Guide to Export Salesforce Reports to Excel

Key Takeaways:

The Salesforce platform is known for its extensive data collection capabilities using in-built reports. B, but for many professionals, Excel remains a preferred way to manage data, perform deep analysis, and use complex formulas. However, managing and sharing Salesforce reports to Excel at scale is efficient and essential, making it important to learn.

In this blog, we will focus on how to export Salesforce reports to Excel, why it is essential, and how it makes Data integration easier. 

Why export reports to Excel in Salesforce?

Before we dive into the steps to export a Salesforce report to Excel, it is essential to understand why. The Salesforce dashboard offers excellent data visualization. However, Excel provides us with specific benefits like: 

1. Advanced Analysis: Excel offers users pivot tables, formulas, and functions that go beyond Salesforce’s capabilities. It allows data modellers to generate what-if scenarios and provides greater flexibility in accessing data. 
2. Offline Access: If at any moment, shareholders or team members need to review data, they can do so with Excel sheets. Salesforce reports require a licence and internet connectivity to review, unlike Excel, which lets you review reports with no specific network requirements. 
3. Cross-Platform Integration or Collaboration: Excel makes it easier to collaborate with clients and members who do not use Salesforce. With Excel reports, users can process data across different platforms with ease. It serves as a common ground among accounting, marketing, and inventory systems. 
4. Advanced Data manipulation: Excel provides flexible tools such as VLOOKUPs, macros, and logic that enable more effective data manipulation than Salesforce. Users can also use these reports to create better representations and visualizations that meet the client’s standards. 

How to Export Salesforce Reports to Excel? 

There are several ways to export Salesforce reports in Excel. While exporting these reports, you will have to choose between the two types of reports, including:  

1. Formatted Reports: It includes the report header, groupings, and filter settings. These reports can be exported as .xls, .csv, or .xlsx files. 
2. Details Only report: It includes no formatting and can be exported as .xlsx files. These reports are ideal for manipulating data in Excel using formulas, or for creating graphs or tables. 

Now, let us understand the two methods for exporting reports in Salesforce. 

Method 1: Direct Report Export 

Step 1: In the Salesforce reports tab, choose the existing report you want to export to Excel.

Step 2: Click the Export button at the top of the report, from the drop-down menu or the three-dot icon. (This can be different in different Salesforce versions.)

Step 3: Choose the export format for the report: formatted or details-only. (Basically, choose file format .xlsx, .csv, or .xls)

Step 4: Click Export to save the file to your device, then open it directly in Excel for analysis. 

Method 2: Data Loader for Large Datasets

This step is for large datasets that exceed Salesforce’s Lightning experience export limit of 2000 rows. This method requires downloading the Salesforce Data Loader application from the Salesforce setup. Once downloaded. 

Step 1: Launch Data Loader, select Export, and log in with your Salesforce credentials. 

Step 2: Select the Salesforce object (accounts, contacts, or custom objects) to be exported. 

Step 3: Use SOQL to specify the fields and records to be exported. 

Step 4: Export the records to a CSV file format that is seamlessly compatible with Excel. 

Step 5: Save the file to your preferred export folder. 

Sync Salesforce Data in Microsoft Excel

Exporting Salesforce reports to Excel is understood, but what if we need real-time Salesforce data in Excel? Salesforce Excel connectors are useful for doing so. 

Third-party Salesforce Excel connectors are add-ons or tools designed to establish a live connection between a Salesforce instance and Excel. It reduces the manual labour required to keep Excel sheets up to date with Salesforce updates. The connectors support scheduled or manual refreshes of Excel data, so you can work with real-time information. 

Different Salesforce-to-Excel connection options can help make tasks more efficient and faster. These tools are: 

Salesforce Excel Connector Add-ins

Apsona, Data Loader.io, or XL-Connector are third-party tools that are add-ins to build direct connections between Salesforce and Excel. These applications are useful for instant data refreshes, building custom queries, scheduling updates, and two-way sync between the two platforms. 

Power Query (Excel 2016+)

Microsoft has integrated an additional Power Query feature that enables connecting to Salesforce via OData or API. It generates refreshable queries that can be updated with a single click. Users can keep their Salesforce data up to date automatically, without manual exports.

Salesforce Reports API

The Salesforce Reports API is a programmatic way for developers to export data. It can be integrated with Excel using VBA macros (tools for automating repetitive tasks in Microsoft Office applications) or via external scripts to build a custom automation solution.

Building an Online Dashboard from Excel files

Building an online dashboard from Excel files can be essential. The traditional Excel files have limitations, such as requiring compatible spreadsheet tools or versions. 

Online dashboard builders solve these problems by converting spreadsheets into interactive web visuals. It makes it easier for everyone to review the files without worrying about the Excel versions they are using. 

To create these online dashboards, there are different tools available, such as: 

• Microsoft Power BI
• Tableau
• Google Data Studio
• Specialized Dashboard Builders like Klipfolio, Zoho Analytics, or Domo. 

Common Salesforce Export Issues

Building dashboards or exporting files in Salesforce can be tricky, leading to several export issues. Users need to identify these issues promptly and resolve them to improve productivity. The significant issues that you can experience are: 

Incomplete Exports

Often, specific fields or records are missed after export. To avoid this, Users must check the report filters, which can exclude some data, and field-level security, which allows you to export only the fields you can see. 

Once you review these options, ensure that the file runs properly before exporting. You can also use Salesforce data export services to export data automatically or manually. 

Formatting Problems

Formatting can be a common problem for cross-platform data transfers. Both Salesforce and Excel use different formats, and exported files can have mismatched field types, calculated fields may export as values, or data may appear in various formats. 

To resolve this, try to review the field types and adjust the formatting. If not, export your Excel files in CSV format and use the Excel Text to Columns feature.  

Permission Errors

You may not have permission to export in Salesforce for security reasons. You can contact your Salesforce administrator to verify and grant the required permissions.

Apart from admin permissions, in reports, you might want to check the object- and field-level permissions for the data being exported. 

File Size Limitations 

As we all know, Salesforce Lightning Experience has a 2000-row limit per export, which can limit exports. If you want to export more than 2000 rows, use the Data Loader for larger datasets to ensure a seamless export. 

If not a data loader, you can either break reports into small segments or use API based tools for unlimited exports. 

Tip: Unsupported file formats after export can be avoided by ensuring the fields are exported as CSV. 

Conclusion

While we conclude this blog, it is worth noting that Exporting Salesforce reports to Excel is an efficient way to improve collaboration and data management. With proper third-party tools and features, you can export reports to Excel for review at any time, from anywhere, regardless of network connectivity, after the data has been exported. 

To improve your report analysis, presentations, and visualization, exporting to Excel is a better way.