Convert Excel Document

The Convert Excel Document action takes an Excel workbook (.xls, .xlsx) - the template - with optional embedded template expressions, injects data into it, and exports the result to the specified output format.

Parameters

Name	Type	Description
Document	Binary	The source Excel file content (.xls or .xlsx), typically the output of a Get file content action.
Output Format	String	Desired target format. One of: Csv, Html, MHtml, Pdf, Svg, TabDelimited, Tiff, Tsv, xlsx.
Include Worksheets	String (optional)	Semicolon-delimited list of worksheet names to convert. If omitted, all worksheets are processed.
Data Sources	JSON object (optional)	One or more named data sources that feed your template regions. Keys must match the names of your template ranges or tables (see Excel Template Syntax).

Optional Parameters per Output Format

CSV

Name	Type	Description	Options
Format Strategy	Enum	How cell values are represented	CellStyle, DisplayString, DisplayStyle, None
Keep Separators For Blank Row	Boolean	Retain delimiters on empty rows	Yes, No
Quote Type	Enum	When to wrap values in quotes	Normal, Always, Minimum, Never
Separator	String	Single‑character field delimiter	e.g. ,, ;, \t
Trim Leading Blank Row And Column	Boolean	Remove empty rows/columns at the start	Yes, No
Merge Areas	Boolean	Whether to combine merged cells into one output cell	Yes, No

HTML

Name	Type	Description	Options
Export Bottom Row Data	Boolean	Include placeholder data below true worksheet range	Yes, No
Export Data	Enum	Scope of data to export	All, Table
Export Grid Lines	Boolean	Show Excel-style grid lines	Yes, No
Export Hidden Worksheet	Boolean	Include sheets marked hidden	Yes, No
Export Print Area Only	Boolean	Restrict output to defined print area	Yes, No
Hidden Column Display	Enum	How to treat hidden columns	Hidden, Remove
Hidden Row Display	Enum	How to treat hidden rows	Hidden, Remove
HTML Cross String	Enum	Cross‑sheet linking behavior	Cross, CrossHideRight, Default, FitToCell, MSExport
Export Comments	Boolean	Include cell comments	Yes, No
Presentation Preference	Boolean	Optimise for on‑screen display	Yes, No
Width Scalable	Boolean	Allow dynamic width scaling	Yes, No
Merge Areas	Boolean	Preserve merged cell layouts	Yes, No

MHTML

Name	Type	Description	Options
Export Bottom Row Data	Boolean	Include placeholder data below true worksheet range	Yes, No
Export Data	Enum	Scope of data to export	All, Table
Export Grid Lines	Boolean	Show Excel-style grid lines	Yes, No
Export Hidden Worksheet	Boolean	Include sheets marked hidden	Yes, No
Export Print Area Only	Boolean	Restrict output to defined print area	Yes, No
Hidden Column Display	Enum	How to treat hidden columns	Hidden, Remove
Hidden Row Display	Enum	How to treat hidden rows	Hidden, Remove
HTML Cross String	Enum	Cross‑sheet linking behavior	Cross, CrossHideRight, Default, FitToCell, MSExport
Export Comments	Boolean	Include cell comments	Yes, No
Presentation Preference	Boolean	Optimise for on‑screen display	Yes, No
Width Scalable	Boolean	Allow dynamic width scaling	Yes, No
Merge Areas	Boolean	Preserve merged cell layouts	Yes, No

PDF

Name	Type	Description	Options
All Columns In One Page Per Sheet	Boolean	Fit all columns horizontally on a single page	Yes, No
Calculate Formula	Boolean	Evaluate formulas before export	Yes, No
Compliance	Enum	PDF standard conformance	pdf14, pdf15, pdf16, pdf17, pdfA1a, pdfA1b, pdfA2a, pdfA2b, pdfA2u, pdfA3a, pdfA3b, pdfA3u
Gridline Type	Enum	Style of gridlines	Dotted, Hair
One Page Per Sheet	Boolean	Force one page per worksheet	Yes, No
Output Blank Page When Nothing To Print	Boolean	Generate blank PDF if no printable content	Yes, No
Page Count	Integer	Max number of pages to render	1 – 2147483647
Page Index	Integer	0‑based index of the first page to render	Default: 0
Compression	Enum	Image compression inside PDF	Flate, LZW, None, RLE
Merge Areas	Boolean	Preserve merged cell layouts	Yes, No

SVG

Name	Type	Description	Options
All Columns In One Page Per Sheet	Boolean	Fit all columns horizontally on a single page	Yes, No
Merge Areas	Boolean	Preserve merged cell layouts	Yes, No

TabDelimited

Name	Type	Description	Options
Format Strategy	Enum	How cell values are represented	CellStyle, DisplayString, DisplayStyle, None
Keep Separators For Blank Row	Boolean	Retain delimiters on empty rows	Yes, No
Quote Type	Enum	When to wrap values in quotes	Always, Minimum, Never, Normal
Separator	String	Single‑character field delimiter	e.g. \t
Trim Leading Blank Row And Column	Boolean	Remove empty rows/columns at the start	Yes, No
Merge Areas	Boolean	Whether to combine merged cells into one output cell	Yes, No

TIFF

Name	Type	Description	Options
All Columns In One Page Per Sheet	Boolean	Fit all columns horizontally on a single page	Yes, No
Merge Areas	Boolean	Preserve merged cell layouts	Yes, No

TSV

Name	Type	Description	Options
Format Strategy	Enum	How cell values are represented	None, CellStyle, DisplayString, DisplayStyle
Keep Separators For Blank Row	Boolean	Retain delimiters on empty rows	Yes, No
Quote Type	Enum	When to wrap values in quotes	Always, Minimum, Never, Normal
Separator	String	Single‑character field delimiter	e.g. \t
Trim Leading Blank Row And Column	Boolean	Remove empty rows/columns at the start	Yes, No
Merge Areas	Boolean	Whether to combine merged cells into one output cell	Yes, No

XLSX

Name	Type	Description	Options
Merge Areas	Boolean	Preserve merged cell layouts	Yes, No

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Returns

Name	Type	Description
File content	String (base64‑encoded)	The converted file’s string content, base64 encoded. Can be passed directly to file-creation actions.

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Example

Template

	A	B
1	Name:	<<[Person.FirstName]>> <<[Person.LastName]>>
2	Address:
3		<<[Person.Address.Number]>>, <<[Person.Address.Street]>>
4		<<[Person.Address.City]>>
5		<<[Person.Address.Postcode]>>

Data source

{
  "Person": {
    "Title": "Mr",
    "FirstName": "John",
    "LastName": "Smith",
    "Address": {
      "Number": "5",
      "Street": "Saffron Road",
      "City": "Leicester",
      "Postcode": "LE18"
    }
  }
}

Output

	A	B
1	Name:	John Smith
2	Address:
3		5, Saffron Road
4		Leicester
5		LE18

Troubleshooting

Click to expand common errors and fixes

Invalid or Missing Document Payload

Cause:
Document input is empty, truncated, or not valid binary.

Fix:

• Provide the complete workbook binary/base64.
• Validate that the payload decodes to a valid .xls/.xlsx file before conversion.

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Unsupported or Incorrect Output Format

Cause:
Output Format string is misspelled or not one of the supported values.

Fix:

• Verify the exact format name (e.g., .pdf, .csv, .xlsx) and correct any typos.
• Confirm that format-specific options supplied are valid for the chosen format.

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Named Worksheets Not Found

Cause:
Worksheet names in Include Worksheets do not match the workbook (case or spelling mismatch), or the sheet does not exist.

Fix:

• Use exact worksheet names, ensuring that they match.

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Template Expressions / Data Binding Failures

Cause:
Template placeholders reference data source keys that are missing or malformed. Syntax errors in template expressions.

Fix:

• Ensure Data Sources keys exactly match template identifiers.
• Validate template expression syntax and test with representative data.
• Provide default/fallback values where appropriate.

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CSV/TSV/TabDelimited Output Problems

Cause:
Invalid separator character, mismatched quote settings, or improper handling of empty rows/columns.

Fix:

• Use a single-character separator and verify quote strategy settings.
• Enable or disable “Keep separators for blank row” and trimming options according to expectations.
• Test with sample data containing edge cases (commas, quotes, empty rows).

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PDF Layout, Pagination or Scaling Issues

Cause:
Page size, print area, scaling, or column fit settings cause unexpected page breaks, clipped columns, or blank pages.

Fix:

• Adjust page sizing, “One Page Per Sheet” / fit options, and page index/page count as needed.
• Preview with small samples to tune layout options.

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Formulas Not Evaluated or Stale Results

Cause:
Formula evaluation option disabled or workbook stores formulas that rely on external references.

Fix:

• Enable formula calculation before export if evaluation is required.
• Ensure formulas do not depend on unavailable external data, or pre-compute values in the workbook.

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Merged Cells, Hidden Rows/Columns, or Comments Omitted

Cause:
Format options configured to remove merged areas, hidden rows/columns, or comments.

Fix:

• Toggle merge/hidden/comment options to include those elements when necessary.
• Verify behavior with a small test workbook that contains the elements in question.

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Password-Protected or Corrupted Workbook

Cause:
Workbook is encrypted, password protected, or corrupted.

Fix:

• Provide an unprotected, valid workbook.
• Repair or recreate corrupted files before conversion.

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Large File Performance or Resource Limits

Cause:
Very large workbooks or many high-resolution embedded images cause timeouts or high resource usage.

Fix:

• Reduce workbook size (remove/resize images).
• Split very large workbooks into smaller parts.
• Convert only required worksheets.
• Test with representative samples.

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Invalid Format-Specific Option Values

Cause:
Integer bounds exceeded, invalid enum values, or conflicting options supplied.

Fix:

• Validate option ranges (e.g., page count within allowed bounds).
• Use documented enum values.
• Remove conflicting options and retest.

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Generic Runtime or Transient Failures

Cause:
Malformed inputs, intermittent conversion service issues, or unexpected internal errors.

Fix:

• Reproduce the issue with a minimal workbook and option set.
• Validate inputs (binary, format name, option values).
• Retry the conversion to rule out transient failures.

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Quick Checklist

• Document contains the full .xls/.xlsx binary/base64 payload.
• Output Format is one of the supported values and spelled correctly.
• Include Worksheets (if provided) matches exact sheet names.
• Data Sources keys match template identifiers and data is valid JSON.
• Format-specific options (separator, quote type, page index, compression, merge handling) are valid and consistent with the chosen format.
• Workbook is not password protected or corrupted.
• Test conversions on small representative workbooks to validate layout, encoding, and special cases (merged cells, hidden rows, comments, formulas).