Import data from Excel to SQL Server or Azure SQL Database

• 09/30/2019
• 9 minutes to read
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APPLIES TO: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure Synapse Analytics (SQL DW) Parallel Data Warehouse

There are several ways to import data from Excel files to SQL Server or to Azure SQL Database. Some methods let you import data in a single step directly from Excel files; other methods require you to export your Excel data as text (CSV file) before you can import it. This article summarizes the frequently used methods and provides links for more detailed information.

List of methods

You can use the following tools to import data from Excel:

If you want to import multiple worksheets from an Excel workbook, you typically have to run each of these tools once for each sheet.

A complete description of complex tools and services like SSIS or Azure Data Factory is beyond the scope of this list. To learn more about the solution that interests you, follow the provided links.

If you don't have SQL Server installed, or you have SQL Server but don't have SQL Server Management Studio installed, see Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).

SQL Server Import and Export Wizard

Import data directly from Excel files by stepping through the pages of the SQL Server Import and Export Wizard. Optionally, save the settings as a SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) package that you can customize and reuse later.

1. In SQL Server Management Studio, connect to an instance of the SQL Server Database Engine.

2. Expand Databases.

3. Right-click a database.

4. Point to Tasks.

5. Click one of the following options.

• Import Data

• Export Data

  

For an example of using the wizard to import from Excel to SQL Server, see Get started with this simple example of the Import and Export Wizard.

To learn about other ways to launch the Import and Export wizard, see Start the SQL Server Import and Export Wizard.

SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)

If you're familiar with SSIS and don't want to run the SQL Server Import and Export Wizard, create an SSIS package that uses the Excel Source and the SQL Server Destination in the data flow.

For more info about these SSIS components, see the following topics:

• Excel Source
• SQL Server Destination

To start learning how to build SSIS packages, see the tutorial How to Create an ETL Package.

OPENROWSET and linked servers

Distributed queries

Import data directly into SQL Server from Excel files by using the Transact-SQL OPENROWSET or OPENDATASOURCE function. This usage is called a distributed query.

Before you can run a distributed query, you have to enable the ad hoc distributed queries server configuration option, as shown in the following example. For more info, see ad hoc distributed queries Server Configuration Option.

sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1;
RECONFIGURE;
GO
sp_configure 'Ad Hoc Distributed Queries', 1;
RECONFIGURE;
GO

The following code sample uses OPENROWSET to import the data from the Excel Sheet1 worksheet into a new database table.

USE ImportFromExcel;
GO
SELECT * INTO Data_dq
FROM OPENROWSET('Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0',
    'Excel 12.0; Database=C:\Temp\Data.xlsx', [Sheet1$]);
GO

Here's the same example with OPENDATASOURCE.

USE ImportFromExcel;
GO
SELECT * INTO Data_dq
FROM OPENDATASOURCE('Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0',
    'Data Source=C:\Temp\Data.xlsx;Extended Properties=Excel 12.0')...[Sheet1$];
GO

To append the imported data to an existing table instead of creating a new table, use the INSERT INTO ... SELECT ... FROM ... syntax instead of the SELECT ... INTO ... FROM ... syntax used in the preceding examples.

To query the Excel data without importing it, just use the standard SELECT ... FROM ... syntax.

For more info about distributed queries, see the following topics:

• Distributed Queries (Distributed queries are still supported in SQL Server 2016, but the documentation for this feature has not been updated.)
• OPENROWSET
• OPENDATASOURCE

Linked servers

You can also configure a persistent connection from SQL Server to the Excel file as a linked server. The following example imports the data from the Data worksheet on the existing Excel linked server EXCELLINK into a new SQL Server database table named Data_ls.

USE ImportFromExcel;
GO
SELECT * INTO Data_ls FROM EXCELLINK...[Data$];
GO

You can create a linked server from SQL Server Management Studio, or by running the system stored procedure sp_addlinkedserver, as shown in the following example.

DECLARE @RC int

DECLARE @server     nvarchar(128)
DECLARE @srvproduct nvarchar(128)
DECLARE @provider   nvarchar(128)
DECLARE @datasrc    nvarchar(4000)
DECLARE @location   nvarchar(4000)
DECLARE @provstr    nvarchar(4000)
DECLARE @catalog    nvarchar(128)

-- Set parameter values
SET @server =     'EXCELLINK'
SET @srvproduct = 'Excel'
SET @provider =   'Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0'
SET @datasrc =    'C:\Temp\Data.xlsx'
SET @provstr =    'Excel 12.0'

EXEC @RC = [master].[dbo].[sp_addlinkedserver] @server, @srvproduct, @provider,
@datasrc, @location, @provstr, @catalog

For more info about linked servers, see the following topics:

• Create Linked Servers
• OPENQUERY

For more examples and info about both linked servers and distributed queries, see the following topics:

• How to use Excel with SQL Server linked servers and distributed queries
• How to import data from Excel to SQL Server

Prerequisite - Save Excel data as text

To use the rest of the methods described on this page - the BULK INSERT statement, the BCP tool, or Azure Data Factory - first you have to export your Excel data to a text file.

In Excel, select File | Save As and then select Text (Tab-delimited) (*.txt) or CSV (Comma-delimited) (*.csv) as the destination file type.

If you want to export multiple worksheets from the workbook, select each sheet and then repeat this procedure. The Save as command exports only the active sheet.

The Import Flat File Wizard

Import data saved as text files by stepping through the pages of the Import Flat File Wizard.

As described previously in the Prerequisite section, you have to export your Excel data as text before you can use the Import Flat File Wizard to import it.

For more info about the Import Flat File Wizard, see Import Flat File to SQL Wizard.

BULK INSERT command

BULK INSERT is a Transact-SQL command that you can run from SQL Server Management Studio. The following example loads the data from the Data.csv comma-delimited file into an existing database table.

As described previously in the Prerequisite section, you have to export your Excel data as text before you can use BULK INSERT to import it. BULK INSERT can't read Excel files directly. With the BULK INSERT command, you can import a CSV file that is stored locally or in Azure Blob storage.

USE ImportFromExcel;
GO
BULK INSERT Data_bi FROM 'C:\Temp\data.csv'
   WITH (
      FIELDTERMINATOR = ',',
      ROWTERMINATOR = '\n'
);
GO

For more info and examples for SQL Server and SQL Database, see the following topics:

• Import Bulk Data by Using BULK INSERT or OPENROWSET(BULK...)
• BULK INSERT

BCP tool

BCP is a program that you run from the command prompt. The following example loads the data from the Data.csv comma-delimited file into the existing Data_bcp database table.

As described previously in the Prerequisite section, you have to export your Excel data as text before you can use BCP to import it. BCP can't read Excel files directly. Use to import into SQL Server or SQL Database from a test (CSV) file saved to local storage.

bcp.exe ImportFromExcel..Data_bcp in "C:\Temp\data.csv" -T -c -t ,

For more info about BCP, see the following topics:

• Import and Export Bulk Data by Using the bcp Utility
• bcp Utility
• Prepare Data for Bulk Export or Import

Copy Wizard (Azure Data Factory)

Import data saved as text files by stepping through the pages of the Azure Data Factory Copy Wizard.

As described previously in the Prerequisite section, you have to export your Excel data as text before you can use Azure Data Factory to import it. Data Factory can't read Excel files directly.

For more info about the Copy Wizard, see the following topics:

• Data Factory Copy Wizard
• Tutorial: Create a pipeline with Copy Activity using Data Factory Copy Wizard.

Azure Data Factory

If you're familiar with Azure Data Factory and don't want to run the Copy Wizard, create a pipeline with a Copy activity that copies from the text file to SQL Server or to Azure SQL Database.

As described previously in the Prerequisite section, you have to export your Excel data as text before you can use Azure Data Factory to import it. Data Factory can't read Excel files directly.

For more info about using these Data Factory sources and sinks, see the following topics:

• File system
• SQL Server
• Azure SQL Database

To start learning how to copy data with Azure data factory, see the following topics:

• Move data by using Copy Activity
• Tutorial: Create a pipeline with Copy Activity using Azure portal

Common errors

Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0" has not been registered

This error occurs because the OLEDB provider is not installed. Install it from Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable. Be sure to install the 64-bit version if Windows and SQL Server are both 64-bit.

The full error is:

Msg 7403, Level 16, State 1, Line 3
The OLE DB provider "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0" has not been registered.

Cannot create an instance of OLE DB provider "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0" for linked server "(null)"

This indicates that the Microsoft OLEDB has not been configured properly. Run the following Transact-SQL code to resolve this:

EXEC sp_MSset_oledb_prop N'Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0', N'AllowInProcess', 1
EXEC sp_MSset_oledb_prop N'Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0', N'DynamicParameters', 1

The full error is:

Msg 7302, Level 16, State 1, Line 3
Cannot create an instance of OLE DB provider "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0" for linked server "(null)".

The 32-bit OLE DB provider "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0" cannot be loaded in-process on a 64-bit SQL Server

This occurs when a 32-bit version of the OLD DB provider is installed with a 64-bit SQL Server. To resolve this issue, uninstall the 32-bit version and install the 64-bit version of the OLE DB provider instead.

The full error is:

Msg 7438, Level 16, State 1, Line 3
The 32-bit OLE DB provider "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0" cannot be loaded in-process on a 64-bit SQL Server.

The OLE DB provider "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0" for linked server "(null)" reported an error. The provider did not give any information about the error

Cannot initialize the data source object of OLE DB provider "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0" for linked server "(null)"

Both of these errors typically indicate a permissions issue between the SQL Server process and the file. Ensure that the account that is running the SQL Server service has full access permission to the file. We recommend against trying to import files from the desktop.

The full errors are:

Msg 7399, Level 16, State 1, Line 3
The OLE DB provider "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0" for linked server "(null)" reported an error. The provider did not give any information about the error.

Msg 7303, Level 16, State 1, Line 3
Cannot initialize the data source object of OLE DB provider "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0" for linked server "(null)".

See Also

Import data from Excel or export data to Excel with SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)