How to scan a barcode to Excel or Google Sheets

Why scan into itemit first?

A spreadsheet on its own cannot read a barcode — you still need something to scan the label. itemit turns your phone into that scanner, captures every item against a live record, and then lets you export to Excel or Google Sheets whenever you need a flat file. You get the speed of mobile scanning and a spreadsheet you can share.

This approach also scales: the same scanned data powers ongoing barcode inventory tracking, not just a one-off export. If you are weighing up the wider workflow, our guide to barcode tracking explains how teams keep that data current.

Step-by-step

1. 1

   Add your items to itemit

   Create a free itemit account and add the items you want to track. Attach a barcode or QR label to each one — you can print your own from our free barcode generator, or order durable asset tags.

2. 2

   Scan the barcodes with the itemit app

   Open the itemit app on your phone and point the camera at each label. itemit recognises the barcode or QR code instantly and brings up the matching item — no handheld scanner or laptop required.

3. 3

   Record the details you need

   As you scan, log the data that matters: location, who has the item, quantity, status, or any custom field. Everything is captured against the item in real time, so your spreadsheet starts life accurate.

4. 4

   Export to Excel

   When you are ready, run a report in itemit and export your items to a CSV file. Open that CSV directly in Microsoft Excel — every scanned item lands as a clean, structured row.

5. 5

   Import into Google Sheets

   Prefer Google Sheets? Open a new sheet and choose File → Import, then upload the same CSV export from itemit. Your scanned data populates the sheet in seconds.

Already have a spreadsheet of items?

The flow works in reverse too. If you keep your items in Excel or Google Sheets today, export them to CSV and import that file into itemit to get started in minutes — then switch to scanning for every update from then on. It is the simplest way to move from a static spreadsheet to a living, scannable barcode inventory system.