A free gift tracker spreadsheet template for gifts you've received
Download the free gift tracker spreadsheet template to record gifts you've received and the thank-yous you still need to send. The file is a blank CSV with six columns. You don't need a WrapSheet account or an app purchase to download it. If you'd rather write by hand, use the printable gift log.
This template is for the gifts arriving at your shower, wedding, birthday, or housewarming. If you're planning Christmas purchases, you probably want recipient, budget, bought, and wrapped columns instead. Keeping those shopping plans in a separate sheet avoids confusing a present you intend to buy with one somebody gave you.
What the six columns are for
The download uses these exact headings. You can rename them later, but try recording one gift before adding more fields.
- Event: the celebration the gift belongs to. A shower and wedding can have separate entries even when the giver is the same.
- Giver: the name or names on the card. Include everyone who signed rather than only the person who handed you the bag.
- Gift: a description specific enough to recognize later, such as striped tea towels rather than kitchen things.
- Received date: when the gift reached you, not when someone marked it purchased on a registry.
- Thank-you status: whether the note needs writing, is drafted, or has actually been sent.
- Note details: something useful for the message, such as the handwritten recipe tucked inside a dish.
A fictional sample entry would read: Event: housewarming; Giver: Devon Lee; Gift: blue serving bowl; Received date: October 10; Thank-you status: to write; Note details: included a recipe for lentil salad.
Use the CSV in Google Sheets
- Save the CSV download somewhere you can find it on your device.
- Open Google Sheets and use its file import option to upload that saved CSV. You'll need access to Google Sheets; the download itself doesn't require signing in to WrapSheet.
- Import it into a new spreadsheet or a separate sheet rather than replacing a record you already use.
- Check that the headings occupy six columns. If the whole line appears in one cell, check the import separator and choose a comma.
- Give your working spreadsheet a recognizable name and enter one gift to check the layout.
Menu placement can differ between devices. The important check is the result: Event and Giver should occupy separate columns, and your new entry should sit beneath the headings. Keep one working version so a second uploaded copy doesn't become a competing list.
Open it in Excel and save a working workbook
Open the downloaded CSV in Excel, or use Excel's text/CSV import option if it doesn't separate the columns correctly. Choose a comma as the delimiter when needed. Review the preview before importing and check the dates afterward, especially if you use a different regional date format.
Save your working copy as an Excel workbook if you add formatting, extra sheets, or other workbook features. CSV stores plain rows and values; it isn't the right format for preserving all those additions. Keep the original download if you'd like a clean blank copy for another event.
Make a few small changes, then start using it
You can widen the Gift and Note details columns, keep the headings visible as you scroll, and filter Thank-you status to show unfinished notes. Those are optional spreadsheet adjustments, not features built into the blank CSV. Add a sent-date column if you want a clearer record of when each note went out.
Keep names and gift details together when sorting. Sorting only the Giver column can pair people with the wrong presents. Before a big rearrangement, save a backup of your working file.
I'd leave spending rankings out entirely. The blog's gift-list advice explains why recording gifts for thanks is different from keeping score. Mailing addresses and personal card messages also deserve a private file, not a public link shared with the whole guest list.
Turn the rows into sent thank-yous
Work through confirmed gifts first. Change a row to drafted when the wording is ready, and to sent only after the message leaves your hands. For more detail, follow the thank-you note tracker workflow. Wedding writers can use the wedding thank-you wording guide alongside the sheet.
If you prefer keeping gift photos and editable drafts together, WrapSheet is another option for received gifts. Review its suggested gift and giver details yourself, edit the draft, and send your own message. The app versus spreadsheet comparison can help you decide whether changing tools would actually help.