<!-- Source: https://docs.squirro.com/en/latest/technical/data-loading/connectors/built-in/excel.html -->
# Excel Connector

Profile: Project Creator

This page provides an overview of the _Excel_ connector.

Project creators use this connector to upload Excel files to their Squirro projects.

## How to Upload an Excel File

1. Open your Squirro project.
2. Navigate to the Setup space.
3. Click the Data tab. By default, you will be on the Data Sources page, as shown in the example screenshot below:

[![Add Data Sources](https://s3.amazonaws.com/download.squirro.net/docs/technical/data-loading/data-loader-example.png)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/download.squirro.net/docs/technical/data-loading/data-loader-example.png)

1. Click the orange plus sign (+) in the top-right corner of the page to add new data.
2. Click the Data Import tab.
3. Select either the Excel or Documents connector depending on how you want to import your Excel file. (See the follow section to understand the differences.)

## Excel Versus Documents Connector

The Excel connector is one of two means of importing XLS and XLSX files into Squirro.

Reference: The other is to use the [Documents Connector](documents.md#data-loading-connectors-documents).

The primary difference between the two connectors is that with the Excel connector, each row of the Excel file is imported as its own Squirro object.

With the _Documents_ connector, the entire Excel file is converted to PDF and imported as a single Squirro object.

### Example Scenario

In the following example scenario, an Excel file containing names, positions, and addresses is uploaded to Squirro using the Excel connector and the Documents connector.

#### Documents Connector

Using the _Documents_ connector, the entire Excel file is converted to PDF and imported as a single Squirro object, as shown in the example screenshot below:

[![Documents Connector Excel File Load](https://s3.amazonaws.com/download.squirro.net/docs/technical/data-loading/excel-doc-dl.png)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/download.squirro.net/docs/technical/data-loading/excel-doc-dl.png)

#### Excel Connector

Using the _Excel_ connector, each row of the Excel file is imported as its own Squirro object, as shown in the example screenshot below:

[![Excel Connector Excel File Load](https://s3.amazonaws.com/download.squirro.net/docs/technical/data-loading/excel-ex-dl.png)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/download.squirro.net/docs/technical/data-loading/excel-ex-dl.png)

## Header Rows

It is strongly recommended to include a header row in any Excel files you upload.

Squirro will always use the first row of the Excel file as the header row.

This row should contain column titles or descriptions and is used to properly map the fields.

> **Warning**
>
> If no header row is included, the first row of data within the Excel file is used as the header row, which will likely result in incorrect field mapping and the first row of data not indexing properly as a Squirro item.

## Excel-Specific Data Loading Options

Under the Advanced Options dropdown, you can find the _Excel Sheet_ and _Excel Boundaries_ options.

[![Advanced Options Excel](https://s3.amazonaws.com/download.squirro.net/docs/technical/data-loading/excel-advanced.png)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/download.squirro.net/docs/technical/data-loading/excel-advanced.png)

### Excel Sheet

By default, Squirro will import the first sheet of an uploaded Excel file.

If you wish to import a different sheet, you must specify it by name or by number, with sheet numbers beginning at `0`.

For example, if you have three sheets within your file listed as _Dog, Cat, and Squirrel_, to import the _Squirrel_ sheet you would specify it by name or with the number 2.

> **Warning**
>
> You can only upload a maximum of one sheet per Excel file at a time. If you wish to upload multiple sheets, you must upload each sheet individually.

### Excel Boundaries

To set boundaries on the extent of the columns and rows to be imported, specify the row range to be imported.
