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Installing GPT For Sheets

Installing GPT For Sheets

October 3, 2025

How-to Guide to Installing GPT For Sheets

Young Hurley

Hurley White

AI Operator

Installing GPT for Sheets

GPT for Sheets is useful for running thousands of queries simultaneously. By using it in Google Sheets, your team can leverage GPT to work on data where it already resides. It’s an indispensable tool at ArcticBlue for rapidly prototyping workflows and simple data transformations.

1. Install the Add-On

  • Open a Google Sheet

  • In the top menu, click Extensions → Add-ons → Get add-ons

  • In the Google Workspace Marketplace, search for “GPT for Sheets and Docs”.
    Click Install and follow the prompts to authorize it for your Google account.

2. Use the Add-On

  • Now you use GPT queries within your Google Sheets!

Try entering this into a cell:

=GPT("What are some tips to using ChatGPT?")

Then try formulas involving other cells, e.g.:

=GPT(“What is another way to say this: “ & A2)

Or something more complicated, such as:

=GPT(“Given the following framework, return a 
  color classification of this comment.

FRAMEWORK: [Red, Yellow, Green] 
Return Red if the comment is inappropriate 
in a professional context. Return Yellow 
if it may be construed as inappropriate. 
Return Green if it is appropriate.

COMMENT: 
“ & A2)

  • Once you get the hang of it, you can tweak parameters in the function call or global settings (in the GPT for Sheets configuration panel).


    =GPT(prompt, [value], [temperature], [model])

- Prompt is the prompt, as in the examples above.
- The rest are optional parameters.
- Value is the text, cell or range you want your prompt to apply to.
- Temperature is the temperature setting of the model, i.e. 1 is maximally creative.
- Model is which model to use, e.g. “gpt-4o-mini” to use a specific OpenAI model.

- To run a batch, enter your formula in one cell and drag the fill handle (bottom-right corner) down across the cells you want to apply it to.

3. Parameters and API Keys

  • To prevent costs, use your own private API key or one provided by your company. Instructions are provided in the appendix below.

  • Model: The “model” parameter tells GPT for Sheets which engine to use (Perplexity, ChatGPT, Mistral, etc). Different models vary in speed, cost, accuracy, and reasoning.

    • We most recently have been using GPT-5, given its strong analysis, reasoning, and accuracy. For faster performance on simple tasks (e.g. data classification) we recommend using an older model, such as gpt-4o-mini.

    • When doing data lookups (i.e. researching online), it’s best to use Perplexity Sonar (any of the models will do, but make sure your API is connected to the web and not just the base model)

  • Temperature: balances creativity and consistency

    • When 0: maximize stability and consistency

    • When 0.5 (default): balanced mix of coherence and variety

    • When 1: maximize creativity

  • Reasoning level: adjusts how deeply the model works through problems (optimizing vary depending on the task and can deviate from these general guidelines)

    • When low reasoning: fast, surface-level answers

    • When medium reasoning: balanced

    • When high reasoning: slower, more detailed step-by-step outputs

4. Tips

  • Quota: Each request consumes OpenAI API credits, so watch usage on your OpenAI account. Once you run out of credits, you can buy more by clicking on the $XX at the bottom of your extension panel.

  • Limits: By default, GPT for Sheets can process about 30 requests per minute; batching too many at once may cause “#ERROR!” but you can just click “Retry errors” in the side bar.

  • Prompt Cells: Building a prompt in a cell and then referencing that cell in the query [e.g. =gpt(B2)] helps with troubleshooting because you can inspect the prompt before executing

  • In order to prevent re-running the data every time you shift a cell or exit out of the document, you must store the cells as a value, which you can do by copying and pasting value (command + shift + V) or click “Replace formulas” in the GPT Functions

  • OpenAI Key: Use Your own OpenAI Key to significantly save costs

  • You can also customize the intended audience by clicking the Global Instructions drop-down

Appendix: Connect to OpenAI API with a Private Key

  • An API is a tool that lets different software programs talk to each other, which in this case is Google Sheets and a certain Large Language Model (LLM).

  • After installation, go back to Extensions → GPT for Sheets and Docs → Launch.

  • A sidebar will appear asking you for an OpenAI API key.

  • Get your API key from OpenAI’s API Keys page.

  • Click “+ Create new secret key” in the top right 

  • Copy the API key

  • Open this new extension by clicking Extensions → GPT for Sheets and Docs → Enable GPT Functions

  • Paste in your new API key by clicking in the side bar “API Keys” and pasting into the OpenAI (you can also add other API keys)

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