: Useful for ensuring users make a copy of a Google Sheet.

Extension Format:
/copy

Example link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h8kgPdJx8myJP_C_8WRfs4x6Uqqg2E7s5YdTpJDbcUM/copy​

6. Export as a PDF

Generates a downloadable PDF version of the spreadsheet.

  • Advantages: PDF format ensures consistency across devices and prevents edits.
  • Limitations: Not interactive, not all features will display correctly; updates to the sheet require generating a new PDF.
  • Best For: Perfect for distributing static reports, tables, invoices, or finalized documents.

Extension Format:
/export?format=pdf

Example link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h8kgPdJx8myJP_C_8WRfs4x6Uqqg2E7s5YdTpJDbcUM/export?format=pdf​

7. Export as a CSV

Provides a downloadable CSV version of the sheet, exporting only the active tab.

  • Advantages: Downloads your data in a universal format compatible with most data processing tools.
  • Limitations: Loses formatting, formulas, interactive elements, and multiple sheet structures.
  • Best For: Great for exporting data tables for analysis in other software, such as databases or coding environments.

Extension Format:
/export?format=csv

Example link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h8kgPdJx8myJP_C_8WRfs4x6Uqqg2E7s5YdTpJDbcUM/export?format=csv​

8. Export as an Excel Document

Downloads the spreadsheet as an Excel (.xlsx) file.

  • Advantages: Retains formulas, formatting, and multiple sheets.
  • Limitations: Some Google Sheets-specific features (like QUERY function or Google Apps Script) may not work in Excel.
  • Best For: Best for sharing Sheets with users who prefer or require Excel.

Extension Format:
/export?format=xlsx

Example link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h8kgPdJx8myJP_C_8WRfs4x6Uqqg2E7s5YdTpJDbcUM/export?format=xlsx​

9. Distraction Free Editor

Opens the sheet in a minimalistic mode with no toolbars or menus.

  • Advantages: Reduces clutter and distractions for focused editing.
  • Limitations: Some editing options may not be accessible.
  • Best For: Useful for presenting data cleanly or working in a distraction-free environment.

Extension Format:
/view?rm=minimal

Example link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h8kgPdJx8myJP_C_8WRfs4x6Uqqg2E7s5YdTpJDbcUM/view?rm=minimal​

(Because I shared a view-only copy, you won’t be able to do any editing. Share with editor rights if you want to use this feature.)

10. Basic Controls Editor

Opens the sheet in a limited interface with only essential tools.

  • Advantages: Allows basic editing without overwhelming users.
  • Limitations: Lacks full editing capabilities.
  • Best For: Ideal for users who need to make small modifications but don’t require full spreadsheet features.

Extension Format:
/view?rm=demo

Example link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h8kgPdJx8myJP_C_8WRfs4x6Uqqg2E7s5YdTpJDbcUM/view?rm=demo​

11. Embed in Iframe

Embeds the spreadsheet in a webpage without extra Google Sheets UI elements.

  • Advantages: Provides a seamless way to display live data in a website or online dashboard.
  • Limitations: Users cannot interact fully unless given editing access.
  • Best For: Great for embedding spreadsheets in blogs, dashboards, or reports where live data needs to be displayed.

Extension Format:
/view?rm=embedded

Example link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h8kgPdJx8myJP_C_8WRfs4x6Uqqg2E7s5YdTpJDbcUM/view?rm=embedded​

I Let OpenAI Operator Manage My Google Sheet: Here’s What Happened.

OpenAI recently launched their agent tool called Operator. It’s an AI powered tool that can navigate the web and perform tasks for you using its own browser. It can click, type, scroll, and generally interact with web pages the way you or I would.

Naturally, I tested it out with a Google Sheets project to see how it fared. Specifically, I asked it to complete 3 tasks for me:

  1. Create a pivot table
  2. Create a chart
  3. Write a script to email a pdf copy of the Sheet to me

Here’s how it got on:

OpenAI Operator in action

I pasted the URL of my Google Sheet into the Operator chat window and asked it to get to work.

It opened the Sheet in a Linux browser within Operator and then handed control to me to login to the Sheet. Once that was complete I handed control back to Operator to work it’s magic.

It was wild watching the computer take control of my Sheet. I watched it open menus, insert objects, and write code.

The craziest moment was when it made a mistake with the pivot table and self-corrected 🤯.

Well, that, or when it opened my Apps Script editor and started coding!

But it wasn’t all plain sailing.

It got itself completely stuck when it was trying to save the script it wrote. It kept pressing the “Undo” button and, eventually, I had to step in and tell it where the “Save” button was.

I felt like I was like working with a digital assistant.

I’m excited for this to go fully multimodal. Imagine working through this scenario with voice activation instead of using a chatbot.

We overestimate the short-term change, but underestimate the long-term change. It feels like we’re moving pretty darn fast at the moment 😯.

Operator Availability

At the time of writing (27th January 2025) Operator is available to OpenAI Pro users in the U.S..

Can AI Studio teach me how to build a pivot table?

January 2025

Hardly a week passes at the moment without some technology announcement that makes me go “wow!”.

This week it’s Google’s AI Studio that has been impressing me, offering a glimpse into what the future of software education could look like.

What’s different with this tool is that it lets you share your screen and have a verbal conversation with the AI model (in this case Gemini), so it can walk you through a problem.

In my case, I used it to walk me through building a pivot table. And whilst it didn’t get everything correct (yet!), it’s impressive and feels like you’re talking to an assistant, not your computer.

How to use AI Studio to teach you

  • Go to https://aistudio.google.com/
  • Sign in with your Google account. It’s free to use. When you log in, the homepage looks like this:
Google AI Studio homepage
  • Click on the “Stream Realtime” in the left menu (shown by the red arrow).
  • Share your screen and have a conversation with AI Studio! For example, you could say:

    “I want you to walk me through building a pivot table that summarizes the total sales price by property type.”

    (And say it out loud, don’t type it in.)
  • Because the Pivot Table once existed under the data menu, AI Studio initially guided me there first (the only serious mistake it made). I said “I don’t see the pivot table option under the data menu, is it under one of the other menus?”

    So, don’t hesitate to interject if you can see it making a mistake.
  • Once you have a basic pivot table, you could ask for help sorting the data or adding another category.
  • Another great use case is asking it to explain lines of code to you. For example, share your screen showing a code block and try something like this “can you explain what the code on lines 52 – 56 does?”

It’s early days, so it’s far from perfect. It does make mistakes so you can’t rely on it blindly. You still need to cultivate your own knowledge.

But it’s a glimpse into what’s around the corner when we have infinitely patient AI assistants at our beck and call. And I think that’s a bright future, where we can be dramatically more efficient, focused on insights and outcomes, not code syntax or formula issues.

What do you think?

AI Experiments: Using Sora AI to Generate Videos

One of my goals this year is to experiment with AI tools and have fun doing it. This is the first in the series, using Open AI’s Sora text-to-video tool to create a fictional advertisement for Polar Explorers back in the polar heyday:

The sheer number of daily AI announcements and new tools feels overwhelming at the moment.

One way to cut through this noise is to set yourself an AI project and see it through to the end.

Whether you use one tool or 10, and whether it’s the latest this-or-that or just run-of-the-mill ChatGPT, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you complete something with GenAI. In the process, you’ll learn how to use these tools, what they’re good at, and what they’re not good at. And in the process, you’ll keep yourself relevant in the future.

For this experiment, I wanted to learn about creating videos using GenAI, and specifically, OpenAI’s text-to-video tool: Sora AI.

Background

The inspiration for this project came from this article at the end of last year, about Coca-Cola creating an entire ad using AI tools and how the project was more like developing software than a traditional film shoot.

I was also reading Shackleton’s biography at the time.

In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton was recruiting men to join his boldest Antarctic expedition: the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

The expedition is famous because the ship Endurance was trapped in the ice and sank, leaving 28 men stranded on the sea ice with no hope of rescue. The men escaped via a perilous small boat crossing of the Southern Ocean, in what has become one of the greatest survival stories of all time.

Shackleton posted this famous, likely apocryphal, newspaper advertisement to recruit sailors and explorers for his expedition and received over 5,000 responses.

Ad mockup generated by The Newspaper Clipping Generator

It’s often touted as an example of good copy, although the original has never been found and it seems the general consensus is that it’s not authentic.

Polar Ad for the TikTok Generation

I decided to try recreating this ad as a video for the TikTok generation, with the help of AI. In other words, imagine if Shackleton had TikTok and YouTube back in the day, what would his ad look like?

Here’s the result:

And, of course, the TikTok generation would most likely watch it in portrait orientation on their phones, so I uploaded to YouTube shorts here (since I’m not on TikTok).

How This Video Was Made

Sora to generate videos

I used OpenAI’s new video tool, Sora, to generate videos based on prompts.

Sora AI text-to-video tool

For example, to get the video of the gentleman reading his paper wearing a bowler hat, I used this prompt:

A gentleman in a finely tailored suit, wearing a polished top hat, strides confidently along New Burlington Street. The street is bustling with horse-drawn carriages, women in Edwardian dresses, and men in similar formal wear. The architecture is early 20th century, with brick buildings lining the street. The scene is lively and captures the essence of London in 1914.

And to get the polar explorers on the ice, I used this prompt:

5 edwardian polar explorers walk slowly across a wind-swept ice cap with snowy mountains in the distance. The 5 men are dragging a heavily laden sledge behind them. We are behind them looking at their backs.

ElevenLabs to generate voices

ElevenLabs is a tool that converts text to speech, with a wide variety of voices to play with.

I inputted the text from the ad:

“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.”

And then experimented with various old-fashioned voices to get the tone I was looking for.

Suno to generate background music

To create background music, I used a tool called Suno.

Suno generates music based on a song description and optional settings like whether it’s instrumental or not.

Video Production

I’ve been making course videos for years, so I used the same tools to bring the different Sora clips together into a single video.

Steps:

  • Download the assets from the AI tools above
  • Import into Screenflow
  • Add video and audio clips into timeline and trim as needed
  • I added a vignette and vintage filter to the videos to make them look older
  • Export
  • Using Handbrake to shrink the video file size
  • Upload to YouTube
ScreenFlow workflow

I had some fun creating this and learnt some new skills along the way.

And, although the videos are very obviously AI generated, it’s incredibly impressive that all this was generated from a few paragraphs of text.

Just image where this leads… it’s not hard to picture a world where you ask Netflix to generate a new Jurassic Park movie set in the Caribbean featuring Dwayne Johnson. And you come back half an hour later and it’s ready for you to watch.

We live in wild times!

2024 In Review And A Look Forward To 2025

Welcome to Annual Review number 10! Ten! TEN!!

Sunrise over the Potomac River
Sunrise over the Potomac River from a hike in October 2024

Ten years in business. Ten years working for myself. As I write this, I still can’t quite believe that it’s been ten years.

In some ways it feels like only yesterday that I was wearing a suit to an office on K-Street in Washington DC, and yet, also, it feels like I’ve been doing this for a really long time now.

I want to go back and give my naive 2015 self a quick pep talk and say “it’s hard but it works out ok!”, when I was flailing around after quitting my accounting job.

Here’s a look at 2024:

2024 Highlights

The work highlight of 2024 was launching my new membership:

⭐️ Sheets Insiders ⭐️

I worked hard to launch this in September and feel like the work over the past few months has been some of the best I’ve ever done.

We’re up to 414 members now and have covered data visualization techniques, drop-down menus in detail, analytical functions, the new Google Sheet Tables in detail, user interface with Sheets elements, and, of course, AI.

And, we have a 3-part Apps Script beginner workshop coming this January (it’s not too late to join!).

In addition to live workshops, members enjoy an exclusive weekly newsletter, packed with Sheets tutorials, news, and templates.

Tables Template for Sheets Insiders
Template #6 for Sheets Insiders on the new Tables feature

Advanced chart tutorial for Sheets Insiders members
Advanced chart tutorial for Sheets Insiders members

Interested? Join today and get instant access to the full archives!

Google Sheets Tips Newsletter

I sent 44 Google Sheets Tips newsletters this year, starting with #285 in January and ending with #328 in December. I really enjoy putting the weekly newsletter together and I’m still blown away that it goes out to nearly 55,000 people every week. 🤯

If you’re one of those folks, thank you for your support!

And if you’re not, and you’d like to level up your Sheets skills with a bite-size tutorial each week, you can sign up here.

Website

This year I published 14 new and updated posts on this website. My favorite posts to research and write were:

Play-It-Through Chess Game in a Single Google Sheets Formula

Play It Through Chess Game in Google Sheets Formula

Formula Pie Charts in Google Sheets

Sparkline Pie Charts in Google Sheets

Website traffic declined again this year, following the trend from last year.

I think there are a combination of factors at play, including: 1) more competition from other Google Sheets sites, 2) competition for search traffic generally from AI chatbots, and 3) younger audiences consuming content in video form, via YouTube or social media.

Website Traffic 2024

YouTube

I focused on my YouTube channel for the first few months of 2024 and saw good results, finally reaching 10k subscribers! After this initial burst of energy at the beginning of the year, things slowed down and I’ve only had minimal growth since then.

Google Partnership

One of the highlights of every year is working closely with the Google Sheets team to provide feedback on new features and this year was no exception.

I was also honored to continue as a Google Developer Expert and be part of the Champions Innovator program for another year. 🙏

Google Workspace Expert 2024

Craft & Commerce Conference

This was so fun!

Working with AI Tools

It’s crazy how fast these tools are improving, although there are signs those gains are slowing down. But what’s really crazy is how good these tools are getting at doing my job! Yikes 😉

From generating formulas, explaining concepts, writing code, or even drafting blog posts, gen AI can seemingly do it all now.

It’s very clear that what has worked incredibly well for me the past 10 years will not carry me forward for another 10. I’m okay with this though.

One of the things I love most about my job is all the learning I get to do. I’ve always considered adaptability one of my strengths and I’m excited to jump into new technologies this year.

Obviously, AI will be a big focus of my work for 2025 (mostly in a spreadsheet context of course).

Non-Work Highlights

Although a foot injury slowed me down for the second half of 2024, I have many wonderful memories of adventures with family, friends, and solo, to savor from last year.

The 2024 adventure highlights included:

  • A 4-day trek in the Julian Alps of Slovenia with my wife
  • A 5-day solo hike on the Appalachian Trail in March
  • Progressing the sport of bike SUP! I ride to the river put-in, paddleboard downriver, then ride home 😉
  • A backpack along the AT with Lexi and our boys to celebrate our 9-yo’s birthday
  • Wonderful walks in the UK with my parents and brother, when our trips home lined up
  • An awesome 3-day packrafting course in Colorado with Four Corners Guides
  • A 23 mile day hike along the Appalachian Trail with friends over summer
  • Doing the Harpers Ferry 3-peaks again (~24 miles, 4.5k ft vert), via bike-and-hike with a friend
  • Paddleboard adventures with the family on a new lake (Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia)
  • Getting started on my birding journey and participating in an amazing bird + coding course with Jer Thorp
  • Picking up regular swimming again, when I take my son to his team practice

Hiking in Slovenia
Hiking in Julian Alps of Slovenia

A wet camp on the Appalachian Trail
A wet camp during my 5 days on the Appalachian Trail in March

Bike strapped to the front of a paddleboard
2024 featured many bike & paddleboard adventures!!

2024 Challenges

Another lap around the sun and 2024 is in the rear view mirror.

The challenges of 2023 — creative burnout, feeling like I’m running on a treadmill balancing work, parenting and life — continued to affect me in 2024.

I realized in the spring that I didn’t have the enthusiasm for another Google Sheets course, and it took me a while to figure out what my next step was. I was sick for a while in the spring too (a rough cold and then a cough that rumbled on for months), which didn’t help.

A break, participating as a student in an online course myself, and a change of approach (shifting from courses to membership has helped).

I’m looking forward to starting afresh this year and delivering consistent, high-quality teaching through the Sheets Insiders membership.

Looking Forward To 2025

2025 Work Goals

Similar to the past few years, I have a couple of annual goals that I strive for:

  1. Send my weekly Google Sheets newsletter every week, except for holidays and a short summer break
  2. Hit 60k newsletter subscribers

I also have internal (non-public) goals for my business, around revenue and subscriber numbers for the Sheets Insiders membership. I want to grow the membership in 2025.

Other 2025 Goals

My 2025 non-work goals are similar to my 2024 ones, mostly to get out for lots of outdoor adventures with friends and family:

  1. Have another healthy year
  2. A C&O canal bike tour with my boys
  3. Get fit on the bike again (and do a 200 mile double century ride!)
  4. Join a hiking or biking club to meet more people to go adventuring with
  5. An adventure trip with my brother
  6. A trip home to see family in the UK
  7. Weekly brainstorming hike with my wife
  8. Read 20 books

Thank You!

Thank you for your support on this journey.

A huge thank you if you read my newsletter, have joined Sheets Insiders, or taken one of my online courses. I hope they’re helpful to you!

Best wishes for 2025!

Previous years

  1. 2023 In Review And A Look Forward To 2024
  2. 2022 In Review And A Look Forward To 2023
  3. 2021 In Review And A Look Forward To 2022
  4. 2020 In Review And A Look Forward To 2021
  5. 2019 In Review And A Look Forward To 2020
  6. 2018 In Review And A Look Forward To 2019
  7. 2017 In Review And A Look Forward To 2018
  8. 2016 In Review And A Look Forward To 2017
  9. 2015 In Review And A Look Forward To 2016