How to print labels for selected rows in Google Sheets

The short answer

You can make labels for only part of a Google Sheets list in three ways with our LabelRows add-on. Choose A range of rows, select the rows on the sheet and choose Selected rows, or choose a checkbox or TRUE/FALSE column under Only rows ticked in. The last option is useful when the addresses you need are scattered through the list.

You can also do the job without an add-on. Build a separate list with FILTER, join each address into a label cell, and copy the results into a Google Docs table sized for your label sheets. That free method is a reasonable choice for a short, occasional batch if you are happy to arrange and check the table yourself.

LabelRows creates a new Google Doc from the rows you choose. Its free plan covers five label sizes and up to 60 labels per document. It makes text-only labels, so use another method if you need images. Whichever method you choose, check the addresses and print a plain-paper test before using label stock.

Prepare the list and checkbox column

Keep one recipient per row, with a header above each field. For example, put Name, Street, City, State and ZIP in columns A through E. Keep the original details in separate columns even if you later join them into one label cell. That makes an address easier to inspect and correct.

For a recurring selection, add a column headed Send card or Print. Select the cells below the header and use Insert → Checkbox; check in your Sheets menu if you cannot find the option. Tick the rows you want in the current batch. A checked checkbox has the value TRUE, which is what the filter example later in this guide tests.

Suppose the checkbox is in column F. If the recipient on row 2 is ticked and the recipient on row 3 is not, the filtered list should include row 2 and leave out row 3. Tick another recipient and check the list again before making the document. The column is a way to record your current selection, so review it when the purpose of the batch changes.

Check the addresses before choosing rows. Look for missing fields, duplicate entries and ZIP codes that have lost a leading zero. If a ZIP code should retain a leading zero, keeping the column as plain text can help; re-enter any zero already lost. Check the address format for its destination and make sure the label has all the information needed for delivery.

A checkbox is not required for every job. A consecutive group can be simpler to describe by its first and last row numbers, and selecting rows on the sheet can be convenient for a one-off batch. Use the checkbox column when you want to see and review a selection in the list itself.

Choose rows in LabelRows

Install LabelRows from its Google Workspace Marketplace page, then open the spreadsheet and click the orange tag icon in the right side panel. If the panel is hidden, use the small arrow at the bottom right of the window. The first time, click Authorize access and allow the two requested permissions. The LabelRows documentation explains those permissions and the available controls.

In the panel, pick the sheet and header row. Choose the size that matches the code and measurements on your label box. The free sizes are Avery-compatible 5160 address labels, 5163 shipping labels, 5395 name badges, and A4 L7160 and L7163 address labels. Other sizes in the list are Pro. Pro is coming soon and is not on sale yet; its sizes cannot make label Docs yet, although their test pages work.

Write the label text or click Suggest from headers for a starting layout. For example, a field written as {{Name}} is replaced by that row’s value as shown in the sheet. The available column names appear under the text box, and each field must match a header on the chosen sheet. Click Update preview after editing. The preview shows the first row, so also inspect the finished document for differences between recipients.

Choose the rows using the approach that fits your list:

1. A range of rows: under Print, choose A range of rows. Type the first and last row numbers as the sheet shows them, such as 2 and 40. Check both ends against the sheet, especially if the header is not on row 1.
2. Selected rows: select the rows on the sheet first, choose Selected rows under Print, then click Create labels. Check the selection before clicking, particularly when you have moved around the spreadsheet.
3. Only rows ticked in: pick your checkbox or TRUE/FALSE column under Only rows ticked in. Check the ticks before creating the labels. Rows that are not ticked are skipped.

These controls answer different questions: the range identifies a span by sheet row number, selected rows use the selection you made on the sheet, and the tick column identifies entries by their values. If you use a tick column with a range or selection, check both the rows and the ticks when reviewing the result.

Choose the font and layout, check the text, then click Create labels at the bottom of the panel. Click Open label Doc to inspect the new document. Empty rows are skipped, and LabelRows tells you how many rows it skipped. Compare the result with your intended recipients before printing.

Each click of Create labels makes a new Google Doc in your Drive. LabelRows never changes your spreadsheet or older label Docs. If you correct an address or change the selection, create and inspect another Doc; the earlier document remains a separate copy.

Split a longer list into documents

LabelRows Free makes up to 60 labels per document. That is a document limit, not a promise that every row in a range produces a label, and not a limit of 60 labels per physical sheet. The number of labels on a sheet depends on the size you choose.

For a consecutive list with headers on row 1, start with rows 2 to 61. That range contains 60 sheet rows. If each row makes one label, the resulting Doc has 60 labels. For the next batch, use rows 62 to 121, another 60 rows, and create a second Doc. Continue with the row numbers that apply to your own sheet.

Empty rows and unticked rows can reduce the number of labels in a range. For example, if five of the 60 rows are empty and the other 55 each make a label, expect 55 labels from that range. When a tick column is in use, unticked entries are skipped too. Read the skipped-row notice and check the Doc rather than assuming that a 60-row range always gives you 60 labels.

Keep a simple record of the range and document you have checked. Before moving to the next range, compare the last intended recipient in one batch with the first in the next. This helps you spot an overlap or a missed row number. If the list changes between batches, recheck the row numbers against the current sheet before making the next Doc.

Do not use the number of labels as the only check. Two batches can have the expected count while still containing an unintended recipient or missing a different one. Review the names and addresses in each new document, particularly around range boundaries and any rows you changed.

Free: filter the list and use Google Docs

If you only need a small batch and do not mind arranging it yourself, you can make labels with Google Sheets and Google Docs without LabelRows. First create a separate tab for the filtered list. This keeps the original list available for corrections and gives you a shorter set of rows to turn into label text.

For this example, assume the original tab is named Addresses, address fields are in columns A through E, and checkboxes are in column F. On the new tab, leave room for headers in row 1 and enter this in cell A2:

=FILTER(Addresses!A2:E, Addresses!F2:F=TRUE)

The formula returns columns A to E for rows whose checkbox value in column F is TRUE. Its results spill into the cells below and across from A2, so leave that area empty. Use your own source tab name and column references.

For a concrete check, suppose source row 2 contains a name and address in A2:E2 and its checkbox in F2 is checked. Source row 3 contains another address but F3 is unchecked. The filtered result includes the five fields from row 2 and excludes row 3. Inspect the result against the original ticks, including a row near the end of your intended batch.

Now make one label-text cell for each filtered row. With the filtered fields in A to E and the first result on row 2, put this formula in an empty column outside the spill area, such as G2, and fill it down:

=IF(A2="", "", TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10), TRUE, A2, B2, C2, D2, E2))

CHAR(10) puts a line break between the fields, and TRUE tells TEXTJOIN to skip empty cells. The IF leaves the result blank when column A is empty. In this example the city, state and ZIP each appear on their own line. Adjust the fields and arrangement for the addresses you actually need, and inspect examples with missing optional fields as well as longer addresses.

Next, arrange the joined cells in a Google Docs table with the same number of label positions across and down as your stock. Copy the label text into the table, working across and then down. Set the page size, margins, column widths, minimum row height, cell padding and border to suit the label sheet. Check the measurements on your box or the manufacturer template instead of assuming that two similar product codes use the same layout.

For a complete walkthrough of the table method, see how to print address labels from Google Sheets. The 5160 guide gives measurements for that particular Letter-size layout. Other stock needs its own measurements. Check the table controls in your account if you cannot enter a dimension or keep the grid on the page.

Review every pasted label. A long address or extra paragraph spacing can make a table row taller and shift the positions below it. The Doc contains a copy of the text, so a later correction in Sheets does not correct the pasted label. Update the Doc as well, then print a plain-paper test and compare it with the stock before printing labels.

Track what you have printed

A selection column answers who should be included in the current batch. A separate Printed column can help you record what you have actually printed. Add it yourself and mark the relevant rows by hand after checking the printed labels. Keep the meaning of each column clear: a tick in Send card does not by itself mean that the label has been printed.

LabelRows never changes the spreadsheet, so creating a Doc does not mark a row as printed. A Doc can also be created without being printed, or you may discover a correction during review. Mark the sheet after the physical batch has been checked, and compare the marks with the document if you need to return to the job later.

If you make another batch, review both columns before choosing rows. You can remove or change the selection ticks by hand as your work requires. Keep the row-range notes for separate documents alongside your own printed record, so you can check which batch you are looking at.

Skipping used label positions to start part-way through a sheet is a Pro feature in LabelRows. Pro is coming soon and is not on sale yet. With LabelRows Free, use a fresh sheet. In a manual Docs table, you can leave used positions empty, but check the stock and printer guidance before feeding a partly used sheet. The 5160 guide also discusses partly used stock.

Check and print the labels

Before printing, compare the label Doc with your selection. Check the first and last intended recipients, then inspect the entries between them. Look for a missing address line, an unexpected recipient and labels that need a correction. If LabelRows reports that text was shortened, use a smaller font or revise the affected text, create another Doc and check it again.

LabelRows has a free Test page for every size and plan. It produces one sheet of numbered, outlined labels in the chosen size. Print the test on plain paper at 100%, hold it against a label sheet in front of a light, and check the positions across the whole page. A correct first position alone does not show whether the rest of the grid lines up.

If the entire LabelRows layout is slightly out of position, use Printer alignment. Nudge right and Nudge down accept values from −0.5 to 0.5 inches; negative values move the layout left or up. Print another test after an adjustment. If the error grows across or down the page, check the paper size and scale as well.

Open the finished Doc and choose File → Print. Match the paper size to the label template, use 100% or Actual size, and use no extra margins. Inspect the first printed sheet before continuing with the rest of the batch. Keep each Doc available until you have checked its labels and updated your own record.

Common problems

There are no labels to print. Check whether the chosen rows are empty or, when using a tick column, whether every relevant row is unticked. Confirm the sheet, row range or selection and checkbox column, then create a new Doc after correcting the selection. For the manual formula, check that the intended checkboxes are checked and that the formula refers to the right columns.

The range starts or ends on the wrong row. Row numbers are the numbers shown on the sheet, not a count starting after the header. If row 1 is the header, rows 2 to 61 contain 60 sheet rows. Check the first and last recipients in the range and enter the corrected numbers before creating another Doc.

There are fewer labels than expected. Empty rows are skipped, and unticked rows are skipped when a tick column is used. Read the skipped-row notice and compare the range, ticks and finished labels with the original list. A range containing 60 rows can produce fewer than 60 labels.

The checkbox column is not offered. Check that you chose the intended sheet and header row in LabelRows, and that the column has a header and contains checkbox or TRUE/FALSE values. Check the cells on the sheet, then review the available columns in the panel. If the column is still unavailable, consult the documentation for getting help.

The filtered list does not look right. Check the source tab and the address and checkbox columns in the formula. The result spills across five columns in the example, so leave that area clear. Compare a checked row and an unchecked row with the original list, then inspect the joined label text before copying it.

An address is incomplete or the labels do not line up. Check for a LabelRows notice that text was shortened and inspect the affected label. In a manual table, look for wrapped text or spacing that increased a row’s height. For either method, check the paper size and print scale, then repeat the plain-paper test.

Frequently asked questions

Related

• How to print address labels from Google Sheets
• Print Avery 5160 labels from Google Sheets
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• LabelRows documentation
• All guides

Disclosure: we make LabelRows, the Google Sheets add-on mentioned in this guide. The filtered list and Google Docs table method works without it, using your address list from Google Sheets.

Google Sheets and Google Docs are trademarks of Google LLC. Avery is a registered trademark of Avery Products Corporation. LabelRows and Cellbrook are not affiliated with or endorsed by Google or Avery.