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Import Data

Import data into BigQuery from local files, Google Drive, Google Sheets, or your clipboard — with automatic schema detection.

Import Data Overview

Import Sources​

SourceDescription
Local FileDrag and drop or browse for files on your computer
Google DrivePick files directly from your Google Drive
Google SheetsImport sheet data or create a connected table
ClipboardPaste tabular data copied from any application

Supported File Formats​

FormatExtensions
CSV.csv (auto-detects delimiter)
Excel.xlsx, .xls (multi-sheet support)
JSON.json (arrays or NDJSON)
Parquet.parquet
Avro.avro

How to Import​

  • Drag and drop a file anywhere in Querylab.io
  • Right-click a dataset → Import CSV
  • Command Palette (Cmd/Ctrl+K) → "Import Data"

The import panel shows a file drop zone with additional source buttons below: Google Drive, Google Sheets, and Clipboard.

Local File Import​

  1. Drop or browse for a file
  2. Review schema — columns and types are detected automatically
  3. Edit columns — rename, change types, reorder, or remove columns
  4. Configure destination — choose project, dataset, table name, write mode, and partitioning
  5. Import — uploads directly to BigQuery

For Excel files with multiple sheets, you can select which sheet to import.

Google Drive​

Click Google Drive to open the Google Drive Picker. You can select any supported file format (CSV, JSON, Excel, Parquet, Avro) stored in your Drive.

The file is downloaded and processed through the same pipeline as local files — you get the full schema review, column editing, and configuration experience.

If you select a Google Sheets file from Drive, it automatically switches to the Google Sheets import flow.

Google Sheets​

Click Google Sheets to open the Google Drive Picker filtered to spreadsheets. After selecting a spreadsheet, Querylab.io fetches the sheet metadata and loads the first tab's data.

Sheet Controls​

A Google Sheets section appears in the import panel with:

  • Tab selector — switch between tabs in the spreadsheet
  • Range — optionally limit the import to a specific range (e.g., A1:D100, A:D, or 1:100)
  • Apply — re-fetch data after changing tab or range

One-Time Import​

By default, sheet data is imported as a standard BigQuery table. The data is copied into BigQuery — changes to the original spreadsheet will not be reflected.

You get the full import experience: schema review, column editing, type mapping, write mode selection, and partitioning options.

Connected Table​

Check Create as connected table (external) to create a BigQuery external table that reads directly from the Google Sheet in real-time.

When connected mode is enabled:

  • Schema editing is hidden (BigQuery reads the sheet structure as-is)
  • Write mode and temporary table options are hidden
  • The button changes to Create Connected Table

Connected tables execute a CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE DDL statement. BigQuery reads from the spreadsheet on every query, so the data is always up to date.

caution

Connected tables require the spreadsheet to remain accessible. If the spreadsheet is deleted or permissions are revoked, queries against the connected table will fail.

Clipboard​

Click Clipboard to paste tabular data copied from any application (Excel, Google Sheets, a web page, etc.).

Querylab.io auto-detects the format:

FormatDetection
JSONText starts with [ or {
TSVText contains tab characters
CSVText contains commas
Single columnFallback — each line becomes a row

After pasting, the data flows through the same schema review and import pipeline as file imports.

caution

Clipboard import has a 10 MB size limit. For larger datasets, use file import or Google Drive.

Workflow​

Schema Review​

After loading data from any source, Querylab.io shows a preview with:

  • Detected columns with inferred BigQuery types
  • Data preview of the first rows
  • Warnings for issues like formula errors in Google Sheets (#N/A, #REF!, #DIV/0!, etc.)

You can:

  • Rename columns
  • Change column types
  • Reorder columns via drag and drop
  • Remove columns you don't need

Destination​

Configure where the data lands:

  • Project and Dataset — select from your accessible resources
  • Table name — auto-suggested from the source file name
  • Write mode — Create, Append, or Overwrite
  • Partitioning — optional time-based or range partitioning
  • Temporary table — create a table that expires automatically

Write Modes​

ModeBehavior
CreateNew table (fails if table already exists)
AppendAdd rows to an existing table
OverwriteReplace all existing data

Cost​

BigQuery Load Jobs are FREE — you are not charged for importing data. Connected tables (external) are billed per query based on the amount of data read from the spreadsheet.