Import SharePoint list from Excel

In this SharePoint Online Tutorial, we will discuss how to import SharePoint list from Excel, How to format the Excel list as a Table, and What are the steps to Import a SharePoint list from Excel.

Also, we discuss what the Purposes of Importing a SharePoint list from Excel are and what are the supported Datatypes while Importing a SharePoint list from Excel.

Import SharePoint list from Excel

In SharePoint Online, while creating a list there is a method where we can directly import the SharePoint list from Excel.

We are Importing this list for RENA Technologies, a company based out in the United States of America.

Based on the business scenario, the client wanted to store the Semiconductor Employee Details list in SharePoint Online but it is in Excel format, so we can import it to the SharePoint Online list. But there are two methods, to Import SharePoint list from Excel, they are:

• Format the Excel list as Table
• Steps to Import SharePoint List from Excel in SharePoint Online

Format the Excel list as Table

Let’s see when we want to import an Excel list of Semiconductor Employee Details but it is not formatted the Excel list as a table.

When we are Importing an Excel list to a SharePoint list, your Excel list should be formatted as a table. Else when we directly import the SharePoint list from Excel, we will find a, You don’t have any tables in this file. You need to define tables to import as a list.

The reason is that SharePoint can only detect tables in the Excel file to import. Initially, we need to format an Excel list as a table, the steps are:

• Initially Select a cell with the data -> Click Format as Table as shown below:

• Select whichever table style you prefer.

• A pop-pop will appear, just click on the “OK” button to create a table. Now, you can find your Excel list in Table format as shown below:

This is how we can Format the Excel list as a Table.

Now, we can proceed with the actual process of importing the Excel table to your SharePoint site.

Steps to Import SharePoint List from Excel in SharePoint Online

Here, we are going to discuss what are the steps to Import a SharePoint list from Excel.

• Navigate to the SharePoint site where you want to add the list that you have created, else Navigate to https://<tenant name>.sharepoint.com/sites/ Example: https://tsinfotechnologies.sharepoint.com/sites/RenaTechnologies
• On the site HomePage, you can find the + New button select it, and then it shows the set of options, choose the list as shown below:

• On the Create list page, you can find different ways to create a list -> Select From Excel

• From Excel, you can select an Excel file from your device or this site. Choose Upload File (If you are uploading a file from your device, the Excel list should be formatted in table format.)

• After, when you select a file from your device, it pop-up with a window to customize it. Now you can then check the column types. All the columns aside from the “Title” are set to the “Single line of text” and “Number” type, which you can change.

Supported Data Types

When we are Importing SharePoint list from excel, each column in a SharePoint list is assigned one of the following data types: Text, Multiple lines, Currency, Date/time, Number, Hyperlink.

• Click Next.
• The Window opens, now you can name the custom list and give it some description (optional) -> Click Create

• It takes a few seconds to Create a list. Once done, it will redirect you to the custom list that you have imported SharePoint list from Excel.

You can add the new column, based on your requirements. And also you can do some changes in the settings like making sure the column types are correct.

These are the steps to Import the SharePoint list from Excel in SharePoint Online.

Purposes of Importing SharePoint List from Excel

Manually, we will be creating a SharePoint list, so we can directly Import the SharePoint list from Excel.

Supported DataTypes while Importing SharePoint list from Excel

We have tried to import an Excel file into a SharePoint list. However, the data type of some columns is not correct after importing them into SharePoint there are only Limited Data Types that we can change while Importing the SharePoint list from Excel.

Supported Data Types are:

• Text
• Multiple lines of Text
• Date and Time
• Hyperlink
• Number
• Currency

The best option is probably to create new columns for the name with the right type for the list. All the columns aside from the “Title” are set to the “Single line of text” and “Number” type, which you can change.

After Importing we can’t change the DataTypes, if we try to that column may result in a loss of data, and we can’t change it, as shown below:

These are conditions for supported DataTypes while Importing a SharePoint list from Excel.

Conclusion

In this SharePoint Online Tutorial, we discussed how to import a SharePoint list from Excel, How to format the Excel list as a Table, and What are the steps to Import a SharePoint list from Excel.

Also, we discussed the Purposes of Importing a SharePoint list from Excel and what are the supported Datatypes while Importing a SharePoint list from Excel.

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