Formatting columns

Quick guide on how to format columns (i.e. data types) in Google Sheets

About data types

Google Sheets has two data type categories: 1) Numbers and 2) Text

How to Format columns

To format a column in Google Sheets simply:

  1. Highlight the column

  2. Select "Format"

  3. Choose the data type

Example formatting a column to the Date data type

Why formatting columns is important

In order to two-way sync fields, data types must match across your apps.

For example, if you have a Date field in Airtable and want to two-way sync it with Google Sheets, you'll need a Date field in Google Sheets.

Data types in Google Sheets

Text

Text fields will two-way sync by default. No additional formatting is needed for:

  • Text

  • Long-text

  • Drop-down

  • Multiple Select

  • Email

Numbers

Number fields need to be formatted in order to two-way sync:

  1. Numbers

  2. Percentages

  3. Dates

Bonus: foreign keys

Learn how to use foreign keys in Google Sheets here:

Foreign keys

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