How I (Simply) Make Excellent Content material Calendars in Google Sheets

I‘m far from the most organized marketer you’ll ever meet — however I‘m working on it! In my quest to become a more organized person, I’ve found one thing tremendous useful — I could make content material calendar templates in Google Sheets.

You learn that proper — Google Sheets. Maybe you employ spreadsheets to gather knowledge, monitor campaigns, or set up weekly assignments. However have you ever ever considered utilizing a calendar template in Google Sheets to handle and monitor your work?

Under, we’ll evaluation easy methods to make a calendar in Google Sheets and embrace suggestions that will help you elevate the design. So, open up Google Sheets and put together to create your calendar.

Desk of Contents

Why Create a Calendar in Google Sheets?

I do know Google Sheets is probably not the primary instrument that involves thoughts when making a calendar.

However, the reality is that there are lots of compelling causes to make use of Google Sheets as a calendar.

Listed below are my favorites:

1. Straightforward Collaboration: Google Sheets makes it exceedingly straightforward to collaborate with crew members. By making a calendar in Google Sheets, I can share it with my crew, permitting everybody to contribute and make updates in real-time.

This ensures everyone seems to be on the identical web page and may keep organized and knowledgeable.

2. Accessibility: With Google Sheets, my calendar is accessible from anyplace with an web connection (and even offline! Right here’s easy methods to flip offline entry to your paperwork). I can simply entry and replace my calendar on any system, whether or not on the workplace, working remotely, or on the go.

This flexibility ensures that I am all the time up-to-date and may make essential adjustments.

3. Customizability: Google Sheets presents a spread of formatting and design choices to make my calendar solely my very own (as compared with a premade calendar instrument, as an example).

I like that I can select totally different colours, fonts, and types to make my calendar visually interesting and simple to navigate. This stage of customization ensures that my calendar aligns with my crew’s branding or displays my distinctive fashion.

4. Integration with Different Instruments: Google Sheets seamlessly integrates with different Google instruments, comparable to Google Calendar and Google Drive.

This implies I can simply sync my Google Sheets calendar with my Google Calendar and hyperlink to and set up related recordsdata and paperwork inside the spreadsheet, holding every little thing in a single centralized location.

5. Price-Efficient: My favourite purpose to make use of Google Sheets as a calendar? It’s free. That is significantly necessary for small companies or people who could not have the price range for a devoted calendar instrument.

Should you’re on the lookout for a easy but highly effective method to keep organized and handle your schedule, strive Google Sheets. Subsequent, we are going to cowl easy methods to create one in your Google account.

Making a calendar in a instrument generally used for spreadsheets sounds intimidating, however don’t fret; the method is fairly intuitive. And with the assistance of some suggestions, you may simply make a useful calendar which you could sync your schedule with.

On the finish, your calendar will look one thing like this:

1. Open a brand new spreadsheet and select your month.

First, open a brand new spreadsheet.

Then, select your month.

I did January [YYYY] for this instance and crammed that into the primary cell. What’s nice about Google Sheets is that it mechanically acknowledges dates, so typing in a month, adopted by the yr in YYYY format, will inform Google that you’ll be working with dates.

2. Start to format your calendar.

Subsequent, format your calendar. I chosen the January [YYYY] textual content in Column A, Row 1. I highlighted seven columns (A) and clicked Merge to span that cell throughout your entire column. Yow will discover this button to the fitting of the Fill instrument.

Right here, I additionally center-aligned my textual content utilizing the instrument subsequent to Merge. In a while, I’ll enhance the font measurement and daring the month.

3. Use a method to fill within the days of the week.

Subsequent, fill within the days of the week in every column (A-G). You are able to do this manually, however I made a decision to make use of a method. Sheets has a operate that permits you to sort in recipes to finish particular actions directly.

To fill within the days of the week, within the cell the place you need your first weekday to be, sort: =TEXT(1, “D”). This tells Google that your quantity might be changed by a date or time, and the format you are utilizing is weekdays.

Spotlight the number one within the method and substitute it with COLUMN(). Then, press enter and choose your first day. You’ll copy the method in Sunday’s cell by dragging the selector to the top of your row (A-G) and urgent enter once more.

Urgent enter ought to mechanically fill in the remainder of the week. Keep in mind, if this does not give you the results you want, you may all the time fill within the days manually.

4. Fill within the numbers.

Wonderful! You’ve gotten your days of the week. Now, we‘re going to fill in the numerical values. Before this step, I added color to the days’ row and altered the font to at least one I appreciated somewhat extra.

For the numerical values, we’ll merely determine the primary day of the month and click on and drag to fill in the remaining.

How?

Place the number one on the field proper beneath the primary day of the month, then click on and drag horizontally. Relying on the day of the week, you could have to comply with this course of utilizing the second day of the month so you may click on and drag horizontally.

For this instance, we’ll use Sunday as the primary day of the month, however keep in mind that the primary day will differ yearly.

5. Fill in the remainder of the numbers.

Be aware: On this step, I crammed within the calendar numbers in each different row to assist with my formatting later.

Now that you simply’ve crammed out your first row, it’s time to finish the remaining. Manually insert the next quantity, then click on and drag horizontally to fill in the remaining.

Repeat the method for the next rows. You’ll insert the primary quantity manually, then click on and drag down the row. Right here’s what that appears like for the subsequent row in January.

Be aware: Be sure to finish the month on the right quantity! For January, that might be the thirty first.

6. Reformat your calendar if essential.

All the things is beginning to appear like a calendar, proper? At this stage, I reformatted issues to scrub up the look of my calendar somewhat.

Keep in mind these additional rows in between the numbered rows? I expanded these rows to create packing containers beneath the numbers. To do that, I merely dragged the rows all the way down to make these cells greater.

Listed below are some extra formatting suggestions:

• Choose the empty rows beneath your numbers and middle them utilizing the middle textual content alignment instrument.
• Choose your total calendar and vertically align all parts in order that they’re within the middle of their cells. To do that, use the vertical alignment instrument.
• Daring your day numbers.
• If desired, calmly shade your numbered rows.
• If desired, grey out the Saturday and Sunday columns in order that your workdays stand out.

7. Add design parts to professionalize the look.

Lastly, you may add some enjoyable design parts to personalize the appear and feel of your calendar. You‘ll want to incorporate the necessary launch days here if it’s for a consumer or an upcoming undertaking.

For this step, I added a couple of enjoyable pictures, included a couple of hypothetical calendar occasions, and performed with font sizes.

8. Repeat the method from February to December.

It’s time to repeat for February to December. Merely duplicate your January calendar when you’ve designed it the way you need it to look. To do that, right-click the sheet’s tab and choose Duplicate from the menu.

To fill within the numbers, you’ll solely have to know the start day, then click on and drag to fill in the remainder of the rows. Listed below are the primary days for each month for the yr 2024:

• January: Monday
• February: Thursday
• March: Friday
• April: Monday
• Might: Wednesday
• June: Saturday
• July: Monday
• August: Thursday
• September: Sunday
• October: Tuesday
• November: Friday
• December: Sunday

Subsequent, you’ll need to know what number of days you have to fill in. Listed below are the variety of days you’ll want for every month:

• January: 31
• February: 28 or 29
• March: 31
• April: 30
• Might: 31
• June: 30
• July: 31
• August: 31
• September: 30
• October: 31
• November: 30
• December: 31

After which, you are completed!

It is helpful to make use of Sheets as a result of you may open your calendar in your browser. You can even hold monitor of your schedule individually out of your cellphone.

You’ll be able to both make a calendar manually, as we lined above or use a template, as we cowl under. You can even insert a calendar into Google Sheets utilizing an add-on.

Google Sheets has a built-in timeline view that could possibly be helpful for calendar-making. By itself, although, it’s not as useful. You’ll be able to insert a timeline-view calendar containing all of your occasions with the fitting add-on.

We’ll use the add-on Calendar Timeline View for this straightforward tutorial.

1. Set up Calendar Timeline View into Google Sheets.

Be sure you’re logged into your Google account. Then, set up Calendar Timeline View into your Google Workspace. Merely click on Set up within the higher right-hand nook.

You can even go to Extensions > Add-ons > Get add-ons on a Google Sheets spreadsheet. Seek for Calendar Timeline View and set up it from there.

2. Open the Calendar Timeline View sidebar.

An icon will seem on the Google Sheets sidebar for the add-on we simply put in. Click on it to open up the sidebar.

3. Pull your Google Calendar occasions into Sheets.

This add-on will pull your Google Calendar occasions right into a Google Sheets timeline view.

The very best half? You’ll be able to create a Google Sheets timeline for any date vary, together with the subsequent month, quarter, or yr. I like to recommend creating a distinct timeline for various quarters or half-years.

Within the sidebar, choose a selected calendar (like your calendar, the US vacation calendar, or one other calendar).

Then, on the backside, click on Pull Occasions.

4. Clear up your calendar knowledge.

At first, the consequence would possibly look funky. The instrument pulls in every little thing out of your Google Calendar, together with Zoom descriptions, which might make your timeline look cluttered.

You’ll be able to clear up the info the instrument pulled straight on the spreadsheet. For instance, I deleted the occasion descriptions in order that the descriptions didn’t present up on my timeline.

I additionally deleted the company as a result of I didn’t want them.

5. Get pleasure from your timeline Google Sheets calendar.

The add-on mechanically creates a timeline after you pull your Google Calendar occasions. I then modified the settings within the Timeline tab to the right begin dates, finish dates, and card titles.

We’re all completed! Right here’s the ultimate consequence.

Should you don’t have the time or the endurance to create a calendar from scratch or set up an add-on, under are Google Sheets calendar templates to obtain totally free.

Google Sheets Calendar Templates

Excellent news: You’re not restricted to Google Sheets’ built-in templates, which we share under. Should you want a extra useful annual calendar, I’ve bought you lined with these marketer-friendly choices.

1. Free Editorial Calendar Template for Google Sheets

Obtain the Free Template

This editorial calendar template is designed for Google Sheets and covers your entire editorial planning wants. This template helps you to strategically lay out each day and month-to-month editorials in a single accessible, scannable sheet.

Designed for utmost usability and readability, it features a vertical format for the dates, and coluto can add particulars such because the Writer, Matter, Content material Particulars, and Key phrases.

Greatest For: A vertical, year-long design like this one will also be used for different efforts, comparable to skilled and private objectives. You’ll be able to change the columns to suit your and your crew’s aims for the upcoming yr.

2. Free Spreadsheet Social Media Content material Calendar Template

Obtain the Free Template

This Excel-based social media calendar template is good for entrepreneurs who need to construct a powerful social technique for the upcoming yr. The very best half? It comes bundled with a person information for these new to social media technique planning.

If you have already got a social plan, you should use this calendar for any multi-channel effort, comparable to content material advertising throughout a number of platforms and visitor running a blog on totally different publishers’ web sites.

Merely change the titles on the tabs to suit your objectives.

Professional Tip: This template can simply be transformed right into a Google Sheets doc. To add it into Google Drive, merely head to drive.google.com and drag the file out of your file explorer into your listing of Google Drive paperwork.

Alternatively, head to sheets.new to create a brand new Google Sheets spreadsheet. Then, click on File > Import > Add. You’ll be capable of import the Excel file with out shedding high quality.

3. Month-to-month Calendar for Google Sheets

Want a easy month-to-month calendar? No worries, this month-to-month calendar template from smartsheet is simple to make use of and permits you to hold monitor of deadlines, appointments, and necessary milestones.

Greatest For: Monitoring easy deadlines related to campaigns. Nonetheless, it’s your decision a extra sturdy calendar to satisfy your wants.

4. Yellow Undertaking Calendar

This Yellow Undertaking Calendar template offers a vibrant strategy to the undertaking plan whereas selling group and effectivity.

What I Like: The calendar’s format makes undertaking coordination, productive useful resource administration, and well timed supply attainable.

5. Gentle Every day Calendar

I like this template as a result of it‘s a simple way to track daily tasks. Plus, the cool colors create a calming vibe, making the day’s to-do listing appear much less daunting.

Professional-Tip: Alter the colour palette to shades that you simply discover calming.

6. 2024 Month-to-month Lined Calendar Template for Google Sheets

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A lined Google Sheet calendar template like this one from smartsheet makes it straightforward to trace each day, month-to-month, and weekly duties.

What I Like: I actually love this lined template as a result of it is good if you might want to make notes digitally or if you wish to print them to handwrite your notes. 

7. 2024 Month-to-month Planner Template for Google Sheets

I do know the print is tremendous tiny, and you could wrestle to learn it, however this a planner-style Google Sheets calendar template with the times of the week sorts in a column on the left-hand facet. 

Greatest for: Should you want a day-by-day breakdown of your month-to-month duties, this template will show helpful. 

8. 2024 Quarterly Calendar 

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What I Like: This purple, aesthetically pleasing calendar is ideal for monitoring quarterly enterprise objectives. It additionally consists of holidays that will help you keep away from by chance reserving a day when everyone seems to be out of the workplace.

9. Yearly Calendar Template

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What I Like: This calendar offers an easy view of the yr forward and it features a sidebar for added notes.

The best way to Make a Calendar Utilizing a Google Sheets Template

Google Sheets gives a built-in template for calendar-making. The one draw back is that customization choices are restricted — you may solely use Google Sheets’ themes. This is a superb choice if you happen to’re in a rush.

1. Go to sheets.google.com.

Make sure you’re logged into your Google account or log in when prompted. This may take you on to the Sheets dwelling web page, the place you may entry the templates.

Alternatively, go to drive.google.com, faucet New, click on the right-hand arrow subsequent to Google Sheets, and faucet From a template.

2. Entry the template gallery.

You will not have to take this step if you happen to entry the Google Sheets templates through Google Drive.

In any other case, faucet the Template gallery within the prime banner titled Begin a brand new spreadsheet.

3. Discover the annual calendar template.

Templates are divided into “Work” and “Project management.” Scroll down till you attain the Private part, then faucet Annual Calendar.

4. Change the formatting as wanted.

All completed! Your calendar has been created. Subsequent, it’s time to alter the formatting utilizing Google Sheets’ accessible themes. You can even change the fonts as you’d want.

An alternate choice to utilizing Google Sheets’ built-in template is third-party templates comparable to HubSpot’s under, permitting you to create important enterprise paperwork comparable to social and editorial calendars.

Our editorial calendar helps you lay out a powerful technique each day. With a little bit of customization, your editorial calendar will run easily, leaving you extra time to deal with the standard of your content material.

Professional-Tip: You can even join your calendar to HubSpot to sync conferences, notes, and extra. Simply thought you must know.

Featured Useful resource: Free Editorial Calendar Templates

Obtain the Free Templates

Use a Google Sheets Calendar to Manage Your Duties

Should you’re helpful with Sheets and need to give it a shot, create a Google Sheets calendar. And if you happen to’re not so helpful, I am assured this step-by-step information will assist you out.

Google Sheets calendars are an awesome choice if you might want to create a clear calendar to trace an inside advertising marketing campaign, set up a consumer’s upcoming initiatives, or share an occasion calendar with vital stakeholders.

However if you happen to don’t need to create one from scratch, I counsel testing our editorial calendar template to jumpstart your planning and group efforts instantly.

Editor’s notice: This put up was initially revealed in Might 2020 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.