This topic provides guidance on how to import and manage an Excel file so that you may use its tables as data sources in dashboards. When an Excel file is selected, the names of each of its tables are displayed as data source options. If the file has multiple tables, you can mark the checkboxes next to the tables you want to import to prevent unwanted tables from being imported. Once the file is imported, the selected tables are available for use as data sources in dashboards.
By default, only the author who imported the file may use its data sources in dashboards. To share the imported tables with others, the author can include people and groups of people in the audience of an Excel file. This allows those included in the audience to also use the selected Excel file tables in their own dashboards.
Each table in an Excel file is imported to Dashboard Designer as a separate data source. The data source name uses the "filename (table name)" format. Keep in mind that if there is only one table per worksheet tab, the system will use the tab name as the name of the table. If there is more than one table per worksheet tab and the tables are not previously named, Excel will automatically name each table.
Excel files can be edited and deleted. The author can edit the file name and description, select or deselect which tables will be imported, as well as change the file by importing a new one. It is important to be careful when deselecting a table and deleting a file. If a table that is being used in a dashboard is deselected or its file is deleted, the dashboard will no longer display data from that table.