How to Save Emails to Google Sheets (3 Methods Compared)

If you use Google Sheets to track your work, you've probably wanted to log emails straight into your spreadsheets. Good news: there are several ways to do it. In this guide, we'll compare three methods so you can pick the one that fits your workflow.

Method 1: Email Forwarding

The simplest approach is email forwarding. Services like Quicktion give you a unique email address (e.g., abc123@in.quicktion.io). Forward any email to that address and it lands in your Google Sheets spreadsheet automatically.

How it works:

1. Sign up and connect Google. Create a Quicktion account and authorize access to your Google account. This takes about 30 seconds — you just click through Google's OAuth prompt to grant access to Sheets and Drive.
2. Create a destination. A destination is a link between a forwarding address and a Google spreadsheet. Pick which spreadsheet and sheet tab should receive your emails.
3. Map your columns. Choose how email fields map to spreadsheet columns. For example, the email subject goes in column A, the sender email in column B, the date in column C, and the body in column D. Quicktion lets you reorder and customize exactly which columns appear and in what order.
4. Forward emails. Send any email to your unique Quicktion address. Within 10-30 seconds, a new row appears in your spreadsheet with everything mapped correctly.

This method works with any email client — Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, Yahoo Mail, Thunderbird, or anything else that can forward messages. You can even set up auto-forwarding rules so specific emails go to Google Sheets without any manual effort.

Auto-forwarding is where this method really shines. In Gmail, you create a filter (e.g., "from:billing@stripe.com") and set it to forward matching emails to your Quicktion address. From that point on, every matching email is saved automatically. You never have to think about it.

The same works in Outlook, Apple Mail, and most other email clients. Set up the rule once and your emails flow into your spreadsheet on autopilot.

Method 2: Gmail Add-on

If you live in Gmail, a browser or workspace add-on might be more convenient. With Quicktion's Gmail add-on, you can save emails to Google Sheets without leaving your inbox.

How it works:

1. Install the add-on. Find Quicktion in the Google Workspace Marketplace and install it. It appears as a sidebar icon in Gmail.
2. Connect your Google account. On first use, the add-on walks you through connecting your Google account — same OAuth flow as the web dashboard, granting access to Sheets and Drive.
3. Open any email and click save. When you open an email, click the Quicktion icon in Gmail's right sidebar. You'll see your configured destinations. Pick one and hit save.
4. Customize before saving (optional). Before saving, you can see exactly what data will be added to your spreadsheet. This gives you control over how each email is logged.

The advantage here is speed — you don't need to compose a forward. Just click and save. The add-on also shows you a confirmation once the email is saved, so you know it worked.

For a deeper walkthrough, see our complete Gmail-to-Google Sheets integration guide.

Method 3: Automation Tools (Zapier, Make)

Platforms like Zapier and Make can connect Gmail to Google Sheets through automated workflows. You set up a trigger (e.g., "new email with label X") and an action (e.g., "add row to spreadsheet").

How it works:

1. Create a new automation. In Zapier, this is called a "Zap." In Make, it's a "Scenario."
2. Set your trigger. Choose Gmail (or another email service) as the trigger app. Define conditions like specific labels, senders, or subject line keywords.
3. Configure the Sheets action. Select "Add Row" as the action. Map email fields (subject, body, sender, date) to spreadsheet columns one by one.
4. Test and activate. Run a test to verify the mapping works, then turn on the automation.

Pros:

• Highly customizable trigger conditions
• Can chain with other actions (Slack notifications, database logging, etc.)
• Useful if you already use Zapier/Make for other workflows

Cons:

• Requires setup and maintenance of automation flows (15-20 minutes minimum)
• Paid plans needed for frequent use — Zapier's free tier is very limited
• Can be brittle if APIs change or Google updates their Sheets API
• Email body conversion is basic — often plain text rather than rich text with clickable links
• Attachments require separate workflows and custom Drive upload logic
• No built-in column management — you manually map to specific column positions that break if you reorganize your sheet

Which Method Should You Choose?

For most people, email forwarding is the easiest starting point. If you use Gmail exclusively and prefer a point-and-click workflow, the Gmail add-on is ideal. Automation tools make sense when you need complex conditional logic or multi-step workflows. For a more detailed breakdown, read our comparison of Gmail-to-Google Sheets methods.

What Gets Saved to Google Sheets

When you save an email to Google Sheets (via any method), each part of the email maps to a spreadsheet column. Here's exactly what happens:

Subject becomes a column value. The email's subject line is saved to the column you designate (typically the first column). This makes your spreadsheet scannable — you can see what each email is about at a glance.

Body becomes rich text. Quicktion converts the HTML email body into markdown text and preserves clickable links as rich text formatting in Google Sheets. This means links in the email remain clickable in your spreadsheet cell. This is a major difference from automation tools like Zapier, which often dump the email body as plain text with broken links.

Sender maps to a column. The "From" address and sender name are saved to columns you configure. This makes it easy to filter or sort emails by sender.

Date maps to a column. The email's send date is captured and formatted according to your spreadsheet's timezone settings. Useful for chronological sorting and date-based filters.

Attachments are uploaded to Google Drive. PDFs, images, and other attachments are automatically uploaded to a Google Drive folder and linked in a column on your spreadsheet. You can open them directly from the sheet with one click.

Quicktion's column mapping system lets you control exactly which columns appear and in what order. If you want Subject, Date, Sender, Body, and Attachments in that order, you configure it once and every email follows that structure.

The column metadata is stored on the sheet itself using Google Sheets' developer metadata feature. This means Quicktion can find the right columns even if you add new columns, rename headers, or reorganize your sheet. The mapping stays intact.

Save Emails by Use Case

Different workflows call for different setups. Here are four common use cases:

Expense & Receipt Tracking

Forward purchase confirmations and receipts to a Google Sheets expense tracker. The email subject captures the vendor name, the date records when the transaction happened, and attachments (PDF receipts) are saved to Drive and linked in the spreadsheet. Filter by date range for tax season or reimbursement requests.

Set up auto-forwarding rules for common vendors (Amazon, Stripe, PayPal, Square) and every receipt is logged automatically. Add columns for amount, category, and status to build a complete expense tracking system.

For more detail, see our guide on tracking email receipts in spreadsheets.

Lead Capture & Sales Tracking

Forward inquiry emails to a Google Sheets sales tracker. The sender becomes the lead contact, the email body contains their question or request, and the date shows when they reached out. Add columns for status (New, Contacted, Qualified, Closed) and deal value.

This gives you a lightweight CRM in a spreadsheet. Filter by status, sort by date, and keep your entire sales pipeline visible.

Auto-forward emails from your contact form, support inbox, or any address where leads arrive. Every inquiry is captured without manual data entry.

Order Confirmation Log

E-commerce businesses and marketplace sellers often receive order confirmations via email. Forward these to a Google Sheets order log. The email body contains order details, the date tracks fulfillment timelines, and attachments include packing slips or invoices.

Set up auto-forwarding from platforms like Shopify, Etsy, Amazon Seller Central, or any marketplace that emails confirmations. Your order history is automatically logged and searchable.

Add columns for order status, tracking numbers, and customer notes. Share the sheet with your team for real-time visibility.

Newsletter Archive

Subscribing to newsletters is easy. Finding that one article you remember reading three months ago is not. Forward your newsletters to a Google Sheets archive and you get a searchable, filterable log of everything you've received.

Set up a Gmail filter for each newsletter sender and auto-forward to your Quicktion address. Every issue lands in your spreadsheet with the subject, date, sender, and the full content preserved as markdown with clickable links.

Add a column for "Read" status or "Category" to organize what you've consumed vs. what's queued up. Use Sheets' search function to find articles by keyword.

For a related workflow in Notion, see our newsletter archiving guide.

Save Emails to Google Sheets for Free

You don't need to pay anything to get started. Quicktion's free plan includes:

• 25 emails per month — enough for occasional forwarding or testing your workflow
• 1 destination — one spreadsheet linked to one forwarding address
• Gmail add-on access — save emails manually from Gmail at no cost
• Email forwarding — works with any email client
• Attachment uploads — files saved to Drive and linked in your sheet
• No credit card required — sign up and start saving immediately

For power users who process more email or need multiple destinations, the Pro plan is $8/month. Pro gives you unlimited emails, unlimited destinations (each with its own spreadsheet and column mapping), and priority processing.

Most people start on the free plan to test their workflow and upgrade later when they need more capacity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest way to save emails to Google Sheets?

Email forwarding is the easiest method. Sign up for Quicktion, create a destination linked to your spreadsheet, and forward any email to your unique address. For Gmail users, the Quicktion add-on offers one-click saving without leaving your inbox.

Can I save emails to Google Sheets for free?

Yes. Quicktion offers a free plan that includes 25 emails per month with one destination. Both email forwarding and the Gmail add-on are included at no cost.

What email fields are saved to Google Sheets?

Quicktion saves the subject, sender name, sender email, date, body (as rich text with clickable links), and attachments (uploaded to Google Drive and linked in the spreadsheet). You can choose which columns to include.

Does the email body preserve formatting in Google Sheets?

Yes. Quicktion converts the email body to rich text with clickable links preserved. This is a major improvement over tools that only save plain text.

Can I automatically save emails to Google Sheets?

Yes. Set up auto-forwarding rules in Gmail or Outlook to automatically forward matching emails to your Quicktion address. Every matching email is saved to your spreadsheet without any manual effort.

What happens to email attachments?

Attachments are automatically uploaded to a Google Drive folder and linked in your spreadsheet. You can access them directly from the sheet.

Getting Started

The fastest way to try email-to-Google Sheets is to sign up for Quicktion. You get both forwarding and the Gmail add-on in one platform, so you can use whichever method fits each situation.

For a detailed walkthrough of the Gmail integration, check out our Gmail-to-Google Sheets integration guide.

Get started with Quicktion — it takes less than two minutes to connect your first spreadsheet.

If you prefer to save emails to Notion instead of Google Sheets, see our complete email-to-Notion guide.