JSON to Excel Add-in - Seamless Integration Within Excel

Source: Dev.to

Why Choose the Excel Add‑in?

• Seamless Integration – Works directly inside Excel; no switching apps.
• One‑Click Conversion – Convert JSON with a single button click.
• Automatic Sheet Creation – Results appear as new sheets in your workbook.
• Familiar Interface – No learning curve if you already know Excel.
• Works Everywhere – Compatible with Excel 2013+, Excel Online, and Office 365.
• Documentation –

System Requirements

Installation Guide

1. Open Excel – Launch Excel 2013, 2016, or Excel Online.
2. Navigate to Add‑ins – Go to the Home tab (or Insert tab).
3. Search for Add‑ins – Click Add‑ins and search for “JSON to Excel”.
4. Install – Follow the on‑screen instructions.
5. Locate the Button – A Convert button with the JSON to Excel logo appears in the Home tab.

Video tutorial:

• Installation video (link placeholder)

That’s it – the add‑in is ready to use!

Using the Add‑in

1. Open the Add‑in – Home tab → JSON to Excel → Convert.
2. Prepare Your Data – Choose how to load JSON:
   • Copy & paste JSON into the text area.
   • Load JSON File(s) – select files from your computer (up to 20 files with the Pro version).
3. Configure Settings – Set your conversion preferences:
   • Conversion Mode – Flat or Nested.
   • Nested Delimiter – (Pro feature).
   • Max Depth – (Pro feature).
4. Convert – Click the Go button.
5. View Results – The converted data appears as a new sheet in your workbook.

Video tutorial:

• Usage video (link placeholder)

Batch Processing (Pro)

1. Click Load JSON File(s).
2. Select multiple JSON files (up to 20).
3. Click Go.

Each file becomes a separate sheet. Ideal for:

• Daily reports in JSON format.
• Multiple API responses.
• Historical JSON data archives.

Conversion Options (same as the Web App)

Naming Nested Properties

Max Depth (Pro)

• Unlimited (default)
• 1‑20 levels – control how deep nested objects are processed.

Example Walk‑throughs

1️⃣ Simple Flat JSON

[
  { "id": 1, "product": "Widget A", "sales": 150, "region": "North" },
  { "id": 2, "product": "Widget B", "sales": 200, "region": "South" }
]

Steps

1. Copy the JSON.
2. Open the Excel Add‑in.
3. Paste the JSON.
4. Select Flat JSON Mode.
5. Click Go.
6. Analyze the data with Excel’s built‑in tools.

2️⃣ Nested JSON

[
  {
    "customerId": "C001",
    "name": "John Doe",
    "contact": {
      "email": "john@example.com",
      "phone": "555-1234",
      "address": {
        "street": "123 Main St",
        "city": "New York",
        "zip": "10001"
      }
    }
  }
]

Steps

1. Copy the JSON.
2. Open the Excel Add‑in.
3. Select Nested JSON Mode.
4. Choose dot (.) delimiter.
5. Set Max Depth to 3.
6. Click Go.

Resulting columns

customerId, name, contact.email, contact.phone, contact.address.street, contact.address.city, contact.address.zip

3️⃣ Daily Report Processing (Batch)

1. Collect all daily JSON reports in a folder.
2. Open the Excel Add‑in.
3. Click Load JSON File(s) and select all files (≤ 20).
4. Click Go.
5. Review the conversion report.
6. Analyze all data in one workbook:
   • Use descriptive sheet names.
   • Keep original JSON in a separate sheet for reference.
   • Create PivotTables, conditional formatting, formulas, charts, etc.

Quick Access & Customisation

• Add the Convert button to the Quick Access Toolbar.
• Create custom keyboard shortcuts for frequent actions.

Limitations & Troubleshooting

Common fixes

• Restart Excel.
• Validate JSON using the preview pane.
• Ensure you’re not exceeding row/column limits.
• Verify nested structures are correctly formatted.

When to Choose the Excel Add‑in vs. the Web App

What’s Next?

Now that you’re comfortable with the Excel Add‑in, stay tuned for our next post where we’ll cover the WPS Add‑in for users who prefer WPS Office over Microsoft Excel.

Happy converting! 🚀

Install the Excel Add‑in

Ready to install the Excel Add‑in? Open Excel and search for “JSON to Excel” in the Add‑ins store today!