Best Tools and Add-ons for AllChinaBuy Spreadsheet Users
The essential tools, browser extensions, and apps that complement your allchinabuy spreadsheet and multiply your productivity.
Get the Complete ToolkitA spreadsheet is powerful on its own, but the right ecosystem of supporting tools turns it into a command center. Currency converters, tracking aggregators, screenshot organizers, and notification services each solve one piece of the international buying puzzle. This article curates the best tools our community uses alongside their allchinabuy spreadsheets, organized by the problem each solves.
Currency and Conversion Tools
Xe.com and Wise provide real-time exchange rates with historical charts. For spreadsheet integration, use the GOOGLEFINANCE function in Google Sheets to pull live rates directly into your conversion columns. This eliminates manual lookups and guarantees your cost calculations use current rates.
For buyers handling CNY specifically, the SinoCurrency Chrome extension shows CNY-to-USD conversion directly on Chinese marketplace product pages. You see true costs without leaving the seller site, making purchase decisions faster and more accurate.
Package Tracking Aggregators
AfterShip and 17track aggregate tracking numbers from over seven hundred carriers into one dashboard. Instead of checking DHL, EMS, and FedEx separately, paste your tracking numbers into these services and get unified status updates.
The best integration is setting up email forwarding so tracking notifications automatically feed into AfterShip. Then copy confirmed statuses into your spreadsheet during your weekly maintenance session. This hybrid approach gives you real-time alerts without manually checking six carrier websites daily.
Screenshot and Reference Organizers
Google Keep and Notion serve as screenshot warehouses. When you find an item, clip the product page, price, and seller info. Link the note URL in your spreadsheet Notes column. Six months later, when the seller page is deleted, your reference documentation remains intact.
For visual items like clothing and shoes, create a dedicated Google Photos album per order. The album link goes in your spreadsheet. This visual backup is invaluable during disputes when sellers claim the item was different from what they listed.
| Tool | Purpose | Free? | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| GOOGLEFINANCE | Live exchange rates | Yes | Auto-updates in spreadsheet |
| AfterShip | Tracking aggregation | Yes (limited) | 700+ carriers supported |
| 17track | Tracking aggregation | Yes | Clean mobile app |
| Google Keep | Screenshot storage | Yes | Links directly to Sheets |
| Notion | Reference database | Yes (personal) | Structured note templates |
| SinoCurrency | CNY conversion | Yes | In-page conversion |
| ParcelPanel | Shopify tracking | No | Customer-facing tracking pages |
Communication and Reminder Tools
Use Google Calendar to set automated reminders for estimated delivery dates. When you log an order, add an event for fourteen days later with a link to the spreadsheet row. When the reminder fires, check the tracking status and update your sheet.
For seller communication, WhatsApp Web and WeChat Web let you message sellers from your desktop while updating your spreadsheet in the same browser window. Screenshot important agreements and paste them into your spreadsheet Notes column immediately. Verbal agreements fade. Written records in your spreadsheet persist.
Pro Tips
- 1Do not adopt five new tools at once. Add one per week and integrate it with your spreadsheet before moving to the next.
- 2Free tiers are usually sufficient for personal buyers. Pay only when your volume justifies premium features.
- 3Always keep a manual backup method. If a tracking aggregator goes down, your spreadsheet still has the raw tracking numbers.
