Google Sheets Bulk Cell Format Copier

WHAT IT DOES

Google Sheets Bulk Cell Format Copier solves a common pain point: copying formatting from one cell to multiple cells in Google Sheets is tedious when done manually. While Google Sheets has a "Paint format" tool, it requires you to drag across cells and can't selectively copy only specific format attributes. This tool reads the current Google Sheets document, detects all selected cells in the active sheet, and reads their formatting attributes including background color, font color, font size, font family, bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, horizontal alignment, vertical alignment, number format, and borders. You select a source cell to read its formatting, then select multiple target cells to apply that formatting. The tool allows you to choose which format attributes to copy (e.g., color only, font only, borders only), giving you fine-grained control. A preview shows the source format, and a confirmation dialog prevents accidental changes.

WHERE IT RUNS

This extension panel runs directly inside your browser as an overlay on any Google Sheets document. It works on the spreadsheet editing interface, detecting selected cells and their formatting attributes using DOM inspection. The tool requires no additional API keys or permissions beyond the BotGentz extension.

HOW TO USE

After installing the BotGentz extension and activating Google Sheets Bulk Cell Format Copier, open any Google Sheets document. Click the extension icon in your browser toolbar to open the panel. First, click a single cell in your spreadsheet to select it as the source, then click "Pick Source Cell" in the panel. The tool reads the formatting attributes of that cell and displays a preview. Next, select the target cells where you want to apply the formatting — you can select multiple cells by holding Ctrl/Cmd and clicking, or select a range. Click "Select Target Cells" to register them in the panel. Before applying, choose which format attributes to copy by checking or unchecking options like Background Color, Font Color, Bold, Italic, Borders, etc. Finally, click "Apply Format to Targets" to copy the formatting to all selected cells. A confirmation dialog appears to prevent accidental changes. You can also click "Clear Formatting" to remove formatting from selected cells.

TECHNICAL OPERATION — DOM-Based Cell Format Detection and Application

Unlike API-based solutions that require OAuth tokens and Sheets API access, this tool operates entirely through DOM inspection and manipulation. It uses the browser's Selection API to detect user-selected cells and their corresponding DOM elements (td, th, or cells with appropriate class names). For each selected cell, the tool uses window.getComputedStyle() to read all formatting attributes including background color, font color, font size, font family, font weight, font style, text decoration, text alignment, vertical alignment, and border properties. Bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough are inferred from computed style values (e.g., font weight >= 600 for bold, font style 'italic' for italic). Number format and additional attributes are read from data-* attributes on the cell element when available. When applying formatting, the tool sets inline styles on target cell elements, giving priority to the user-selected format attributes. Clear formatting removes all inline styles from selected cells, reverting them to sheet defaults. All operations are performed with configurable delays between cells to avoid overwhelming the browser's rendering engine.

THE PANEL

The extension panel is fully draggable and remembers its position per site session. It snaps to the nearest edge of the browser viewport when dragged within 50 pixels of any side. You can collapse the panel to a compact title bar using the minimize button, preserving your selection state. The panel resizes vertically by dragging the bottom edge. Press the Escape key to close the panel instantly without losing your cell selection.

PLEASE NOTE

This tool requires the free BotGentz browser extension to function. The script does not use Google's official Sheets API and cannot access spreadsheet data outside the currently visible page. Formatting changes are applied through inline styles on DOM elements, which may not be saved to the spreadsheet until Google Sheets synchronizes. For best results, select cells while the spreadsheet is in editing mode (not in "View only"). Google Sheets may update its DOM structure over time, which could affect cell selection and format detection; we monitor and release compatibility updates as needed. The tool does not store, transmit, or log any spreadsheet data or formatting information. All operations occur locally in your browser session.