How to Import and Consign Data from Excel to SharePoint Lists and Vice Versa

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Many users who utilize SharePoint Online like to use lists considering SharePoint lists expect just similar Excel tables. For amend integration, Microsoft allows you to export Excel tables to SharePoint lists and vice versa. Users usually ask: How do I import information from SharePoint to Excel? How do I extract information from SharePoint? How practise I create a SharePoint listing in Excel? This blog mail can help yous answer these questions and explains how to export tables from Excel to SharePoint lists and vice versa. Four methods of exporting data from Excel and ane method of exporting data from SharePoint lists are covered.

Method i – How to Export Data from Excel to SharePoint Lists Manually

The idea of the kickoff method is that yous should create an empty listing that contains the same columns as in the Excel table. The data format of columns must exist the same to preserve information consistency. Then you should manually copy data from each cavalcade of the Excel table and paste this data to the appropriate cavalcade of the SharePoint list.

Open an XLS, XLSX, CSV file, or a file of another format that contains a table in Microsoft Excel that is installed on your calculator. In my example, I've created a unproblematic table for demonstration. You lot can see this table opened in Excel in the screenshot below.

Import Excel into SharePoint list

Open a web browser and log into your Office 365 account (Microsoft 365 account). Open your team site in SharePoint Online, and create a new list. Let's call our test list List02 and enter a description, for example, Import Excel into SharePoint listing. Yous can also read this web log post about SharePoint Online to learn more about sites, lists, and libraries.

How to import data from Excel to SharePoint lists

One time you accept created a new SharePoint list, create the appropriate columns by clicking +Add column. The columns must take the same names and data format as the columns in the source Excel tabular array.

Creating columns in a new SharePoint list before importing data from Excel

In the window that opens, enter a name, description, and blazon, and ascertain other needed parameters for a column. Then hit Save.

Creating a column in a SharePoint list

The list at present contains all the needed columns but remains empty. To start copying data to a SharePoint list, you have to view the list as a table. To do this, click Edit in grid view. Y'all are ready to copy data from Excel to SharePoint listing.

Import Excel into SharePoint list - edit in grid view

Select data in a column of an Excel table, and press Ctrl+C to copy the selected data to clipboard. On the screenshot below you lot can see the data in the Name cavalcade selected.

Copying a column from an Excel table

You tin can move columns (left and correct) after creating them in a SharePoint list. Select the empty cell in the needed column (the Names column in our case), and press Ctrl+V to paste data y'all have copied to the clipboard. The Name column at present contains all the needed data in our example. Similarly copy paste information for the other columns.

Paste data copied from Excel to the appropriate column of a SharePoint list

In one case you have transferred data to all columns of your SharePoint list, y'all can exit grid view. We have finished copying information from an Excel table to a SharePoint list. On the screenshot below yous can run across how our listing looks after copying all the data.

How to export SharePoint list to Excel by using the copy-paste method

The advantage of this method is that it'due south easy to utilise when you don't accept that many tables or columns.

The disadvantage is that it's fourth dimension-consuming and inconvenient when you lot have too many columns and tables to re-create.

Method 2 – How to Consign Data Directly from Excel to a SharePoint List

The idea of this method is that y'all should export your table to a SharePoint list directly from Excel installed on your computer. Excel must be able to connect to your SharePoint site. You should provide your credentials, and your Office 365 account must have sufficient permissions to create a SharePoint list on a SharePoint site.

Open Microsoft Excel installed on your computer, and open the table you desire to consign to SharePoint Online. Let's create a examination table for our weblog post with some equipment items and create columns with vendors who manufactured these items, users who are owners of the appropriate item, and the price for each item.

Convert a spreadsheet to a table before you showtime exporting. Click Insert > Table.

Converting a spreadsheet into a table before starting export from Excel to a SharePoint list

In the Create Tabular array window, you tin leave default values and hit OK.

SharePoint import Excel

Now the view of the table is a little fleck dissimilar, as headers are marked with another colour.

Select whatsoever cavalcade proper name in your table, go to the Design tab (Tabular array Tools), and enter a table name, for instance, TestTable01. There should be no spaces in the proper noun.

Select the Design tab, click Export, and then click Export Table to SharePoint List…

How to export a table to a SharePoint list and copy-paste data

A pop-up window is displayed. There are two steps to complete.

Enter the address of your team site in SharePoint, which is the destination for the Excel tabular array that you lot want to consign. In my case, I'm using the following address: https://nakivo.sharepoint.com/sites/BlogTeamSite

Enter a proper noun for your tabular array, for example: Excel to SharePoint list. This name will exist used as the SharePoint list name afterward consign.

Enter a description, for example: Import Excel to SharePoint listing.

Hit Next to proceed.

Exporting a table from Excel to a SharePoint list

Define the correct data types for each column of the exported table, then hit Stop.

Selecting data types to export tables from Excel to SharePoint lists

At present Microsoft Excel connects to your SharePoint site you have selected equally destination to export the Excel table into a SharePoint listing. Excel needs to pass hallmark in Office 365 to export a table to a SharePoint listing. You should enter the username and countersign for your Role 365 business relationship.

Enter Office 365 credentials to import Excel into SharePoint list

If everything is correct, the export process will be completed successfully, and you should run across the message:

The tabular array was successfully published and may be viewed on: <accost>

The table was successfully published as a SharePoint list

Open the link provided in the window in a web browser.

Now you tin can see the exported Excel table equally a list in SharePoint Online.

SharePoint import Excel data

Y'all can open this list manually in SharePoint Online by opening your squad site and going to the Site Contents section in the navigation pane of the web interface.

Data import from Excel to SharePoint list is finished

The reward of this method is that it's user-friendly to consign data straight from Excel to a SharePoint list. All y'all need is Excel and access to SharePoint Online. No third-political party apps are required.

Method three – How to Consign Data from Excel to a SharePoint List with an App

The thought of the third method is that you lot should use a special SharePoint App to import spreadsheets from Excel to SharePoint lists. You lot need the Import Spreadsheet app and a web browser that supports ActiveX controls, for instance, Internet Explorer.

Open your team site in SharePoint Online, click the Settings icon, and, in the carte du jour that opens, striking Add an app.

How to import Excel to SharePoint list with a web app

In the window that opens, yous can see a listing of unlike SharePoint apps. Type "import" in the search field on this page. When the Import Spreadsheet app is plant, click it.

Using the SharePoint import Excel app

On the page that opens, y'all should enter a proper name and clarification of the new SharePoint list that is created later on import with the app.

Name: Excel to SharePoint list

Description: Import Excel to SharePoint list

Click Browse, and select the XLSX file (or some other Excel file format that is supported by the app) that you want to import to SharePoint as a list.

Hit Import.

Using an app to export an Excel table to a SharePoint list

ActiveX controls must exist enabled in your web browser. If ActiveX controls is not enabled, yous will see a alert message in your spider web browser. Refer to documentation for your web browser to learn how to enable ActiveX controls. ActiveX controls is a slice of software allowing you to interact with content you browse in the web. They can have access to your computer and may lead security issues. ActiveX controls are also known as plug-ins for Internet Explorer.

The advantage of this method is that it doesn't take much transmission intervention.

The disadvantages of the method are that you need to configure ActiveX controls that tin can be difficult or not supported in your web browser and that you need to utilise a special web app for SharePoint.

Method 4 – How to Consign Data from Excel when Creating a New SharePoint List

There is one more than method that allows you to import an Excel table to a SharePoint list when creating a new list in SharePoint Online. You don't need Excel or other applications to use this method. But open your web browser and log in to SharePoint Online with your Function 365 account (Microsoft 365) credentials.

Open you team site in SharePoint Online, click the Settings icon, and striking Site contents.

How to export data from an Excel table to a SharePoint list during creation of a list

On the Site contents page that opens, click New > List.

Creating a new list to import data from Excel

A new page opens suggesting that you lot create a listing. On the left side of the folio, select From Excel to create a list from Excel. Enter a name for your new list, for example, SharePoint import Excel. Click Upload file, and select an Excel file (XLS, XLSX, or other supported formats) y'all want to import as a SharePoint list to SharePoint Online. As an alternative, you tin select a file that has been already uploaded to a SharePoint site. Hit Side by side to continue.

Selecting a file from which you want to import data

A table in the file we have uploaded is recognized. Bank check the cavalcade types and make sure that the data format is right to preserve consistency. Hit Create when ready to finish.

Importing a table to a new SharePoint list

A SharePoint list has been created successfully and data has been exported from an Excel tabular array to a SharePoint listing.

A table has been imported to a SharePoint list

The advantages of this method is that y'all don't need to install Excel on your computer to consign a table to SharePoint as a listing and y'all don't need to use a SharePoint app.

How to Consign SharePoint List to Excel

You can export a SharePoint list to an Excel tabular array with a few clicks by using a spider web interface of SharePoint Online.

Open your team site in SharePoint Online, then open the SharePoint listing y'all want to export. Click Export to Excel.

SharePoint export list to Excel

A window notifies you that query.iqy must be opened in Excel. Select Excel every bit an application to open the downloaded query.iqy file, and hit OK. A Microsoft Excel security discover is displayed when you open up a file downloaded from the internet in Microsoft Excel. The purpose of this notification message is to reduce risks of ransomware attacks and infection with other viruses. Click Enable to open the SharePoint list you are exporting to an Excel tabular array.

Opening a query file in Excel and confirmation of a security warning

Now a table opens in Excel and the export of the SharePoint list is finished. Save the table as a file in the needed format, for example, XLS or XLSX.

How to export SharePoint list to Excel (finished)

Refreshing data in Excel

If changes are written to your SharePoint list stored on a team site in SharePoint Online, you tin refresh data in the table yous have imported to Excel and update your table without the demand to perform a new export/import operation. The information in Excel is non refreshed automatically right subsequently changes are saved in a SharePoint list; yous should perform one manual functioning to practice this. Y'all should know how to connect Excel to SharePoint lists in this example.

Permit's add together a new Switches line in the SharePoint listing.

A new line is added in the SharePoint list and should be synchronized with the Excel table

Every bit yous can see, the Excel table we have imported earlier is not updated automatically with the data nosotros added to our SharePoint list (the Switches line). Nosotros need to update it by going to the Information tab and clicking Connections in Excel.

Data is not synchronized automatically and you should connect Excel to SharePoint list

The Workbook Connections window opens. Click Refresh to refresh the information in your Excel tabular array, and so you lot can shut this window.

Connect Excel to SharePoint list

Data has been updated in Excel, and the Switches line is added in the bottom of our Excel table without the need to re-export all data.

Data has been synchronized

Be aware that data is refreshed but in one management. If you lot alter information in your Excel table and click Refresh, the SharePoint list is non updated.

If you don't need to update data in the current Excel table, go to Data > Connections, select a query, and click Remove.

Terminating connection between Excel and SharePoint

Conclusion

Microsoft provides good integration between SharePoint Online and Excel every bit they both are Microsoft products. In that location are at least four methods to consign data from Excel tables to SharePoint lists. Methods covered in this weblog mail have advantages and disadvantages you should exist enlightened of when selecting a method that is suitable for y'all. Select the right method depending on whether you want to do information technology manually, employ Excel, or employ another app. Data export from a SharePoint list to Excel is straightforward and affordable for all SharePoint Online users.

When y'all utilise SharePoint Online and Function 365 in general, don't forget to support your data. NAKIVO Backup & Replication supports Office 365 information backup for Exchange Online, OneDrive for Concern, and SharePoint Online. Download the latest version of the production, and back up all needed information in your environment.