How to Make a Kahoot from a Spreadsheet: Map It to Kahoot's .xlsx Template
You have a set of questions sitting in an Excel or Google Sheets file and you want them live in a Kahoot. The good news: a spreadsheet is the closest thing Kahoot has to a bulk import. The catch: Kahoot does not read your sheet as-is. Its only bulk path is the official .xlsx spreadsheet template, with fixed columns. This guide shows how to map your sheet into that template — including the correct-answer convention and the one-image rule — so every row becomes a question.
.xlsx before it can be uploaded.
Kahoot's template uses fixed columns
Download the blank template (New kahoot → Add question → Spreadsheet → download the .xlsx) and keep its header row exact. The fields Kahoot reads are:
- Question — the question stem.
- Answer 1 – Answer 6 — the options. Leave unused ones blank; Kahoot treats a blank as "no option".
- Time limit — seconds per question, as a plain number (e.g.
20). - Correct answers — the position number(s) of the right option(s), not the letter and not the text.
- Media (optional) — one image URL per question. More on this below.
The two rules that silently drop rows
1. Correct answers = position numbers
In the Correct answers column, write 1 for Answer 1, 2 for Answer 2, and so on. For a question with more than one correct option, separate them with a comma — e.g. 1,3. Kahoot never matches the answer letter (A/B/C) or the answer text, so a row where you typed the word "B" or the answer sentence gets skipped or marked wrong.
2. One image, as a URL
Kahoot's template allows at most one image per question, and it must be a hosted URL pasted into the Media column — not an embedded image and not two images. If your spreadsheet cells contain pictures or multiple diagrams, only one URL will survive the import.
Step-by-step: spreadsheet → Kahoot
Download the official template
In Kahoot, start a new kahoot, choose Add question → Spreadsheet, and download the blank .xlsx. Keep its header row untouched.
Map your columns
Copy your stems into Question, your options across Answer 1–6, seconds into Time limit, and the right positions into Correct answers. If your sheet used different labels, rename them to match.
Handle images as URLs
For any question that needs a diagram, host the image and paste its URL into the Media column. One URL per row, max.
Upload and validate
Upload the .xlsx on the Spreadsheet screen. Kahoot previews the questions it parsed — check that no row was skipped for a column mismatch.
Play-test
Preview the game and confirm the answer keys, especially rows that came from a messy source sheet.
An easier path when the sheet is messy
If your spreadsheet doesn't already follow Kahoot's column shape — merged cells, questions in paragraphs, answers scattered across rows — reshaping it by hand is where most rows get lost. ExamParser reads an .xlsx source, applies Kahoot's fixed column fields, enforces the one-image-URL rule, and emits the official Kahoot .xlsx template ready to upload. The same source can also feed Canvas, Moodle, and other platforms.
More import guides at examparser.com/blog/en.
Frequently asked questions
Can Kahoot import an Excel or Google Sheet directly?
Only through its official .xlsx spreadsheet template. Kahoot does not read a generic Excel or Google Sheet as-is; you map your questions into the template's fixed columns, then upload that .xlsx on the Spreadsheet screen. A Google Sheet must first be downloaded as .xlsx.
What columns does Kahoot's spreadsheet template use?
The template uses fixed fields: Question (the stem), Answer 1 through Answer 6 (the options), Time limit (pure seconds), and Correct answers (the option position numbers). An optional Media column holds one image URL per question.
How do I mark the correct answer in the template?
In the Correct answers column, enter the option's position number — 1 for Answer 1, 2 for Answer 2, and so on. For multiple correct options, separate the numbers with a comma, e.g. 1,3. Kahoot never takes the answer letter or the answer text.
Can a question have more than one image?
No. Kahoot's template allows at most one image per question, and it must be a URL pasted into the Media column. Embedded images or multiple images are not imported.
Ready to turn that sheet into a game?
Map your spreadsheet into Kahoot's official .xlsx template — fixed columns, position-number answers, one image URL per question — and your question bank becomes a live review session.
Try ExamParser →