Copying an existing sheet serves as a force multiplier for your productivity, allowing you to bypass the manual setup of columns and automation so you can focus immediately on data entry and execution.
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You can copy a sheet from the workspace panel or via the sheet's Save as New… option.
If you only have Viewer permissions, you can copy the sheet structure and data. Still, you may not be able to carry over specific automation rules or sharing settings, depending on the workspace restrictions.
Copy a sheet (or other item) from the workspace panel
In your workspace, you can copy sheets and other items without opening them one at a time.
To duplicate an item, you need at least Editor—can share permissions.
- Open your workspace and access the workspace panel on the left. Once in the workspace panel, hover over the item (sheets, reports, or dashboards) you wish to duplicate.
- Right-click on the item or choose the three-dot menu, and select Duplicate.
- A Duplicate item window opens where you can:
- Rename the item.
Decide where to save it. You can place the duplicated item in the current workspace or choose a different one.
Keep in mind that you can’t customize the sharing option.
- Select Duplicate.
When you create a new workspace, you must name it, and then you’ll be taken to the newly created version.
Copy a sheet with Save as New…
From Grid view, you can save a copy of your sheet and customize exactly which components to carry over from the original.
- Select File > Save as New...
- Type a name for the new sheet in the Name your sheet field.
- Use Save in to select the location where you’d like to save the copied sheet.
- Under Sharing Options, you can enable the sharing option.
- Under Automated Workflow & Alert Options, choose the options you want to save with the copy of your sheet.
- Under Data & Formatting Options, select the options you want to save with the copy of your sheet.
- Choose Save.
Save as New options
Here are the options available in the Save as New form.
- Sharing Options: Preserve any sheet sharing that you've set up.
- Automated Workflow & Alert Options: Retains any associated automation rules and notifications in the copy of the sheet.
Workflow recipients and Alerts settings: Retains permission settings for the rules.
If a rule for the new sheet has no valid recipients, the sheet owner receives an email notification. This means no one can receive notifications based on the account's permission settings or the approved domain-sharing list, as the automation rule on your sheet has become invalid, and the sheet’s permissions settings are currently preventing recipients from getting notifications.
To modify rule permission settings for the sheet:
- Select Automation > Manage automation workflows... on the menu bar
- In the Saved Automation Workflows window, select the Settings icon in the upper right to modify automation permission levels.
- Data & Formatting Options: Retains any associated sheet data and formatting options in the new sheet.
- Sheet data and formatting: Includes information typed into cells and formatting manually applied to them. If unchecked, copied sheets retain column names and types, but all rows are blank.
- Comments: This includes all row and sheet-level comments.
- Attachments: Includes all row and sheet-level attachments.
- Cell links and cross-sheet references: Preserves inbound cell links only. The sheet copy retains the cell data but creates no links if unchecked.
- Sheet hyperlinks: Maintains hyperlinks to other sheets. If you don't check it, the sheet copy retains the cell data but doesn't hyperlink.
- Shared sheet filters: Includes sheet filters.
- Forms: Includes any forms that you add to the sheet.
- Sheet data and formatting: Includes information typed into cells and formatting manually applied to them. If unchecked, copied sheets retain column names and types, but all rows are blank.
Now that you know how to copy sheets and select the components you want efficiently, you can spend less time on sheet setup and more time on the work that matters.