How to Make a Wishlist in Google Sheets

Create the basic wishlist

Open a blank Google Sheet and add:

• Item
• Store
• Link
• Price
• Status
• Notes

Keep one product per row so details never mix.

Use a recognizable plain-language item name such as black leather ankle boots, not a promotional product title. Add the retailer and direct product URL. Record the price you saw as a note—not a live quote. Google Sheets will not update it unless you do.

Use status labels that support decisions

Useful labels include:

• Considering
• Compare
• Ready to buy
• Waiting
• Rejected
• Bought

Use the same spelling every time so filters work. Waiting means you are postponing the decision; it does not mean Sheets is watching price or stock. Use a dedicated price or restock service if alerts are essential.

Move rejected items out of the active view rather than deleting them immediately. Add the reason—such as wrong dimensions or shipping too expensive—so you do not research the same unsuitable product again.

Write notes for your future decision

Store descriptions repeat what is already on the product page. Your notes should preserve what matters to you:

• Fits under the desk
• Available in the bedroom color
• Recommended for quiet operation
• Return policy needs checking
• Similar to the cheaper model from another store

Turn hard requirements into direct checks. Must fit a shelf this deep is more useful than check size later.

Keep comparable products together

Use consistent item wording or add a Category column. All blenders should use Blender; all desk chairs should use Desk chair.

Filter to one category before comparing. Add a new column only when you will use it across several rows. Price may decide one purchase; dimensions, material, or returns may matter more for another.

The same approach works when you compare products from different websites: keep candidates together and record only the differences that could change the choice.

Add products without turning it into a chore

At minimum, capture item, store, and link. Add price and notes when they affect the decision. Comparison details can wait until the item becomes a serious candidate.

Do not make every row visually perfect. Set a regular time to review Considering and Compare items, remove dead links, update prices when close to buying, and mark products Bought or Rejected.

Without review, a wishlist becomes a list of old intentions.

Know where Google Sheets starts to break

Sheets searches the words you entered. If a row says Model ABC but you remember only the quiet blender from the kitchen store, retrieval may fail. Clear names and personal notes reduce this problem.

Prices and availability also require manual updates. Products can change, sell out, or move to another page; always check the retailer before deciding.

Saving across sites still requires copying details into the sheet. If friction makes you stop, the structure is too elaborate. Remove columns until the habit is manageable again.

Choose another tool when retrieval matters more

• A wishlist app may fit gifts or registries.
• Store carts can be enough when every candidate comes from one retailer.
• A dedicated tracker is better when price or restock alerts are essential.
• A searchable saving tool may fit when you remember products by description but forget where you saved them.

dEssence is one option for saving products and asking for them later in your own words. It is not a price tracker and does not send sale or restock alerts.

Use the sheet to make decisions

Filter to one category, review serious candidates, and record why each stays or goes.

• Mark a purchase Bought.
• Mark a rejected option Rejected and keep the reason.
• Archive rows that no longer matter.

That history prevents repeated research and shows which requirements mattered. The wishlist becomes useful when it supports a choice—not merely when it holds many links.