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Create Multi-Sheet Excel Workbooks by Merging Datasets with Google Drive & Sheets

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Created by: Robert Breen || rbreen

Robert Breen

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Last update 5 days ago

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Create multi-sheet Excel workbooks in n8n to automate reporting using Google Drive + Google Sheets

Build an automated Excel file with multiple tabs directly in n8n. Two Code nodes generate datasets, each is converted into its own Excel worksheet, then combined into a single .xlsx and (optionally) appended to a Google Sheet for sharing—eliminating manual copy-paste and speeding up reporting.

Who’s it for

  • Teams that publish recurring reports as Excel with multiple tabs
  • Ops/Marketing/Data folks who want a no-code/low-code way to package JSON into Excel
  • n8n beginners learning the Code → Convert to File → Merge pattern

How it works

  1. Manual Trigger starts the run.
  2. Code nodes emit JSON rows for each table (e.g., People, Locations).
  3. Convert to File nodes turn each JSON list into an Excel binary, assigning Sheet1/Sheet2 (or your names).
  4. Merge combines both binaries into a single Excel workbook with multiple tabs.
  5. Google Sheets (optional) appends the JSON rows to a live spreadsheet for collaboration.

Setup (only 2 connections)

1️⃣ Connect Google Sheets (OAuth2)

  1. In n8n → Credentials → New → Google Sheets (OAuth2)
  2. Sign in with your Google account and grant access
  3. Copy the example sheet referenced in the Google Sheets node (open the node and duplicate the linked sheet), or select your own
  4. In the workflow’s Google Sheets node, select your Spreadsheet and Worksheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1G6FSm3VdMZt6VubM6g8j0mFw59iEw9npJE0upxj3Y6k/edit?gid=1978181834#gid=1978181834

2️⃣ Connect Google Drive (OAuth2)

  1. In n8n → Credentials → New → Google Drive (OAuth2)
  2. Sign in with the Google account that will store your Excel outputs and allow access
  3. In your Drive-related nodes (if used), point to the folder where you want the .xlsx saved or retrieved

Customize the workflow

  • Replace the sample arrays in the Code nodes with your data (APIs, DBs, CSVs, etc.)
  • Rename sheetName in each Convert to File node to match your desired tab names
  • Keep the Merge node in Combine All mode to produce a single workbook
  • In Google Sheets, switch to Manual mapping for strict column order (optional)

Best practices (per template guidelines)

  • Rename nodes to clear, action-oriented names (e.g., “Build People Sheet”, “Build Locations Sheet”)
  • Add a yellow Sticky Note at the top with this description so users see setup in-workflow
  • Do not hardcode credentials inside HTTP nodes; always use n8n Credentials
  • Remove personal IDs/links before publishing

Sticky Note (copy-paste)

Multi-Tab Excel Builder (Google Drive + Google Sheets)
This workflow generates two datasets (Code → JSON), converts each to an Excel sheet, merges them into a single workbook with multiple tabs, and optionally appends rows to Google Sheets.

Setup (2 connections):

  1. Google Sheets (OAuth2): Create credentials → duplicate/select your target spreadsheet → set Spreadsheet + Worksheet in the node.
  2. Google Drive (OAuth2): Create credentials → choose the folder for storing/retrieving the .xlsx.

Customize: Edit the Code nodes’ arrays, rename tab names in Convert to File, and adjust the Sheets node mapping as needed.

Troubleshooting

  • Missing columns / wrong order: Use Manual mapping in the Google Sheets node
  • Binary not found: Ensure each Convert to File node’s binaryPropertyName matches what Merge expects
  • Permissions errors: Re-authorize Google credentials; confirm you have edit access to the target Sheet/Drive folder

📬 Contact

Need help customizing this (e.g., filtering by campaign, sending reports by email, or formatting your PDF)?