Before you can share a Google Sheets file in template mode, it’s important to understand what it is and how it works.

A Google Sheets template is a pre-designed sheet that includes dummy data, essential formulas, layout, formatting, and usage notes. Users can make a copy of the template and modify it to suit their needs or use it as it is.

Google Sheets offers built-in templates that you can access at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/. If you don’t see any templates, click on the main menu (hamburger button) > Settings, and ensure that Display recent templates on home screens is checked.

If you want your own customized template, you can create one and submit it to the template gallery. However, if you’re signed into a personal Google account, you won’t be able to submit templates to the gallery for reuse. In such cases, you can use the template mode feature as a workaround.

When you want to share a copy of your Google Sheets file but don’t want to retain control over it, sharing your Google Sheets file in template mode is a great option.

Another popular method is copy mode. I often use this to share sample sheets in my tutorials.

In template mode, users can view the sheet before copying, and the file will retain the same name. However, in copy mode, users cannot preview the sheet before copying, and the copied file will start with “Copy of” in the file name.

I will break down the steps to share Google Sheets files in template mode into two categories: “Optional” and “Essential” settings.

Optional Sharing Settings for Google Sheets Files in Template Mode

1. Open the Google Sheets file you want to share in template mode. You must have Editor rights to the file.
2. Rename the file to include the word “template” at the end. For example, if the file name is “Resume,” rename it to “Resume Template.” This is not required, but it can help you avoid accidentally sharing confidential files.
3. Click the file name again to display the folder icon. Click on it to open a small window with an option to create a new folder.
   
4. Click Create New and enter a folder name that includes the word “template,” such as “All New Templates.” Then, move the file to that folder.
   

Remember to keep all future template files in this folder to stay organized with your templates.

Essential Sharing Settings for Google Sheets Files in Template Mode

1. Open the Google Sheets file you want to share in template mode (if not already opened). You must have Editor rights to the file. Click the Share button in the top-right corner of the screen.
2. Under General Access, select Anyone with the link.
3. Choose the Viewer role from the drop-down list.
4. Click the Copy link button to copy the spreadsheet URL to your clipboard. Your clipboard stores the most recently copied item.
5. After copying, click Done.
   
6. Paste the copied spreadsheet URL in any blank cell in your sheet. You can use Ctrl + V on Windows or ⌘ + V on Mac.
7. Replace everything after the last forward slash in the URL (i.e., edit?usp=sharing) with template/preview.

Example:

Here is the original Spreadsheet URL that we copied in Step 4:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/spreadsheet_id/edit?usp=sharing

Here’s the corrected example URL:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/spreadsheet_id/template/preview

7. Copy and paste this edited URL into an email or any other location where you want to share it.

What Happens When Someone Clicks a Google Sheets Template Link?

Now that you know how to share Google Sheets files in template mode, let’s look at what happens when someone clicks the link.

When the recipient clicks on the link or pastes the URL into their browser’s address bar, they will be able to view the file in template mode. The file’s appearance will differ from when it’s shared in view-only mode. Here are the immediate changes:

• The menus in Google Sheets will not be visible.
• The cells in the sheet are not clickable, and the file will resemble a PDF document.
• There will be a Use Template button in the top-right corner.
  

Before concluding, one more note: You can follow a similar approach to share Google Docs files in template mode.