If you've ever spent 20 minutes downloading CSV files from your bank, fixing the columns and pasting them into a spreadsheet, this guide is for you. Google Sheets can't connect to a bank on its own, but you can connect your bank account to Google Sheets in a couple of minutes and pull fresh transactions whenever you want them.
SheetLink connects through Plaid: press Sync now and your transactions land at the end of your sheet. No CSV downloads, no copy and paste, and nothing runs in the background.
What you'll need
- A Google account
- A Google Sheet you can edit. SheetLink writes into a sheet you choose and never creates one, so make a blank sheet first if you need one.
- A bank that Plaid supports: more than 10,000 banks and credit unions in the US and Canada
- The SheetLink Chrome extension, free to start
How to sync bank transactions to Google Sheets
Install SheetLink and sign in
Add the extension from the Chrome Web Store and sign in with your Google account. Open it from the toolbar, or keep it in Chrome's side panel next to your sheet.
Connect your bank
On the Banks tab, choose Connect a bank. Plaid opens a secure window where you find your bank, sign in and pick the accounts to share. SheetLink never sees your bank password.
Choose your sheet
Open the Google Sheet you want to use, then on the Sync tab choose Use this sheet. You can also paste the link to any Google Sheet you can edit.
Press Sync now
Pick how far back to pull (7, 30 or 90 days, 2 years on Pro, or your own dates) and press Sync now. New transactions land at the end of a Transactions tab, and balances go to an Accounts tab.
Tip
Sync as often as you like. Rows already in your sheet are skipped and new rows always go at the end, so your formulas and cell references stay put.
What lands in your sheet
Every transaction gets the same 34 columns every time: the date, description, merchant, amount, account, Plaid's categories, pending status, location and more. Here's a trimmed example:
| date | merchant_name | amount | category_primary | account_name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Whole Foods | 82.14 | FOOD_AND_DRINK | Chase Checking |
| 2026-10-02 | Netflix | 17.99 | ENTERTAINMENT | Chase Checking |
| 2026-10-03 | Payroll Deposit | -3200.00 | INCOME | Chase Checking |
Amounts follow Plaid's sign convention: positive is money out, negative is money in. The Accounts tab lists each account with its current and available balance.
Syncing vs. downloading CSVs
The usual way to get bank data into Google Sheets is to download a CSV from each bank and import it by hand. It works, but it's slow and it's easy to double-count a transaction.
| Downloading CSVs | SheetLink |
|---|---|
| Sign in to each bank's website | Open SheetLink in Chrome |
| Download a CSV for each account | Plaid fetches every connected account |
| Import it into Sheets and fix the columns | Rows land at the end of your sheet, in the same columns every time |
| Check for duplicate rows | Rows already in the sheet are skipped |
| Repeat every week | Press Sync now when you want fresh data |
Other ways to get bank data into Google Sheets
SheetLink isn't the only option. Here's how the common approaches compare:
- Download CSVs from your bank. Free and private, but manual every time, and each bank formats its file differently.
- Tiller. Long-running bank-to-spreadsheet service for Google Sheets and Excel with its own templates. $99 a year, annual billing only.
- Google Sheets add-ons that connect banks. Several add-ons in the Google Workspace Marketplace pull bank data straight into a sheet. Compare what each stores on its servers and how often it syncs.
- Build it yourself on the Plaid API. Possible with Apps Script, but Plaid needs an approved developer account for real bank data, and you maintain the code. Our Plaid to Google Sheets guide covers what that involves.
SheetLink's angle is control: nothing syncs in the background, transactions pass through without being stored, and you choose exactly when data moves.
Works with your bank
SheetLink connects through Plaid to more than 10,000 banks and credit unions in the US and Canada, including Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citibank, Capital One, US Bank, PNC Bank, TD Bank, American Express, Discover and most regional banks and credit unions. If your bank offers online banking, it very likely works.
Security and privacy
Syncing bank data takes trust. Here's how SheetLink handles yours:
- Plaid handles your bank sign-in. Your bank credentials never reach SheetLink.
- Read-only access. SheetLink can read transactions and balances. It can't move money.
- Nothing stored. Transactions pass through SheetLink's server in memory on their way to your sheet.
- Your sheet stays yours. The data lives in your Google account. SheetLink asks Google for permission to edit your spreadsheets so it can write into the one you choose, and it only writes to that sheet. It can't read your Gmail.
What to build next
With your transactions in a sheet, here's what people typically build:
- A monthly budget. SUMIFS by category against your targets. See how to build a monthly budget in Google Sheets from bank data.
- Recipes in one click. From SheetLink's Recipes tab, add a Budget Tracker, Recurring Spend Detector or Cash Flow Forecast to your sheet's menu.
- A P&L for freelancers. Separate income from expenses by account.
- Spending trends. A pivot table by merchant over time.
- A tax prep sheet. Filter your deductible business expenses.
SheetLink Pro
Every bank you connect, two years of history, and Excel as well as Google Sheets.
Full refund within 14 days. Cancel anytime.
Questions
How do I connect my bank account to Google Sheets?
Install the SheetLink Chrome extension, connect your bank through Plaid (more than 10,000 banks and credit unions in the US and Canada) and choose the Google Sheet to sync into. Press Sync now and your transactions land at the end of the sheet with the date, merchant, amount, category and the rest of 34 columns. Plaid handles your bank sign-in, so SheetLink never sees your credentials.
Does Google Sheets have a built-in bank feed?
No. Google Sheets can't connect to a bank on its own. Your options are importing a CSV file from each bank by hand, a tool that connects through a provider like Plaid (SheetLink, Tiller or a Google Sheets add-on), or building your own on the Plaid API.
Can I sync bank transactions to Google Sheets for free?
Yes. SheetLink's Free plan syncs one bank and your last 7 days of transactions into Google Sheets. Pro ($4.99 a month or $49 a year) adds every bank you connect, up to 2 years of history and the Excel add-in.
Is it safe to connect my bank to Google Sheets?
SheetLink connects through Plaid, which Venmo, Robinhood and thousands of other apps use. Plaid handles your bank sign-in, so your credentials never reach SheetLink, and the connection is read-only: it can't move money. Your transactions pass through SheetLink's server in memory on their way to your sheet and aren't stored. Bank connection tokens are encrypted at rest.
Does SheetLink sync in the background?
No. Nothing is written to your sheet until you press Sync now. Your data only moves when you decide it should.
Which banks work?
More than 10,000 banks and credit unions in the US and Canada through Plaid, including Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citi, Capital One, US Bank and PNC. Checking, savings and credit card accounts all sync.
What data does SheetLink write to Google Sheets?
A Transactions tab with 34 columns for every transaction, including date, authorized_date, description_raw, merchant_name, amount, iso_currency_code, category_primary, category_detailed, pending and payment_channel, plus an Accounts tab with each account's current and available balance.
How does the price compare with Tiller?
SheetLink is free for one bank and 7 days of history. Pro is $4.99 a month or $49 a year; Max is $10.99 a month or $99 a year and adds investments, CLI automation and Claude. Tiller is $99 a year, billed annually.