Google adds BigQuery analysis with Gemini to Sheets
By Automate Basics, written with AI from Google's original
Google says Gemini in Sheets can now answer questions about connected BigQuery data and build charts and tables from it. The feature is for people with permission to query that data through Connected Sheets.
What changed in Gemini for Sheets
Google says people can now ask Gemini questions about BigQuery data from a spreadsheet connected through Connected Sheets. Gemini runs its queries against the full dataset in BigQuery, rather than only the rows visible in Sheets. A person reviewing sales, for example, could ask for a regional total and then ask a follow-up question about the change over time.
Google says Gemini can also turn a request for a report into a new spreadsheet tab. It presents a plan for review before building connected objects such as database formulas, pivot tables and charts. Those objects can be refreshed, including through scheduled refreshes. The change gives spreadsheet users a way to examine large connected datasets without limiting their questions to the data currently shown in a sheet.
Who can use Gemini with BigQuery in Sheets?
Google says the feature is available by default in spreadsheets connected to BigQuery, provided the user has permission to query the connected data. It is listed for Business Standard and Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, Google AI Pro and Ultra, Google AI Pro for Education, and the AI Expanded Access add-on. Google does not give a separate price for this feature in the announcement.
Google says rollout begins on October 19, 2026, for both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. Visibility may take up to 15 days. The feature is on by default, and Google says administrators do not have a control to turn it off. People without access yet may need to wait for rollout or check whether they have permission to query the connected data.
How do I try Gemini on BigQuery data at work?
Google says users can start by opening the Gemini side panel in a spreadsheet already connected to BigQuery. A useful first task is a question whose answer depends on more data than the sheet displays, such as a sales total for a period or region. Follow up with a comparison to see whether the answer still addresses the full connected dataset.
For a report, describe the views you need and examine Gemini’s plan before it builds the new tab. Check the resulting totals, time periods and groupings against your intended question. If Gemini creates charts or pivot tables, confirm they show the right measures and that the connected objects refresh as expected. Google describes what Gemini can produce, but the announcement does not establish that every generated analysis will be correct.
Frequently asked questions
Does Gemini analyze all the BigQuery data or only visible rows?
Google says Gemini queries the full BigQuery dataset connected through Connected Sheets, not just the portion visible in the spreadsheet. Users still need permission to query the connected data. Check that an answer uses the intended period and grouping before relying on it for a work report.
Can Gemini build a dashboard from BigQuery data in Sheets?
Google says users can describe the report they want, review Gemini’s proposed plan and have it build a new spreadsheet tab. The tab can contain connected database formulas, pivot tables and charts that support refreshes, including scheduled refreshes. Review the finished views against the requested measures.
Is the BigQuery feature available in every Google Sheets account?
No. Google lists specific Business, Enterprise, consumer and education plans or add-ons, and says users must have permission to query the connected BigQuery data. Rollout starts on October 19, 2026, and feature visibility may take up to 15 days. The announcement gives no separate price.
For you
Learn to do this with AI, free
Short courses for people who aren't engineers: ChatGPT, Claude, prompting and automation. Every lesson is free, with no card.
Start a free courseFor companies
Make an AI or automation tool?
List it in the directory for $9.99, refunded in full if it isn't approved, or claim its page if it is already here.
Related reading
- Auto-Categorize Your Expenses With AI (Right in Your Spreadsheet)Sort every expense into the right category in one pass: paste your transactions into Claude or ChatGPT with your own category list, then review the doubts.
OpenCode Console breach exposes some users’ AI service keysOpenCode says attackers accessed an older system and exposed AI service keys stored by some OpenCode Console users. Affected teams should replace those keys with their AI providers and check for unauthorized usage.
AWS releases TorchNeuron to run PyTorch apps on TrainiumAWS has released TorchNeuron, a tool it says lets teams move PyTorch AI apps to its Trainium chips without rewriting code. For workplaces running their own AI models, it offers another hosting option to assess.- Google adds student insight summaries to Gemini Notebook in ClassroomGoogle is adding Gemini-powered insight summaries to teacher-assigned notebooks in Google Classroom. Educators can review patterns in student conversations and check individual chats, while administrators can control sharing with trusted domains.
Tools in this piece
Written with AI from Google's original and published after automatic checks: every figure here appears in the original, and no sentence is copied from it. The picture is AI-generated. The original is the authority.
Get the next one by email
One email, most weeks: what changed in AI for people who use it at work, and what to do about it.
Source: Analyze BigQuery data using natural language with Gemini in Google Sheets, Google, 19 Oct 2026.