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How to Track Investments in Google Sheets: A Beginner's Guide
By Juan Hurtado, Editor-in-chief · Updated Apr 2026
Google Sheets can be a powerful, free tool for anyone looking to track investments efficiently. Whether you're just starting to build your portfolio or trying to organize diverse assets, this guide is for you. After reading, you'll be able to set up a custom investment tracker tailored to your unique financial goals, without needing to resort to expensive software.
You'll learn to automate updates, use essential formulas, and visualize your portfolio's performance all in one place. No prior spreadsheet experience is necessary — we'll walk you through each step, making complex tasks simple and manageable.
Key takeaways
- Google Sheets is a free alternative for tracking investments.
- Set up basic tables and formulas for tracking.
- Learn to automate data updates with functions.
- Visualize performance with charts in Google Sheets.
- Avoid common formatting mistakes for clearer data.
Step 1: Set Up Your Google Account
Before you start creating an investment tracker, ensure you have a Google account. If not, visit the Google homepage and click 'Sign In'. From there, follow the steps to create a new account. Google Sheets is accessible through Google Drive, a cloud-based storage service.
Once signed in, navigate to Google Drive and click on 'New', then 'Google Sheets' to create your first spreadsheet. Everything you do will be saved automatically, so there's no need to worry about losing your data.
Step 2: Understanding Basic Spreadsheet Layout
Open a new Google Sheet. You'll see a grid of rows and columns. Each box is a cell, and it’s the basic unit where you’ll enter your data. Rows are numbered, and columns are lettered, which helps in locating specific cells.
Create headers for your columns like 'Date', 'Investment', 'Amount', 'Shares', 'Price per Share', and 'Total Value'. These headings will help you organize information about your investments. Ensure each piece of data falls under the correct category to keep your spreadsheet tidy.
Step 3: Entering Your Data
Start by entering your investment data. As an example, if you bought 10 shares of a stock at $20 each, you’d enter 10 in the 'Shares' column, and $20 in 'Price per Share'. The 'Total Value' can be calculated by multiplying shares and price per share (10 x 20 = $200).
To do this, click on the cell under 'Total Value', type =, then click on the cell for 'Shares', type *, and click on 'Price per Share'. Press Enter, and Google Sheets will display the calculated value.
Step 4: Calculating Investment Metrics
Beyond just tracking totals, you might want to calculate metrics like returns or profit/loss. Create a new column labeled 'Change' to monitor price changes. Use simple math: to calculate change in price, subtract the initial price from the current price.
To see your profit, enter the formula =(Current Price - Initial Price) * Shares in a new column. These calculations can give insights into how well your investments are performing over time.
Step 5: Using Functions for Automation
Google Sheets supports various functions to make tracking easier. The GOOGLEFINANCE function can retrieve up-to-date stock information. Use `=GOOGLEFINANCE(
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