Importing Excel into existing sheet

Braden Bradford

I am looking for a way to automate an import process.

 

1.  Can you import into an existing sheet?

 

2.  What I am trying to accomplish is, I keep an update of projects in Smartsheet but I have to manually update notes which come from a daily report I receive.  Is there a way to take the daily report and merge the data from smartsheet and excel?

 

Thanks

Gwyneth C

Hi Braden, 

 

I can answer the first question...the answer is that importing always creates a new sheet.

 

More detail about importing from Excel is here:

http://help.smartsheet.com/articles/504553-importing-files-to-create-new-sheets

 

Reaching out to the community for ideas about automation (as you've done), is a great idea. Interested to hear how/whether others are solving for similar scenarios.

 

 

 

 

Tony Davidson - SmartSheet Certified User 2016

I am not aware of a way to do that merge and would be interested to see if that's a capability.

Laura

Were you able to successfully merge the data from smartsheet and excel?

 

Also, when you import an excel sheet into SS and then update the original excel sheet, SS will NOT update correct? Is it possible for SS to update live through an excel sheet?

J. Craig Williams

If you are on an Enterprise account, data in Smartsheet can be viewed via the ODBC connection in Excel.

 

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/1910037-using-the-smartsheet-live-data-connector-enterprise-only-

 

Depending on what the data is and how it is produced will determine the options for merging it. I'd need to know more to give a more valid answer.

 

Is one tool being to enter the data and another to manipulate/analyze it?

Or is the data updates done in both?

Or is the manipulation/analysis done in both?

Lots of variables to play with.

 

Craig

 

Marcin P

Hi,

I have a SS with imported data from excel. I have added few columns before original data and few after.

I have two questions:

1. Is it possible to import data from excel into existing sheet without loosing these added columns? 

As far as I found, it's not possible, so I found a little workaround:

2. I have cleared all basic columns (except added ones) and just copied data from excel ctrl+C and ctrl+V, but this allows us to copy no more than 500 rows at the time and all activities taken before in added columns stays as they were before. So I have to mark up all coulumns and just delete what's there.

It's quite painful, so it could be totally wonderful if we could just import data column by column into existing sheet.

I hope you guys at Smartsheet are working on it

 

best regards

Marcin

J. Craig Williams

(1) No. Imports go to new sheet.

I only see one question. 

Here's what I do:

Case 1: Only new data (columns do not match)

1. Import Excel (to new Sheet)
2. Rearrange columns if necessary. For my most common Case 1, the Excel data (generated by another program), I need to rearrange two columns to get the order of 5 columns of interest to match the Sheet in Smartsheet.
3. Select all content in the imported sheet (Copy)
4. Paste all content to the bottom of the destination sheet. 
5. Move new rows to proper hierarchy if applicable. 
6. Delete imported sheet

Note: If columns match one-to-one, Copy Rows or Move Rows also works.

Case 2: Excel data is the "master", row count same

Process is the same as Case 1, except the matching data range in the destination is deleted first. 

Case 3: Excel is the "master", row count changes

We use AppSheet to provide the link between Excel and Smartsheet. Sync occurs at the touch of button. New rows are added to Smartsheet when needed by AppSheet. Existing rows that no longer match are maintained in Smartsheet until user decides to delete them (another AppSheet process)

I hope this helps.

Craig

Andrée Starå

Hi,

Smartsheet just released a new add-on called Data Uploader that could be an option.

Please see the attached link/screenshot for more information.

https://www.smartsheet.com/datauploader

I hope this helps you!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant @ Get Done Consulting

jgneely72151

Yes, it would be great if you can append an import to an existing sheet.  Please add this to your product enhancements list.

Thanks!

Jennifer Neely

Teri Ann Oursler

Craig,

I tried the steps you mention above and I cannot get my 1518 rows of data to copy from one SmartSheet to another.  The copy does nothing. I  have let it sit for 2 full minutes and never get it copied.  If I select just 499 rows it work, but slowly.

Help, I need to update the data in my Smartsheet that is linked to my reports and dashboard at least every 2 weeks.

Thanks, Teri

Gwyneth C

Hi Jennifer, 

As Andre notes, this is currently available with Data Uploader. Specifics on requirements and how it works are outlined here:

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/2478361-data-uploader

If you have a moment, please do add you own use case scenario to the product enhancements list by using the Submit Product Enhancement Request link here (or under Quick links).

Thanks!

 

 

pbeeram

I hit the same issue where I could not upload(merge) to existing sheet. I found below as one of the alternate options as normal copy paste caps at 500 rows.

1. Import excel as new sheet
2. Create workflow on this newly imported sheet With Action of Copy rows to existing(other) sheet
3. Run the workflow

I didn't explore the Data Shuttle as its add-on. At least above process means I dont need to manually select 500 rows at a time and paste.

Thanks.