On a recent project of mine, I tasked a team member with creating a communication to send out to users. This communication involved making a table in the body of the email. We use Gmail (Google Mail) as our email system and he couldn’t find a way to create a table in Gmail. He even went as far as to insert a picture of a table from Excel instead of a simple table. Looking at the icons in Gmail, there is no way that I see to make a table:
I said there has to be a way as I have seen other emails with tables in them so I knew we could do it.
Here is a sample of table that I wanted to add in a Gmail email text body:
But if I copy this table of values from Excel to Gmail email, this is what it looks like:
You lose some of the formatting. The numbers are now left justified. The cell borders are gone. The bolding is gone. There has to be a way to make a table with borders in Google Mail. Here is the quick trick on how to do it.
The Breakdown and Step-by-Step
1) Create a Table in Excel Spreadsheet Cells
2) Copy the Table of Spreadsheet Cells from Microsoft Excel and Paste in Microsoft Word
3) Copy the Table of Spreadsheet Cells from Microsoft Word and Paste in Gmail Email Text Body
That is the trick. Copy from Excel to Word. Then copy from Word to Google mail.
Here is what the Gmail table looks like when copied to Word from Excel and then to the email:
See all the formatting and table structure with borders are intact. Simple trick for a confusing problem when using Gmail, tables and Excel.
Video Tutorial
Check out this technique in this short video demonstration:
This embedded resource is unavailable in the restored edition.
What other cool tricks do you use when using Excel? Let me know in the comments below. Also, don’t forget to subscribe up for my blog so you get the next posting delivered directly into your inbox.
Steve=True
Reader discussion
Comments preserved from the original page. New comments are closed.
Reader
December 3, 2013 At 7:34 pm
Another way to copy/paste an excel table onto gmail without having to use Word is as follows:
(1) Instead of using the “copy” function, go under “paste” and you’ll see a function called “copy as picture.” Use that.
(2) “Paste” the table back on the excel sheet (just off to the side for the purpose of efficiency).
(3) “Copy” the recently pasted image and you can “paste” it onto your gmail.
Reader
December 12, 2013 At 11:15 am
Thanks SM for the Tip! Steve=True
Reader
August 31, 2014 At 11:54 pm
This is a great tip. It actually works. Thank you so much for it 🙂
Reader
December 4, 2014 At 1:17 am
great tip and thanks!!
Reader
January 4, 2015 At 2:23 pm
That’s an amazing & time saving trick.
Reader
January 6, 2015 At 10:03 am
Thanks for the great comment.
Steve=True
Reader
March 17, 2015 At 1:41 pm
Saved the day! It worked on my Mac. Thanks for the tip!
Reader
March 17, 2015 At 5:37 pm
Thanks for the great comment Jane. So glad to help and also know that it works on a Mac. Steve=True
Reader
May 14, 2015 At 12:55 am
Hi..Thanks a lot for the solution. It works like a charm!
Thanks,
Gautam
Reader
May 20, 2015 At 12:04 pm
Awesome, so happy to help. Glad it worked for you. Thanks for the great comment. Steve=True
Reader
June 26, 2015 At 8:54 am
You saved me…thanks!
Reader
July 16, 2015 At 5:03 pm
Awesome, I am so glad to help Tayo. Thanks. Steve=True
Reader
January 13, 2016 At 11:22 pm
It not working can you please tell me about the setting for the same.
Reader
January 18, 2016 At 4:57 pm
Hi Prinyanka, I am not sure what you mean. I am not aware of a setting. There are extensions available in the Chrome extensions store.
Reader
February 4, 2016 At 10:22 pm
It’s nice !!Your tick is really work thanks
Reader
February 11, 2016 At 8:39 am
Glad it worked out. You are welcome
Reader
February 21, 2016 At 8:56 pm
Nice trick. It works well when needed.
Thank you!
Reader
February 25, 2016 At 4:36 pm
Thanks AnkA.
Reader
March 14, 2016 At 2:16 pm
Awesome Tip bro or sis not sure who really you are. Thank you so much for the help!!!!!!!!!
Reader
March 17, 2016 At 6:09 am
Great tip. Easy as well.
Reader
March 17, 2016 At 8:59 am
Thanks
Reader
January 24, 2017 At 2:48 am
Good trick! Was struggling with formatting on gmail. On doing Ctrl+V, no other option comes apart form simple paste, so definitely this works for me!!
Reader
February 21, 2017 At 7:50 am
Yeah, very frustrating. Glad to help!
Reader
January 31, 2017 At 2:15 am
Thank you very much for this trick. It worked for me 🙂
Reader
February 21, 2017 At 7:49 am
You are very welcome! Glad it worked.
Reader
April 7, 2017 At 2:25 am
Thank You
Reader
April 16, 2017 At 4:51 pm
You are very welcome.
Reader
November 8, 2017 At 12:00 am
Thanks for this.
Reader
November 9, 2017 At 4:52 pm
Thanks for the great comment. Much appreciated!
Reader
August 23, 2018 At 5:53 pm
If you are working on the Excel and have to send that Excel report to anyone, Gmail is the best platform for that. You just have to copy that Excel report that you have been created and then can paste and send it to the wished email address.