How to Fix Excel Web External Link Limits in SharePoint
Question details
The user needs to manage and update an Excel workbook that contains hundreds of external links to other workbooks within SharePoint, which fails to load or refresh online.
- Product
- Excel for the web, SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to open or refresh an Excel workbook in Excel for the web that relies on multiple external links pointing to other SharePoint-hosted workbooks.
- Observed behavior
- External links function correctly in the desktop version of Excel but fail to load, update, or provide Get & Transform Data options in Excel for the web due to cloud path limitations.
Ensure you have the OneDrive sync client installed on your computer and verify that you have the necessary SharePoint permissions to sync the document library to your local drive.
Sync SharePoint Library and Update Links via Excel Desktop
Bypass Excel for the web's cloud path limitations by syncing your files locally and managing external connections using the desktop application's full feature set.
When Excel files are uploaded to SharePoint, their paths are converted to cloud URLs. Excel for the web has strict limitations on processing hundreds of these external cloud links simultaneously and lacks the Get & Transform Data feature. By synchronizing the library locally, you can leverage the processing power of desktop Excel to manage and refresh these connections.
Navigate to your SharePoint document library in your web browser. Click the 'Sync' button in the top toolbar and follow the prompts to open Microsoft OneDrive, which will connect the library to your local computer.
Open File Explorer on your computer, navigate to your newly synced SharePoint folder (usually under a folder named after your organization), and open the master Excel workbook using your desktop Excel application.
Click on the 'Data' tab in the Excel ribbon. Use the 'Get & Transform Data' or 'Refresh All' options to update the connections to your other linked workbooks.
Save your workbook. The OneDrive sync client will automatically upload the refreshed data and updated connections back to the SharePoint server.
Manage Complex Workbooks Easily with WPS Office
Avoid the limitations of web-based spreadsheet tools. WPS Office provides a robust, lightweight desktop application that easily handles multiple workbooks, complex external links, and large datasets. It is fully compatible with Microsoft Excel formats, ensuring a seamless transition and reliable performance for your most demanding spreadsheet tasks.
- 1. Download and Install WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website to download the free suite and install it on your computer.
- 2. Open Your Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your heavily linked workbooks directly from your local drive or synced SharePoint folder.
- 3. Manage Data Connections: Use the robust data tools found in the 'Data' tab of WPS Spreadsheet to update and maintain your external links without browser-based restrictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do external links work in Excel desktop but not in Excel for the web?
Excel for the web operates with processing limitations and handles cloud file paths differently than local environments. It does not support complex data operations like 'Get & Transform Data' (Power Query) or linking hundreds of workbooks simultaneously, whereas desktop Excel can handle these using local processing power.
Can I use 'Get & Transform Data' in Excel for the web?
No, the 'Get & Transform Data' feature is currently only available in the desktop version of Excel. You must open the workbook in the desktop application to create, edit, or refresh these specific data queries.
Will my external links update automatically in SharePoint?
If the links exceed the web version's limits or use features unsupported by Excel for the web, they will not update automatically online. You need to sync the files locally using OneDrive, open them in the desktop application, and refresh the data manually.
How do I fix broken external links after migrating files to SharePoint?
When migrating to SharePoint, local file paths change to cloud URLs. To fix broken links, sync the SharePoint library to your local PC, open the master workbook in Excel desktop, go to Data > Edit Links, and remap the connections to the new local synced folder paths.
