'%3e%3cpath%20d='M8%200C12.4183%200%2016%203.58172%2016%208C16%2012.4183%2012.4183%2016%208%2016C3.58172%2016%200%2012.4183%200%208C0%203.58172%203.58172%200%208%200ZM11.6162%204.38379C11.2257%203.99337%2010.5927%203.99338%2010.2021%204.38379L8%206.58594L5.79785%204.38379C5.40732%203.99334%204.77429%203.99329%204.38379%204.38379C3.99331%204.77429%203.99335%205.40733%204.38379%205.79785L6.58594%208L4.38379%2010.2021C3.99348%2010.5927%203.99341%2011.2257%204.38379%2011.6162C4.77426%2012.0066%205.40734%2012.0065%205.79785%2011.6162L8%209.41406L10.2021%2011.6162C10.5927%2012.0066%2011.2257%2012.0067%2011.6162%2011.6162C12.0067%2011.2257%2012.0066%2010.5927%2011.6162%2010.2021L9.41406%208L11.6162%205.79785C12.0066%205.40735%2012.0066%204.77429%2011.6162%204.38379Z'%20fill='%23080E17'%20fill-opacity='0.46'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cdefs%3e%3cclipPath%20id='clip0_3761_713'%3e%3crect%20width='16'%20height='16'%20fill='white'/%3e%3c/clipPath%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
How to Change Excel Web Query from Internet Explorer to Chrome
Question details
The user wants to configure Excel's Web Query feature to use Google Chrome instead of its default Internet Explorer engine to import website data.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Importing data tables from a website into an Excel spreadsheet using the built-in Web Query tool.
- Observed behavior
- Excel forces the use of the Internet Explorer engine for Web Queries, and this behavior does not change even when Chrome is set as the default browser in Windows settings.
Verify your current version of Excel, as newer versions have replaced the legacy Web Query tool with Power Query, which handles modern web data and JavaScript much more effectively.
Use Power Query for Modern Web Data Import
Since classic Excel Web Query is hardcoded to use Internet Explorer components, switching to Power Query is the recommended way to import data from modern websites.
Power Query does not rely on the outdated Internet Explorer engine. It uses a modern backend that is much more capable of parsing dynamic content and complex webpage structures.
Open your Excel workbook and navigate to the 'Data' tab located on the top ribbon.
Click on 'Get Data' (or 'New Query' in some versions), hover over 'From Other Sources', and select 'From Web'.
Paste the target website URL into the dialog box and click 'OK'. Power Query will analyze the webpage and present you with a Navigator window to select the specific tables you want to load.
Save the Webpage as a Local HTML Document
If you are using an older version of Excel and cannot use Power Query, you can bypass the internal browser by saving the webpage locally using Chrome.
Experience Modern Data Management with WPS Office
Frustrated by legacy Internet Explorer dependencies in older spreadsheet software? WPS Office provides a lightweight, modern, and highly compatible alternative that handles your daily data analysis and formatting needs without the hassle of outdated built-in browsers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't Excel use my default Windows browser for Web Queries?
Classic Excel Web Query was built directly upon Internet Explorer's underlying components (Trident engine) integrated into the Windows OS. It lacks the setting or capability to redirect this hardcoded process to an external browser like Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.
Can Excel Web Query import JavaScript-generated data?
Generally, no. The legacy Web Query tool struggles with dynamic content and JavaScript. If a webpage requires scripts to render its tables, the old Internet Explorer engine will likely fail to capture the data. Switching to Power Query is strongly recommended for these scenarios.
Is there a patch to update Excel's Web Query browser?
Microsoft has retired Internet Explorer and considers the classic Web Query a legacy feature. Instead of patching it to use Chrome or Edge, Microsoft has replaced the functionality entirely with the modern Power Query tool in newer versions of Office.
