If you've ever tried uploading a large CSV or Excel file to Google Sheets and been hit with a "file is too large" error, you're not alone. The google sheets file too large error is one of the most common roadblocks for anyone working with serious data. Whether you're importing a sales export, a database dump, or a massive analytics report, Google Sheets has hard limits that can stop you in your tracks.

The good news? There are several practical ways to fix this error and get your data into Sheets without losing your mind. In this guide, I'll walk you through exactly why the error happens and five proven methods to work around it.

Key Takeaways:Google Sheets has a 100 MB upload limit and a 10 million cell cap per spreadsheetMost "file too large" errors happen with files over 50 MB due to browser memory constraintsSplitting files, removing unused columns, or converting Excel to CSV can solve the issue immediatelySmoothSheet bypasses browser limits entirely with server-side processing for files up to 1 GB+

Why You're Seeing the "File Is Too Large" Error

Google Sheets throws the "file is too large" error when your file exceeds one of several built-in limits. Understanding which limit you're hitting is the first step toward fixing it.

Google Sheets upload limit (100 MB)

Google Sheets caps individual file uploads at 100 MB. If your CSV or Excel file exceeds this size, Google won't even attempt to open it. You'll see an error message like "This file is too large to edit with Google Sheets" or "The file is too large to be opened in this application." This is a hard limit set by Google, and there's no setting to change it. For a deeper look at all the size constraints, check out our guide on Google Sheets file size limits.

10 million cell limit

Even if your file is under 100 MB, Google Sheets has a 10 million cell limit per spreadsheet. That sounds like a lot, but it adds up fast. A file with 50 columns and 200,001 rows already hits 10 million cells. If your data exceeds this threshold, you'll get an error during upload or the import will simply fail partway through.

To quickly check whether your file will fit, use the free Google Sheets Limits Calculator before uploading.

Browser memory limitations

Here's the one that catches most people off guard: even files within Google's official limits can trigger errors. That's because Google Sheets runs in your browser, and your browser has its own memory constraints. A 70 MB CSV file might technically be under the 100 MB limit, but if your browser tab only has 500 MB of available memory, the parsing and rendering process can crash the tab or throw a vague error.

This is especially common on laptops with 8 GB of RAM or less, or when you have dozens of browser tabs open. For tips on avoiding browser crashes specifically, see our article on uploading large CSVs to Google Sheets without browser crashes.

Common scenarios that trigger the error

  • Database exports — CRM or ERP exports with hundreds of thousands of rows
  • Analytics data — Google Analytics, ad platform exports, or server log files
  • Financial reports — Multi-year transaction histories or ledger exports from accounting software
  • Multi-sheet Excel workbooks — An .xlsx file with several tabs, each containing large datasets
  • Appended CSV files — Multiple files merged into one before uploading

5 Ways to Fix the File Too Large Error

Now that you know why the error shows up, let's fix it. Here are five methods, starting with the simplest.

1. Split your file into smaller chunks

The fastest fix for most people is to split the file into smaller pieces that each fit within Google Sheets' limits. If you have a 300,000-row CSV, splitting it into three 100,000-row files means each one loads comfortably.

You can do this manually (tedious and error-prone) or use a tool like the SmoothSheet CSV Splitter. It's free, runs entirely in your browser, and lets you split by row count or number of parts. You can download all chunks as a ZIP file and upload them to separate sheets.

When to use this method: Your file has too many rows, but you don't need all the data in a single sheet.

2. Remove unnecessary columns and rows before upload

Large files often contain columns you don't actually need in Google Sheets. A database export might include 80 columns when you only need 15. Removing unused columns before uploading dramatically reduces both file size and cell count.

Here's how to clean up your file:

  1. Open the file in a text editor (for CSV) or Excel (for .xlsx)
  2. Identify columns you don't need for your analysis
  3. Delete those columns and save the file
  4. Remove any rows with blank or irrelevant data
  5. Try uploading the trimmed file to Google Sheets

For larger files where opening in Excel isn't practical, you can use the SmoothSheet CSV Analyzer to preview the file structure and identify which columns to keep.

When to use this method: Your file has many columns or rows you don't need for your current task.

3. Convert Excel to CSV for smaller file size

Excel files (.xlsx) are significantly larger than CSV files containing the same data. That's because .xlsx files store formatting, formulas, multiple sheets, charts, and metadata — none of which you need for a basic data import into Google Sheets.

Converting from Excel to CSV often reduces file size by 40-70%. A 90 MB Excel file might become a 35 MB CSV — well within Google Sheets' upload limit.

Use the free Excel to CSV Converter to convert your file instantly in the browser. If your Excel workbook has multiple sheets, each one will be converted to a separate CSV file.

For more details on moving data between Excel and Google Sheets, our guide on importing Excel into Google Sheets covers the full process.

When to use this method: You're uploading an .xlsx file and don't need to preserve Excel-specific formatting or formulas.

4. Use Google Apps Script IMPORTDATA workaround

If your CSV file is hosted online (on a server, Google Drive, or a public URL), you can use the IMPORTDATA function to pull data directly into Google Sheets without going through the file upload process. This sometimes works for files that fail during manual upload.

In a Google Sheets cell, enter:

=IMPORTDATA("https://example.com/your-file.csv")

Keep in mind that IMPORTDATA has its own limitations:

  • The file must be publicly accessible via URL
  • There's a limit of approximately 20,000 rows per IMPORTDATA call
  • It refreshes automatically, which can slow down your spreadsheet
  • It counts against your total cell limit

For larger datasets, you can write a Google Apps Script that reads a file from Google Drive in chunks and writes it to the sheet programmatically. This bypasses the upload dialog entirely but requires some coding knowledge.

When to use this method: Your CSV is hosted online and has fewer than 20,000 rows, or you're comfortable writing Apps Script for larger imports.

5. Use SmoothSheet for server-side processing

If you regularly work with large files — and splitting or trimming feels like putting a band-aid on the problem — SmoothSheet is built specifically for this scenario.

SmoothSheet is a Google Sheets add-on that imports large CSV and Excel files using server-side processing. Instead of your browser doing all the heavy lifting, SmoothSheet processes the file on its servers and streams the data directly into your spreadsheet. This means:

  • No browser crashes — the file never needs to fit in browser memory
  • No manual splitting — upload one file, even if it's hundreds of megabytes
  • Handles files up to 1 GB+ — far beyond Google's 100 MB upload limit
  • Automatic chunking — if the data exceeds 10 million cells, SmoothSheet can split it across multiple sheets automatically

At $9/month flat, it pays for itself the first time you avoid spending an hour manually splitting and re-uploading files. You can install it directly from the Google Workspace Marketplace.

When to use this method: You frequently import large files into Google Sheets and want a reliable, hands-off solution.

How to Prevent the Error in the Future

Fixing the error once is great, but preventing it from happening again is even better. Here are some habits that will save you time.

Check file size before uploading

Before you upload anything to Google Sheets, take 10 seconds to check the file size and dimensions. The Google Sheets Limits Calculator tells you instantly whether your file will fit. Just enter your row and column counts (or upload the file) and it'll show you the total cell count against the 10 million cell limit.

As a quick rule of thumb:

  • Under 50 MB and under 5 million cells — you're safe to upload directly
  • 50-100 MB or 5-10 million cells — might work, but close to the limit; consider trimming
  • Over 100 MB or over 10 million cells — you'll need to split, trim, or use SmoothSheet

Regular data cleanup habits

Build a habit of cleaning your data before it gets into Google Sheets:

  • Remove blank rows and columns at the end of your data (Excel is notorious for creating these)
  • Drop columns you don't need — audit which columns you're actually using in your formulas and analysis
  • Filter at the source — if you're exporting from a database or analytics tool, apply date ranges and filters before exporting rather than downloading everything
  • Archive old data — move historical data to a separate file or database instead of keeping years of records in one sheet

Use the right tool for the job

Google Sheets is fantastic for analysis, collaboration, and dashboards — but it wasn't designed as a database. If you're routinely working with datasets larger than a few hundred thousand rows, consider whether Google Sheets is the right primary storage for that data.

For many teams, the best workflow is:

  1. Store raw data in a database or data warehouse (BigQuery, PostgreSQL, etc.)
  2. Export or query only the subset you need
  3. Import that subset into Google Sheets for analysis and sharing

When you do need to bring large files into Sheets, tools like SmoothSheet make the import step painless — no splitting, no crashes, no workarounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum file size for Google Sheets?

Google Sheets supports file uploads up to 100 MB. However, the practical limit is often lower because of the 10 million cell cap per spreadsheet and browser memory constraints. A file that's technically under 100 MB can still fail to upload if it has too many cells or if your browser runs out of memory during the import. For the complete breakdown of all limits, see our Google Sheets file size limit guide.

How do I reduce the size of a Google Sheets file?

To reduce file size before uploading: delete unnecessary columns and rows, remove formatting and conditional rules, clear any empty cells that still contain formatting, and convert Excel files to CSV format (which strips out formatting data and can reduce size by 40-70%). If the file is still too large, use a CSV Splitter to break it into manageable pieces.

Can Google Sheets handle 1 million rows?

Technically, yes — if your spreadsheet has 10 or fewer columns (since 10 columns x 1 million rows = 10 million cells, which is the limit). However, Google Sheets performance degrades significantly with datasets this large. Expect slow scrolling, delayed formula calculations, and potential browser crashes. For datasets approaching 1 million rows, server-side import tools like SmoothSheet handle the import much more reliably than the standard browser upload.

Why does Google Sheets crash when I upload a large file?

Google Sheets runs entirely in your web browser, which means every row and column of your file needs to be parsed, rendered, and held in browser memory. When a file is large enough to consume most of your available RAM, the browser tab crashes. This is separate from Google's official size limits — you can crash on a file well under 100 MB if your system is low on memory. Closing other tabs, using a device with more RAM, or using a server-side import tool like SmoothSheet can all help prevent these crashes.

Stop Fighting File Size Limits

The "file is too large" error in Google Sheets is frustrating, but it's solvable. For one-off situations, splitting your file, trimming unnecessary data, or converting from Excel to CSV will usually do the trick. For ongoing large-file workflows, SmoothSheet eliminates the problem entirely with server-side processing that handles files far beyond what your browser can manage.

Whatever method you choose, the key is to check your file dimensions before uploading. Use the free Google Sheets Limits Calculator to know in advance whether your data will fit — and save yourself the headache of a failed upload.