Data Import & Export

How to Import Website Data into Excel and Auto-Refresh

Amos Gikunda Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to extract live tabular data from a webpage into an Excel spreadsheet and configure it to update automatically.

How to Import Website Data into Excel and Refresh It Automatically

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Connecting a spreadsheet to an external online data source to monitor dynamic information, such as stock prices, exchange rates, or sports statistics, without manual copying and pasting.
Observed behavior: The user needs the correct navigation path to configure web queries, handle external data connections, and set reliable background refresh intervals.

Before you start

Ensure you have a stable internet connection and copy the exact URL of the website containing the data table you want to import before proceeding.

Solution 1Recommended

Import Data Using 'From Web' Power Query

This is the most reliable method in modern Excel to connect to an online source, extract specific HTML tables, and configure automatic background refreshes.

Excel uses Power Query to safely connect to external websites. This feature detects structured HTML tables on the web page and allows you to transform the data before loading it into your workbook. Once loaded, you can define exactly how often the connection should ping the website for updates.

Navigate to the Data Tab

Open your Excel workbook and click on the 'Data' tab located in the top ribbon menu.

Select the 'From Web' Option

Click on 'Get Data' (or 'Get External Data' in older versions), hover over 'From Other Sources', and select 'From Web'. Alternatively, click the dedicated 'From Web' icon directly on the Data ribbon.

Enter the Target URL

A dialog box will appear. Paste the full URL of the website containing your desired data table into the URL field and click 'OK'.

Select and Load the Table

The Navigator window will open, displaying all detected tables on the left pane. Click through the tables to preview them, check the box next to the correct one, and click 'Load' to bring it into your worksheet.

Configure Automatic Refresh Settings

Click any cell inside your newly imported table. Navigate to the 'Data' tab and click 'Queries & Connections'. Right-click your web connection in the side pane, choose 'Properties', and check the box for 'Refresh every [X] minutes'. Set your desired interval and click 'OK'.

Import Data Using 'From Web' Power Query

Website Authentication: If the website requires a login, Excel will prompt you for credentials. You can select 'Basic' or 'Web API' authentication to securely log in before retrieving the data.

Manage and Import Data Efficiently with WPS Spreadsheet

WPS Office Spreadsheet provides robust tools for handling complex datasets, importing external data smoothly, and ensuring your workbooks remain perfectly formatted. Whether you are migrating from Microsoft Office or just need a lightweight alternative, WPS Office handles professional data tasks with ease.

1. Launch WPS Spreadsheet: Open WPS Office and create a new blank workbook or open an existing file.
2. Access Data Tools: Navigate to the 'Data' tab located on the top ribbon menu.
3. Select Import Data: Click on 'Import Data' to choose your external data source type, such as external text or CSV files.
4. Complete the Import: Follow the intuitive on-screen wizard to format your columns and load the external data directly into your spreadsheet.

Completely free and lightweight office suiteHighly compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) files and web data formatsUser-friendly interface for data manipulation and external importsSeamless cross-platform synchronization across Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't my web data refreshing automatically in Excel?

Automatic refresh requires the workbook to be open and actively connected to the internet. Additionally, ensure that 'Enable background refresh' is checked in your Connection Properties. If the website structure changes, the query may fail to refresh.

Why does the Navigator window not show the table I want to import?

Excel's Power Query looks for standard HTML tables (using <table> tags). If the website relies on JavaScript to load data dynamically or uses non-standard formatting (like CSS grid elements), Excel might not detect the table automatically.

How do I manually force a data refresh?

You can manually update your data at any time by clicking a cell inside the imported table, navigating to the 'Data' tab on the ribbon, and clicking the 'Refresh All' button.

Can I refresh web data when opening the Excel file?

Yes. Right-click your query in the Queries & Connections pane, select 'Properties', and check the box labeled 'Refresh data when opening the file'. This ensures your data is always current the moment you launch the workbook.

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