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Summary: Microsoft SharePoint significantly enhances document management for businesses, allowing easy creation, editing, and verification of documents. It enables distributed teams to access documents globally, even allowing import and export of external files into SharePoint lists. Various methods exist, including importing columns using Quick Edit, importing a spreadsheet as a web part, and directly importing cells from an Excel file. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. For a more seamless and efficient migration, using professional migration software like Kernel Migration for SharePoint is recommended.

Microsoft SharePoint has greatly simplified document management for businesses, enabling significant optimization. Teams can easily generate, modify, and obtain approval for specialized documents with the assistance of SharePoint. The distributed teams experience substantial advantages as SharePoint facilitates global access to these documents. Moreover, SharePoint’s utility extends beyond documentation created within its platform, allowing various methods to import and export external files into SharePoint lists for utilization as SharePoint components.

Import columns using Quick Edit

When you have an established list in SharePoint, you can replicate columns resembling those in the Excel file and manually transfer specific field data into SharePoint. This process enables you to import Excel data into a SharePoint Calendar and additionally import Exchange to SharePoint list for your account.

  1. In the SharePoint list, create the Excel file with the name column names as in the offline excel file.
  2. The column order should be the same as in the Excel file.
  3. Click the Quick Edit option.
  4. Copy the whole row and paste it into the Edit View section.
  5. If you have pasted multiple rows, they will be pasted one row at a time. So, wait for a little to complete it.
  6. After copying all rows, remove the list from Edit mode by clicking the ‘Exit Quick Edit’ option.

Advantages

  • The method takes advantage of metadata. So all spreadsheet properties are taken into SharePoint.

Disadvantages

  • You must manually create columns in the SharePoint list after starting the copy process.
  • It cannot import a large set of data.
  • If a row is skipped from copying, it can damage the data integrity in the destination.
  • The process will not work if the metadata is set up using Team Store.
Import spreadsheet as a web part

In SharePoint Settings, there is an app to import web parts like Excel sheets. The steps are following:

  1. In SharePoint, click the Gear icon for Settings. Choose ‘Add an app.’
  2. Click on the ‘Import Spreadsheet’ option to select it.
  3. On the next page, provide a new name to the application and use the Browse button to select the Excel file.
  4. The selected excel file will open up in a pop-up window in which you can choose all the cells. Choose the important cells and click Import in the window.
  5. The tables will import into the SharePoint list. They will have the same column name and attributes as the Excel file.

Advantages

  • The app is an inbuilt method to import cells from an Excel file.
  • It does not require copying and pasting rows from an external file manually.

Disadvantages

  • The approach is compatible solely with the Internet Explorer browser. Logging into your SharePoint account through Internet Explorer is essential. Attempting to utilize Google Chrome will result in an error message stating that ‘this functionality necessitates a browser supporting ActiveX controls.’
  • The method can import only the data in text format. It will easily copy numbers and dates, but the drop-down parts will not work properly.
Import cells from Excel file

Using this method, you can directly send the selected parts from an Excel file to the SharePoint site.

  1. In an Excel file, choose the cells and click ‘Format as table.’
  2. Highlight the select part and click Export. Then, choose Export table to SharePoint list.
  3. In the pop-up window, input the URL of the SharePoint list, then provide a list name. Click Next.
  4. The next page will show you the columns of the Excel file that will move.
  5. A successful message will pop up showing that excel data is moved.
  6. In the SharePoint list, you can see the details with the name you had given in wizard.

Advantages

  • The data is not moved, but it is synchronized from Excel to the SharePoint list.

Disadvantages

  • The list will be a classic one and not a modern one.
  • The Excel data will be open in Datasheet view, and you will need to Stop Editing each time to see a normal view.

Conclusion

All conventional approaches for transferring Excel files into a SharePoint Calendar suffer from notable drawbacks, potentially impacting the user’s Excel file and altering the SharePoint list structure. Hence, utilizing specialized migration software such as Kernel Migration for SharePoint is advisable. This proficient SharePoint Migration tool is adept at seamlessly importing data from file servers to SharePoint, ensuring data integrity and structure preservation. Specifically designed to cater to SharePoint Online and all SharePoint versions, it excels in addressing common SharePoint Online Migration issues , surpassing the effectiveness of manual methods.

Kernel Migration for SharePoint