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How To Merge and Consolidate Data From Multiple Tabs in Google Sheets

Working with data across multiple tabs or sheets in Google Sheets can be tedious and inefficient. Thankfully, Google Sheets provides several easy methods to merge and consolidate data from multiple tabs into one master tab.

In this comprehensive guide, you will learn step-by-step how to:

  • Import data from multiple tabs into one sheet
  • Consolidate data from multiple tabs using queries
  • Merge data from multiple sheets using array formulas

Why Merge Multiple Tabs

Here are some key reasons why you may need to combine data from multiple tabs:

  • Analyze all your data in one place instead of switching between tabs
  • Create pivot tables and charts using your full dataset
  • Remove duplicates across tabs
  • Share a single tab with stakeholders instead of multiple tabs

Merging multiple tabs into one makes data analysis and reporting much easier.

Method 1: Import Data From Multiple Tabs

The easiest way to pull data from multiple tabs is using the IMPORTRANGE function in Google Sheets.

Here is the step-by-step process:

  1. Create a new sheet called “Master”
  2. Use the IMPORTRANGE function to import the data from the first tab into the master sheet. The formula will be: =IMPORTRANGE("[SpreadsheetURL]","[TabName]!A:D")
  3. Repeat this for each additional tab, copying data into the next available rows in the master sheet

That’s it! The master sheet will now contain all the imported data.

Pro Tip: Reference the header row from the first tab to keep the headers consistent.

Method 2: Consolidate Data Using Query

While the IMPORTRANGE function helps combine data fast, it does not transform or consolidate data.

For that, you can use the QUERY function.

Follow these steps:

  1. Import data from multiple tabs into the master sheet as shown above
  2. Consolidate the data using QUERY: =QUERY({IMPORTRANGE();IMPORTRANGE()},"Select * where Col1 is not null")
  3. The QUERY function will combine data & remove duplicates. You can add calculations like SUM or COUNT.

This method lets you merge data from multiple sources and sheets into one consolidated set for easy analysis.

Method 3: Merge Tabs Using Array Formulas

If you want to merge tabs without importing any data, use array formulas.

  1. Type the array formula ={Tab1!A1:C10; Tab2!A1:C10}
  2. Press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to evaluate it as an array formula
  3. It will now return a combined set of results from the referenced ranges

The key difference here is this dynamically merges data without importing anything into the master sheet. That means if the source data changes, your master will reflect the updated information.

Best Practices

Follow these tips when merging multiple tabs:

  • Have consistent column names across all tabs
  • Reference header rows to keep headers same
  • Watch out for mismatched data types and formats
  • Clean data first before consolidating
  • Be careful of duplicates getting inserted from each tab

Additional Tips

Here are some additional tips:

  • Use SORT() and UNIQUE() to remove duplicates
  • Add helper columns to flag records
  • Merge conditionally using FILTER()
  • Use absolute references for importing ranges

Summary

  1. Use IMPORTRANGE to easily combine data from tabs into one sheet
  2. Consolidate data from imported tabs using the QUERY function
  3. Employ array formulas to dynamically merge without moving data

Hopefully this article helped you learn how to efficiently merge and consolidate data across multiple tabs in Google Sheets. Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions!

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