How to Resize Images in Google Sheets

Images in Google Sheets do not all resize the same way. An image inserted inside a cell changes size with the row and column. An image inserted over cells floats above the sheet and is resized by dragging its corners.

That is why one resize method may work for one image but not another. The way you inserted the image controls how you can resize it.

In this guide, you will learn how to resize images in Google Sheets and choose the right method based on how the image was inserted.

Table of Contents

Prerequisites

A Google account with access to Google Sheets
A spreadsheet with at least one image already inserted, if you haven't done this yet, see How to Insert Images in Google Sheets from Google Drive.

Resizing Images Inserted with the IMAGE Formula

The IMAGE formula lets you control image size directly in the formula using height and width parameters.

When to use: Use this when your image comes from a direct image URL and you want to set the image width and height in pixels without changing the row or column size.

Understanding All Four IMAGE Modes

The mode argument controls how the image fills the cell. Use mode 4 when you need every image in a column to display at the same size.

Mode	Behaviour	Respects Aspect Ratio	Exact Pixel Control
1 (default)	Fits image inside cell, maintains aspect ratio	✅ Yes	❌ No
2	Stretches image to fill the cell	❌ No	❌ No
3	Displays image at its original size	✅ Yes	❌ No
4	Uses custom height and width values	✅ Yes (if you set it correctly)	✅ Yes

Mode 4 is the only mode that lets you set exact pixel dimensions. Always pair it with both a height and width value in the formula.

Steps:

Click the cell where you want to insert the image.
Type the formula using this syntax:
```
=IMAGE(url, mode, height, width)
```
A real working example:
```
=IMAGE("https://www.example.com/photo.jpg", 4, 150, 300)
```
This displays the image at exactly 150px tall and 300px wide.
Press Enter to confirm.

Note: The height and width parameters only work when mode is set to 4. For all other modes, those parameters are ignored.

Result: The image appears in the cell, sized according to the mode you selected. If you see a broken image icon, check that the URL points directly to an image file and that it is publicly accessible.

Limitations:

You can't drag the image or resize it with handles. All sizing is controlled through the formula.
The IMAGE formula works best with direct image URLs. Regular Google Drive share links do not work well with this formula. For Drive images, use Insert > Image > Insert image in cell or Drive Explorer Pro.

Resizing Floating Images (Inserted via Insert > Image)

You can resize a floating image by dragging its handles. The image sits on top of the grid and moves independently from the cells below it.

When to use: Use this when you inserted the image via Insert > Image > Insert image over cells and it sits on top of the grid rather than inside a cell.

Steps:

Click the image to select it. Blue handles appear around the edges and corners.
Click and drag any corner handle to resize the image.

Important: Dragging a corner handle keeps the aspect ratio locked. Dragging a side handle stretches only one dimension and will distort the image.

Result: The floating image changes to the size you dragged it to.

Limitations:

Floating images can only be resized by dragging. There is no option to enter exact dimensions.
Floating images are not anchored to a cell. If you add rows or columns above or to the left, the image may shift out of place.

Resizing In-Cell Images (Inserted via Insert > Image in Cell)

In-cell images resize when you change the row height or column width of the cell they occupy.

When to use: Use this when you inserted the image via Insert > Image > Insert image in cell, see How to Insert Image Inside a Cell in Google Sheets and the image is locked inside a specific cell.

Steps:

Hover over the row number on the left until the cursor becomes a double-headed arrow.
Click and drag the row border up or down to change the row height.
To set an exact row height, right-click the row number and select Resize row. Enter a pixel value and click OK.
Repeat for the column width if you need the image to scale horizontally. Right-click the column letter and select Resize column.

For a square image preview, use similar values for the row height and column width.

Result: The image scales to fill the resized cell. If it looks stretched, resize the column width to match the same proportional change you made to the row.

Limitations:

There are no drag handles on in-cell images. You cannot resize the image directly.
The image always fills the cell. You can't set an independent size for the image separate from the cell dimensions.
Changing the row height affects every cell in that row, not just the one with the image. Use a separate row if the image needs more space.

The methods above work when you resize images one by one, but they become slow when you need to resize multiple images to the same size.

Resizing Multiple Images at Once Using Drive Explorer Pro

Drive Explorer Pro lets you insert multiple Google Drive images into Google Sheets at a consistent size, without resizing each one manually after insertion.

When to use: Use this method when you are building a product catalog, image tracker, asset list, inventory sheet, or any spreadsheet where multiple images need the same dimensions.

Why use Drive Explorer Pro

Insert multiple images in one workflow.
Set the image width and height before inserting.
Keep every image at the same size in Google Sheets.
Avoid formulas and manual resizing.

Install Drive Explorer Pro from the Google Workspace Marketplace:

Launching Drive Explorer Pro

Open Drive Explorer Pro from inside Google Sheets.

Open Google Sheets.
Go to Extensions > Drive Explorer Pro > Open Drive Explorer Pro.

The Drive Explorer Pro sidebar opens on the right side of your sheet.

Drive Explorer Pro add-on open as a sidebar panel inside Google Sheets

Complete the one-time setup below before inserting any images. Drive Explorer Pro saves your settings for future use.

Setting the Image Size

Set the image size before inserting. Drive Explorer Pro applies these dimensions to every image you insert, so setting this first saves you from resizing anything manually.

Tip: A size between 100 and 150 pixels works well for most spreadsheet previews. Use a smaller size for large image lists and a larger size when users need to identify images without opening Google Drive.

Open the Settings tab in the sidebar.
Turn on Resize image preview cells.
Enter your target width in Cell Width (px) and height in Cell Height (px).
Click Save Selected Settings as Default.

Choosing Where the Images Should Appear

Choose where Drive Explorer Pro inserts the image previews in your sheet.

Switch to the List Files tab in the sidebar.
Under Start listing files from, choose one of the following:

Option	What it does	When to use
Current Cell	Starts adding image rows from the selected cell.	Use this when you are starting a new image table.
Append Below Existing Data	Adds new image rows below the existing rows in the sheet.	Use this when you are adding more images to an existing list.

Under Select File Attributes to list, check Image Preview. You can also check File Name Linked to URL, File URL, or File Size (MB) to log image attributes alongside each preview in the same row.
Click Save Selected Settings as Default to keep these preferences for future sessions.

Inserting the Images at the Same Size

Select and insert your images directly from Google Drive. Drive Explorer Pro opens a Google Drive file picker, lets you choose the images you need, and inserts each one into your sheet at the size you set.

Switch to the List Files tab in the sidebar.
Click Select existing files from Drive and List in Sheets.
Navigate to the folder containing your images and select the images you want to insert.
Click Select.

Result: Drive Explorer Pro inserts each image into your sheet at the size you set. You don't need to resize them one by one.

Uploading Images from Your Computer

Drive Explorer Pro also lets you upload images from your computer directly into Google Sheets. The add-on uploads each file to Google Drive and inserts the image preview into your sheet in one step, at the size you already set.

Before you start, click Change in the Default Google Drive Folder selector, and choose the folder where Drive Explorer Pro should save your uploaded files.

Switch to the Upload Files tab in the sidebar.
Drag and drop your images into the upload area, or click to select them from your computer.

Check Show preview of selected files to review the images before uploading.

You can reorder the files in the preview so they appear in the right order in your sheet.

Show preview option checked in Drive Explorer Pro

Click Upload files to Drive and list in Sheets.

Result: Drive Explorer Pro uploads each image to your selected Google Drive folder and inserts the preview into your sheet at the size you set in Settings. You don't need to add the files to Google Drive manually before inserting.

Choosing the Right Image Resize Method

Use this table to choose the resize method based on how your image is inserted and how much control you need.

Method	Best for	Resize control
IMAGE formula	Single images loaded from a public image URL	Supports exact pixel dimensions with mode 4
Floating image	One image placed over cells	Resize by dragging the image corners
In-cell image	Images that should stay inside a cell and move with the row	Resize by changing the row height and column width
Drive Explorer Pro	Bulk inserting multiple Google Drive images at a consistent size	Sets image size before inserting images into the sheet

Conclusion

Images in Google Sheets resize differently based on how they were inserted. Use the method that matches your image type: formula-based images, floating images, in-cell images, or multiple Google Drive images.

For bulk resizing, Drive Explorer Pro is the best option because it lets you insert multiple Drive images at a consistent size without resizing each image manually.