Tips for Importing Spreadsheets

Importing workbooks retains the data, styling, formatting, formulas, and more from your existing spreadsheets.

It's fast and easy to import existing spreadsheets from Excel, Google Sheets, or CSV, and bring them to life as collaborative applications using the unique features of Spreadsheet.com, such as views, data types, and related rows. Importing workbooks retains the data, styling, formatting, formulas, and more from your existing spreadsheets.

Preparing your Spreadsheets for Import

Spreadsheet.com can import spreadsheets as-is with no changes necessary. But some preparations may allow you to tap into Spreadsheet.com's advanced data types. In addition to traditional spreadsheet formatting, Spreadsheet.com supports many rich data types that go beyond the basic currency, date, and percentage formatting. If configured properly, columns, cells, ranges of cells can easily be converted to data types like user, select, icon cells, or related rows.

You can also make adjustments after you have imported your spreadsheet. Either way, you will want to ensure the data matches the desired data type before converting data to specific data types.

Preparing table header rows

After importing your spreadsheet, you can quickly set a worksheet's table header row to tell Spreadsheet.com where the table region of your worksheet starts. Before importing your spreadsheets, you may find it helpful to identify which rows of each worksheet contain header information.

Preparing data for conversion into User cells

The User data type allows you to link cells to existing Spreadsheet.com users. Adding users to worksheets allows you to @mention them, stores all of their contact information in one place across workbooks, and ensures they are notified if data they're assigned to changes.

Spreadsheet.com can use a name or email address to match to users. Before import, make sure your names or email addresses in these cells match those in Spreadsheet.com to maximize your success rate.

Preparing data for conversion into Select and Multiselect cells

Select and Multiselect data types allow you to specify a range of options for a cell, range of cells, or column, like assigning tasks with priority levels in a project progress tracking workbook.

When importing, make sure your option values match (are spelled and formatted the same) so they get converted into the right option or set of options. For Multiselect cells, you can use commas as option value separators.

Preparing data for conversion into Checkbox cells

The Checkbox data type allows you to toggle a true or false value. Sometimes called binary or boolean, the checkbox is a simple yes/no box that is useful for visually showing yes or no and for forms where users can quickly check boxes.

When preparing for import, the case (capitalization) does not matter but make sure your checkbox values are either "true" or "false" to best ensure a successful conversion.

Preparing data for conversion into Icon set cells

The Icon set data type is for selecting from a predefined set of symbols. Fill your cells and columns with icons like Red/Yellow/Green status indicators, Harvey Balls to indicate completion, Slate Arrows, Pain Scale faces, and more.

When preparing a spreadsheet for import and conversion, make sure your icon set values match the corresponding text names of the icon set values you want to match. For instance, Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Gray, Empty, Quarter, Half, Three Quarter, Full, Down, Sideways, Up, etc. For a full list of icon set value names, see the Icon set data type article.

Preparing data for conversion into Related row cells

The Related row data type allows you to link to rows in other worksheets and the Related row lookup data type allows you to lookup data in linked worksheets. Related row data types work like tables in a relational database, where editing in one changes the data in another. You can create relationships with rows in any workbook you have access to, even workbooks in different folders.

When preparing for import, make sure your cell values match the value of the cells in the column of the target worksheet you plan to use as the primary column.