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Merging multiple files into one spreadsheet: before and after
Five real examples of scattered files combined into one clean spreadsheet, across five different kinds of data — plus the four habits behind every one of them. No signup required; skim it, use whichever parts are useful, and merge your own files with them if you'd rather do it yourself.
A year of bank statements
Before (separate files)
Twelve separate PDF statements, one per month, each only readable on its own — seeing the whole year means opening twelve files one at a time.
After (one merged sheet)
One spreadsheet with every month’s transactions stacked under the same columns and sorted by date, so the whole year can be filtered and totalled at once.
Why it works: A year of spending is only useful once it sits in one place you can sort and filter. Twelve separate files cannot be compared against each other directly.
Sales exports from several store locations
Before (separate files)
Each location exports its own CSV, and the columns are in a different order with slightly different names from one file to the next.
After (one merged sheet)
One merged sheet with every file’s columns renamed and reordered to match, plus a new "location" column so rows can still be told apart after merging.
Why it works: Merging only works once every file’s columns are made to match first. Stacking mismatched columns produces a sheet that looks merged but reads wrong.
Timesheets from several contractors
Before (separate files)
Each contractor sends their own file — one a spreadsheet, one a photo of a paper log, one a different column layout entirely.
After (one merged sheet)
One sheet with the same columns and the same date format throughout, and a contractor name added to every row so hours can be summed per person.
Why it works: Comparing or totalling hours across people only works once every contractor’s record is reshaped into the same layout.
Supplier invoices scattered across files
Before (separate files)
A folder of individual invoice PDFs and photographed receipts, with no combined list and no running total anywhere.
After (one merged sheet)
One spreadsheet with a row per invoice — supplier, date, amount — and a total that adds itself up as rows are added.
Why it works: Spending stays invisible until every invoice lands in the same list. A folder of files cannot be totalled; a spreadsheet can.
Survey responses from several export batches
Before (separate files)
Three CSV exports from different days of the same survey, with overlapping columns and the same respondent possibly appearing in more than one file.
After (one merged sheet)
One combined sheet with duplicate respondents removed by their ID and a consistent column order across every batch.
Why it works: Merging without checking for duplicates double-counts anyone who appears in more than one export. Checking first keeps the final count honest.
The four habits behind every merge above
Match the columns before you stack the rows
Every file going into a merge should use the same column names and order first. Stacking mismatched columns gives you a sheet that looks combined but reads wrong.
Add a source column instead of losing it
A new column noting which file, location or person each row came from keeps that information available after the files are combined into one.
Check for duplicates across files, not just within one
The same record can appear in more than one of the files being merged. A duplicate check that only looks within a single file misses exactly the overlaps a merge creates.
Keep one date and number format throughout
Files from different sources often write dates and numbers differently. Standardising them during the merge, not after, is what makes the combined sheet sortable and addable.
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