Excel Write
Overwrites cells in an Excel workbook with provided values
Node Type
Action
Category
Microsoft Excel
Icon
FileSpreadsheet
Overview
The Excel Write node is an action node that overwrites specified cells in a Microsoft Excel workbook with provided values. This powerful integration enables you to programmatically update Excel spreadsheets with data from your workflows, perfect for automated reporting, data updates, and spreadsheet management.
Key Features
- • Range-based Writing: Write data to specific cell ranges using A1 notation
- • 2D Array Support: Write structured data as 2-dimensional arrays
- • Automatic Padding: Automatically adjusts array dimensions to match the specified range
- • Workbook Selection: Choose from your OneDrive workbooks with an integrated picker
- • Microsoft Integration: Seamless integration with Microsoft OneDrive and Excel Online
- • OAuth Security: Secure authentication through Microsoft OAuth
Prerequisites
Microsoft Account Connection
Must have a connected Microsoft account with appropriate permissions
Excel Workbook Requirements
Understanding of Excel workbook access and range notation
Technical Requirements
Technical setup and configuration requirements
Node Configuration
Required Fields
Workbook ID
ID of the Excel workbook to write to. You can select workbooks from your OneDrive using the integrated file picker.
Range
A1 notation of cells to overwrite (e.g., 'Sheet1!A1:D10'). Only cells with provided data will be updated.
Values
2-D array of values to write (JSON). Array will be automatically padded with empty cells or trimmed to match the specified range dimensions.
Examples & Use Cases
Data Export to Excel
Export workflow data to Excel spreadsheets
Workflow Structure
{
"workbookId": "{{workbookId}}",
"range": "Sheet1!A1:D10",
"values": [
["Name", "Email", "Department", "Score"],
["John Doe", "[email protected]", "Engineering", 95],
["Jane Smith", "[email protected]", "Marketing", 87],
["Bob Johnson", "[email protected]", "Sales", 92]
]
}Export processed data from your workflow directly to Excel for reporting and analysis.
AI-Generated Reports
Generate and populate Excel reports with AI content
Workflow Structure
{
"workbookId": "{{reportTemplateId}}",
"range": "Summary!A1:F20",
"values": "{{aiGeneratedReportData}}"
}Use AI to generate structured data and populate Excel reports automatically.
Dynamic Data Updates
Update Excel sheets with real-time data from APIs
Workflow Structure
{
"workbookId": "{{dashboardId}}",
"range": "Data!A1:Z100",
"values": "{{processedApiData}}"
}Automatically update Excel dashboards with fresh data from external APIs on a schedule.
Form Data Collection
Collect form submissions and write to Excel
Workflow Structure
{
"workbookId": "{{submissionsId}}",
"range": "Responses!A1:E1",
"values": [
["{{formData.name}}", "{{formData.email}}", "{{formData.message}}", "{{currentDate}}", "{{formData.source}}"]
]
}Automatically log form submissions to Excel for tracking and analysis.
Best Practices
Do's
- • Use proper A1 notation for ranges (e.g., 'Sheet1!A1:D10')
- • Test with small data sets before large-scale operations
- • Validate JSON array format before writing
- • Use meaningful range names and sheet references
- • Check Success field before assuming completion
- • Consider data types when writing values (strings, numbers, dates)
Don'ts
- • Don't write to ranges without understanding the impact
- • Avoid very large arrays that may cause timeouts
- • Don't forget to handle write failures gracefully
- • Avoid hardcoding workbook IDs when possible
- • Don't use invalid A1 notation formats
- • Avoid writing sensitive data without proper security measures
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Range Not Found
Symptoms: Node fails with range not found error
Solution: Verify the range notation is correct (e.g., 'Sheet1!A1:D10'). Check that the sheet name exists and the range is valid. Use the format 'SheetName!StartCell:EndCell'.
Workbook Not Found
Symptoms: Node fails with workbook not found error
Solution: Verify the workbook ID is correct and the workbook exists in OneDrive. Check that the user has access and write permissions to the workbook.
Invalid JSON Format
Symptoms: Node fails with JSON parsing error
Solution: Ensure the Values field contains valid JSON array format. Use double quotes for strings and proper array syntax: [['row1col1', 'row1col2'], ['row2col1', 'row2col2']].
Permission Errors
Symptoms: Node fails with insufficient permissions
Solution: Ensure the Microsoft account connection has Files.ReadWrite.All scope. Reconnect the Microsoft account if needed and verify the workbook is not read-only.
Data Not Appearing
Symptoms: Success returns true but data doesn't appear in Excel
Solution: Check that the range notation is correct and the sheet exists. Verify the workbook is not being edited by another user. Try refreshing the Excel file.