Create Multi-Sheet Excel Workbooks by Merging Datasets with Google Drive & Sheets

Create multi-sheet Excel workbooks in n8n to automate reporting using Google Drive + Google Sheets

Build an automated Excel file with multiple tabs directly in n8n. Two Code nodes generate datasets, each is converted into its own Excel worksheet, then combined into a single .xlsx and (optionally) appended to a Google Sheet for sharing—eliminating manual copy-paste and speeding up reporting.

Who’s it for Teams that publish recurring reports as Excel with multiple tabs Ops/Marketing/Data folks who want a no-code/low-code way to package JSON into Excel n8n beginners learning the Code → Convert to File → Merge pattern

How it works Manual Trigger starts the run.
Code nodes emit JSON rows for each table (e.g., People, Locations).
Convert to File nodes turn each JSON list into an Excel binary, assigning Sheet1/Sheet2 (or your names).
Merge combines both binaries into a single Excel workbook with multiple tabs.
Google Sheets (optional) appends the JSON rows to a live spreadsheet for collaboration.

Setup (only 2 connections)

1️⃣ Connect Google Sheets (OAuth2) In n8n → Credentials → New → Google Sheets (OAuth2)
Sign in with your Google account and grant access
Copy the example sheet referenced in the Google Sheets node (open the node and duplicate the linked sheet), or select your own
In the workflow’s Google Sheets node, select your Spreadsheet and Worksheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1G6FSm3VdMZt6VubM6g8j0mFw59iEw9npJE0upxj3Y6k/edit?gid=1978181834#gid=1978181834

2️⃣ Connect Google Drive (OAuth2) In n8n → Credentials → New → Google Drive (OAuth2)
Sign in with the Google account that will store your Excel outputs and allow access
In your Drive-related nodes (if used), point to the folder where you want the .xlsx saved or retrieved

Customize the workflow Replace the sample arrays in the Code nodes with your data (APIs, DBs, CSVs, etc.)
Rename sheetName in each Convert to File node to match your desired tab names
Keep the Merge node in Combine All mode to produce a single workbook
In Google Sheets, switch to Manual mapping for strict column order (optional)

Best practices (per template guidelines) Rename nodes** to clear, action-oriented names (e.g., “Build People Sheet”, “Build Locations Sheet”)
Add a yellow Sticky Note at the top with this description so users see setup in-workflow
Do not hardcode credentials** inside HTTP nodes; always use n8n Credentials
Remove personal IDs/links before publishing

Sticky Note (copy-paste) > Multi-Tab Excel Builder (Google Drive + Google Sheets)
> This workflow generates two datasets (Code → JSON), converts each to an Excel sheet, merges them into a single workbook with multiple tabs, and optionally appends rows to Google Sheets.
>
> Setup (2 connections):
> 1) Google Sheets (OAuth2): Create credentials → duplicate/select your target spreadsheet → set Spreadsheet + Worksheet in the node.
> 2) Google Drive (OAuth2): Create credentials → choose the folder for storing/retrieving the .xlsx.
>
> Customize: Edit the Code nodes’ arrays, rename tab names in Convert to File, and adjust the Sheets node mapping as needed.

Troubleshooting Missing columns / wrong order:* Use Manual mapping* in the Google Sheets node
Binary not found:* Ensure each Convert to File node’s binaryPropertyName matches what Merge* expects
Permissions errors:** Re-authorize Google credentials; confirm you have edit access to the target Sheet/Drive folder

📬 Contact
Need help customizing this (e.g., filtering by campaign, sending reports by email, or formatting your PDF)?

📧 rbreen@ynteractive.com
🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-breen-29429625/
🌐 https://ynteractive.com