Generate Excel Documents Automatically with Infowise Ultimate Forms
Many business workflows require exporting form or list data into files that stakeholders can review, edit, share, or archive. While exporting to PDF or Word is common, Excel exports are especially powerful. Users can filter, sort, manipulate data, or run calculations in the resulting file.
With Infowise Ultimate Forms, you can use Actions plus its document-generation capabilities to automatically create, export, or upload Excel files based on your SharePoint data. This article shows you how, when, and why to use Excel generation in your business solutions.
Why Generate Excel Documents?
Before diving into setup, it helps to understand why Excel exports add value:
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Editable Output: Unlike a PDF, an Excel file lets recipients adjust data, add formulas, or refine as needed.
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Data Manipulation: Users can pivot, filter, graph, or analyze the data within Excel. Useful for financial reports, audits, spreadsheets, or dashboards.
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Interoperability: Many business tools import or ingest Excel files. Exporting from SharePoint into Excel makes integration with other systems easier.
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Archival & Review: Excel files can be stored, versioned, or reviewed offline, even by people who don’t have direct access to SharePoint forms.
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Automation & Distribution: You can automate generation of Excel as part of your workflow, saving time, reducing manual effort, and ensuring consistency.
You will be happy to know that exporting to Excel using Ultimate Forms has additional advantages comparing to built-in export features. One important distinction is that Ultimate Forms is able to export both the main item and its associated items together to the same file. It ensures your relationships stay together.
Core Capabilities in Infowise for Excel Generation
Infowise Ultimate Forms supports Excel generation as part of its document upload / print/export component. Key points:
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You can generate and upload documents based on form data in supported formats: Word, Excel, CSV, or tab-delimited text.
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Excel output is integrated into the same print/export logic that supports PDF and Word. You choose format in your print template settings or via button actions.
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Uploaded files can be stored in a SharePoint document library, OneDrive, or even external locations like FTP, Dropbox, Box, etc.
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The action can optionally “commit unsaved changes”—i.e. save the form’s current edits before generating the document—to ensure your export reflects the latest state.
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You can include attachments or related items in the document, depending on configuration.
These capabilities mean Excel generation is a first-class option. Treat it almost like another “output type” in your workflow toolbox.
How to Configure Excel Generation via Actions
Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough of setting up an Action in Ultimate Forms to generate an Excel document:
1. Create or Edit a Print/Export Template with Excel Support
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In your list, click on Design to enter Ultimate Forms.
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Go to the Print & export component.
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Create a new Item template (for single-record exports) or a List template (for multiple items).
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Configure which columns to include. There is no need to configure formatting as it is not intended for Excel output.
2. Add a Button (or Use Action) to Trigger Export
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In the Form Designer, drag a button control.
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Set its Type to “Print and export”.
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Select the template you created and choose Excel as the output format.
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Optionally enable “Commit unsaved changes”—the form will save any pending edits before generating the file.
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Also optionally configure a confirmation dialog, or conditional visibility using permission rules. This way the button appears only when certain status or permissions apply.
3. Or, Use an Automated Action (Background / Triggered)
Note: when using an action, you can generate an Excel document containing data from multiple SharePoint items, according to conditions.
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Instead of a user button, you can make an Action that generates the Excel file: on item creation, modification, via timer trigger or manually.
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In that action’s configuration, choose “Print list items” action type.
- Select the print template you created.
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Select Excel as your output format.
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After file generation, you can chain further actions: save it to a library, email it or attach to the item.
4. Define Where to Save or Upload the Excel Output
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Specify a target location: SharePoint document library is the usual choice.
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Optionally use filename tokens (e.g., include [Title], [ID], dates) to generate unique meaningful names.
- Be careful if the file already exists. Depending on your settings, the action may overwrite or append data.
5. Test & Validate
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Try exporting a record via the button or let the Action run.
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Open the resulting Excel file and ensure data mapping and structure are correct.
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Test in different user contexts and with variant data sizes (text, nulls, special characters).
Example Scenarios
Here are some scenarios where Excel generation is particularly useful:
Scenario A: Sales Order Export
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A user fills out a sales order form (Item) with line items (sub-list or associated items).
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They click “Export to Excel.”
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The resulting Excel file includes the header fields plus all line items in a tabular section.
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The sales team can open the file, run further calculations or adjustments before sending or archiving.
Scenario B: Batch Report Generation
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At the end of each day, a timer-based Action runs to generate an Excel file of all pending requests or tasks.
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The file is saved to a document library and emailed to supervisors.
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The Excel enables them to filter, sort, and analyze trends for the day.
Scenario C: Audit Output
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A compliance or audit form is completed. Upon finalization (status = Completed), an Action generates Excel output including metadata, attachments, timestamps, and comments.
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That file is stored alongside other records for audit review with full context and structure.
Scenario D: External Integration
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Another system imports or ingests Excel. You configure an Action to generate Excel from SharePoint and push it to an integration endpoint (FTP, Dropbox).
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The external system consumes the data as part of a larger pipeline.
Best Practices & Considerations
To make sure your Excel generation is reliable, maintainable, and efficient, follow these tips:
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Keep the template focused: Don’t include all columns unless necessary; only include relevant ones for the file’s purpose.
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Optimize performance: Large lists or many columns may slow generation. Use filters or smaller datasets in list templates.
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Use meaningful filenames: Using tokens avoids collisions and makes files easier to identify (e.g. “Order_123_2025-08-23.xlsx”).
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Handle existing files carefully: Decide whether to overwrite or append; avoid unintentional data loss.
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Always commit unsaved changes: Especially for users editing a form before export, enabling auto-save ensures the generated Excel reflects current state.
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Test edge cases: Null values, long text, special characters, empty rows, or attachments.
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Secure target locations: Ensure your document library has proper permissions and that users can access the generated file.
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Logging & error handling: When automated Actions generate Excel, log success or failure and notify if something fails (e.g., storage permissions or large file errors).
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Version control: If templates evolve over time, maintain versions so you can rollback or understand which template generated which file.
Summary
Generating Excel documents directly from SharePoint forms using Infowise Ultimate Forms turns data capture into powerful output. Whether via a button or automated Action, you can create richly formatted, editable, and shareable Excel files seamlessly within your workflows.
Excel generation is an extension of the print/export capabilities (which also support PDF, Word, CSV). It enables reporting, downstream data processing, audit output, and integration scenarios with minimal effort and no custom coding.
