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

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Many users who use SharePoint Online like to use lists because SharePoint lists look simply like Excel tables. For better integration, Microsoft allows you to export Excel tables to SharePoint lists and vice versa. Users usually ask: How practice I import data from SharePoint to Excel? How do I excerpt data from SharePoint? How do I create a SharePoint list in Excel? This weblog post can help you respond these questions and explains how to consign tables from Excel to SharePoint lists and vice versa. Four methods of exporting data from Excel and one method of exporting data from SharePoint lists are covered.

Method 1 – How to Export Information from Excel to SharePoint Lists Manually

The idea of the first method is that you lot should create an empty listing that contains the aforementioned columns every bit in the Excel table. The data format of columns must be the same to preserve data consistency. Then you should manually re-create data from each column of the Excel table and paste this data to the appropriate column of the SharePoint list.

Open an XLS, XLSX, CSV file, or a file of some other format that contains a table in Microsoft Excel that is installed on your computer. In my example, I've created a simple table for demonstration. You tin see this tabular array opened in Excel in the screenshot below.

Import Excel into SharePoint list

Open a web browser and log into your Office 365 business relationship (Microsoft 365 account). Open up your team site in SharePoint Online, and create a new list. Allow's call our exam list List02 and enter a description, for example, Import Excel into SharePoint listing. You can too read this blog post about SharePoint Online to learn more about sites, lists, and libraries.

How to import data from Excel to SharePoint lists

One time you have created a new SharePoint list, create the appropriate columns by clicking +Add cavalcade. The columns must have 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 type, and define other needed parameters for a column. Then hit Save.

Creating a column in a SharePoint list

The list now contains all the needed columns only remains empty. To get-go copying data to a SharePoint list, y'all have to view the listing as a table. To do this, click Edit in grid view. You are ready to copy information from Excel to SharePoint list.

Import Excel into SharePoint list - edit in grid view

Select data in a column of an Excel tabular array, and press Ctrl+C to copy the selected data to clipboard. On the screenshot below y'all can see the data in the Proper noun column selected.

Copying a column from an Excel table

You lot tin move columns (left and correct) afterwards creating them in a SharePoint list. Select the empty jail cell in the needed column (the Names column in our case), and press Ctrl+V to paste data yous have copied to the clipboard. The Name column now 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

Once you have transferred data to all columns of your SharePoint list, y'all tin exit grid view. Nosotros accept finished copying data from an Excel tabular array to a SharePoint list. On the screenshot below you can see how our list 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 information technology'south easy to use when you don't accept that many tables or columns.

The disadvantage is that it's time-consuming and inconvenient when yous accept too many columns and tables to copy.

Method ii – How to Export Information Directly from Excel to a SharePoint Listing

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

Open Microsoft Excel installed on your computer, and open up the table you want to export to SharePoint Online. Allow'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 tabular array before yous start exporting. Click Insert > Table.

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

In the Create Table window, y'all tin get out default values and hit OK.

SharePoint import Excel

Now the view of the tabular array is a little fleck dissimilar, as headers are marked with another color.

Select whatsoever column proper noun in your table, go to the Pattern tab (Table Tools), and enter a tabular array name, for example, TestTable01. In that location should be no spaces in the name.

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

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

A pop-up window is displayed. At that place are two steps to complete.

Enter the address of your squad site in SharePoint, which is the destination for the Excel table that yous desire to export. In my case, I'm using the following accost: https://nakivo.sharepoint.com/sites/BlogTeamSite

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

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

Striking Adjacent to continue.

Exporting a table from Excel to a SharePoint list

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

Selecting data types to export tables from Excel to SharePoint lists

Now Microsoft Excel connects to your SharePoint site you lot have selected as destination to export the Excel table into a SharePoint list. Excel needs to pass hallmark in Office 365 to export a tabular array to a SharePoint listing. Y'all should enter the username and countersign for your Office 365 account.

Enter Office 365 credentials to import Excel into SharePoint list

If everything is correct, the export process will exist completed successfully, and yous should see the message:

The table was successfully published and may be viewed on: <address>

The table was successfully published as a SharePoint list

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

Now yous can run into the exported Excel table as a list in SharePoint Online.

SharePoint import Excel data

Y'all can open this listing manually in SharePoint Online by opening your team 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 advantage of this method is that information technology'due south convenient to export data directly from Excel to a SharePoint list. All you need is Excel and access to SharePoint Online. No third-party apps are required.

Method 3 – How to Export Data from Excel to a SharePoint List with an App

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

Open your squad site in SharePoint Online, click the Settings icon, and, in the menu that opens, hit Add together an app.

How to import Excel to SharePoint list with a web app

In the window that opens, you can encounter a list of unlike SharePoint apps. Type "import" in the search field on this page. When the Import Spreadsheet app is found, click it.

Using the SharePoint import Excel app

On the page that opens, you should enter a name and description of the new SharePoint list that is created after import with the app.

Name: Excel to SharePoint list

Clarification: Import Excel to SharePoint list

Click Browse, and select the XLSX file (or another Excel file format that is supported past the app) that yous desire 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, you will see a warning message in your spider web browser. Refer to documentation for your web browser to acquire how to enable ActiveX controls. ActiveX controls is a piece of software allowing you to interact with content you browse in the spider web. They can have admission to your reckoner and may lead security bug. ActiveX controls are also known every bit plug-ins for Internet Explorer.

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

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

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

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

Open yous 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 > Listing.

Creating a new list to import data from Excel

A new folio opens suggesting that you create a listing. On the left side of the folio, select From Excel to create a list from Excel. Enter a proper noun for your new list, for example, SharePoint import Excel. Click Upload file, and select an Excel file (XLS, XLSX, or other supported formats) you want to import equally a SharePoint list to SharePoint Online. Every bit an alternative, you tin can select a file that has been already uploaded to a SharePoint site. Hit Next to proceed.

Selecting a file from which you want to import data

A tabular array in the file nosotros have uploaded is recognized. Cheque the column types and brand sure that the data format is correct to preserve consistency. Hit Create when ready to cease.

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 list.

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 calculator to export a tabular array to SharePoint as a list and you don't need to use a SharePoint app.

How to Export SharePoint List to Excel

Y'all can export a SharePoint list to an Excel tabular array with a few clicks past using a web interface of SharePoint Online.

Open up your team site in SharePoint Online, and so open up the SharePoint list you want to export. Click Consign to Excel.

SharePoint export list to Excel

A window notifies you that query.iqy must be opened in Excel. Select Excel as an awarding to open the downloaded query.iqy file, and hit OK. A Microsoft Excel security find is displayed when you open 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 table.

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

At present a tabular array opens in Excel and the consign of the SharePoint list is finished. Relieve the tabular array 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 listing stored on a team site in SharePoint Online, you can refresh information in the table you 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 later on changes are saved in a SharePoint listing; you should perform one manual operation to do this. Y'all should know how to connect Excel to SharePoint lists in this case.

Let's add 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

As yous tin come across, the Excel tabular array we have imported earlier is not updated automatically with the data we added to our SharePoint list (the Switches line). We need to update information technology 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 table, then you can shut this window.

Connect Excel to SharePoint list

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

Data has been synchronized

Be enlightened that data is refreshed only in ane management. If you alter data in your Excel table and click Refresh, the SharePoint list is not updated.

If yous don't need to update data in the current Excel table, become 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 as they both are Microsoft products. There are at to the lowest degree 4 methods to consign data from Excel tables to SharePoint lists. Methods covered in this blog post have advantages and disadvantages you should be aware of when selecting a method that is suitable for you. Select the right method depending on whether you want to do it manually, use Excel, or use another app. Data export from a SharePoint list to Excel is straightforward and affordable for all SharePoint Online users.

When you utilise SharePoint Online and Office 365 in general, don't forget to back up your data. NAKIVO Backup & Replication supports Office 365 information backup for Substitution Online, OneDrive for Business organization, and SharePoint Online. Download the latest version of the production, and back up all needed data in your surround.