Share Excel data on your SharePoint site

1. Share Excel data on your SharePoint site Why export Excel data to a SharePoint site instead of sharing data by using e-mail, or by putting data on a network folder somewhere? Your SharePoint site is a shared location on the Web, where those who have the permissions to do so can access data by using a Web browser. Take the SharePoint list in this picture. Each employee can add his or her data whenever it’s convenient, with no waiting while someone else works on the list. Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site

2. Create a table To export the list of names to your SharePoint site, you start in Excel, where you’ll get the data ready to export. To do that, convert the data to an Excel table. This changes how the data looks by adding table formatting. But more importantly for now, it allows you to export data to your SharePoint site. Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site

3. Create a table To create a table, first place the cursor in the data. On the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click Table. After you click OK, Excel adds alternate shading on the rows of data. Excel also adds and AutoFilter arrows on the columns. You don’t need to do anything with them; AutoFilter arrows are just part of what makes up a table. Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site

4. Get the Web address for your SharePoint site Before you can export the table to your SharePoint site, you need the Web address, or URL, of your SharePoint site. You’ll want to become familiar with the URL, which is at the top, in the address bar. You only need to become familiar with everything before “/default.aspx,” or in this example, “http://contoso.” Important: To export your table, you need permission to create a list on your SharePoint site. Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site

5. Export the table: Part I Now you’re ready to get the table to your SharePoint site. On the Table Tools Design tab that appears when you create a table, in the External Table Data group… …click Export… …and then click Export Table to SharePoint List. Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site

6. Export the table: Part II The Export Table to SharePoint List Wizard starts. Type or paste the URL address of your SharePoint site. Type a name for the list, for example, Training presentations. Type a brief description of what the list is for. Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site

7. Export the table: Part II The Export Table to SharePoint List Wizard starts. Decide whether you want to be able to update the table in Excel with changes made to the SharePoint list later on. If you do, select the Create a read-only connection to the new SharePoint list check box. Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site

8. Export the table: Part II The Export Table to SharePoint List Wizard starts. Click Next in the dialog box to verify that the types of data in each column are properly recognized. Then click Finish. Excel automatically exports the table as a list to your SharePoint site. Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site

9. See your new list on the SharePoint site A link to your list appears in the Windows SharePoint Services dialog box. You can either click OK to close the dialog box, or click the link in the dialog box to take a look at your list. It opens on the SharePoint site in Datasheet view —which looks similar to a spreadsheet — ready for everyone to add their information to the list. And without the need to open Excel! Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site

10. Tell people where the list is The next step is to let people know where the list is on your SharePoint site. There are two ways to do this. Send a link to the list. You’ll see the URL address for the list at the top of your Web browser in the address bar. Add the list to the SharePoint Quick Launch bar on the left side of most SharePoint sites. Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site

11. Revise the SharePoint list With the list in Datasheet view, anyone with permission to do so can just type in the appropriate areas to add their data. For example, Wendy can type her presentation date and name. Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site

12. Update the Excel table data Imagine that by now others have added their information to the SharePoint list. You can, of course, look at the revised data in the SharePoint list. But if you want, you can refresh the table in Excel to also see the revisions in Excel, provided that you selected the read-only connection check box when you exported the list. Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site

13. Update the Excel table data Imagine that by now others have added their information to the SharePoint list. To refresh the data, on the Table Tools Design tab, in the External Table Data group, click Refresh. The data in Excel is updated. Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site

14. Update the Excel table data If after refreshing and getting updates from a SharePoint list to Excel, can you make changes in Excel and send them up to the SharePoint list? Sorry, it’s not possible. The data can only be edited on the SharePoint site and refreshed in Excel, not the other way around. Or, you can make changes in Excel and then export the table as a new SharePoint list, using a different name for the new list. Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site

15. Your version is important This course covers how to export Excel data to a SharePoint list on Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or Office SharePoint Server 2007. You may experience things differently if you’re using an earlier version. How do you know which version you have? Ask the person in charge of your site. If you are the person in charge, then ask the person who set up your server, likely in your IT department. Share Excel data by exporting it to a SharePoint site