To pull data into a spreadsheet, you can connect its sheets to Wdata queries. From the spreadsheet's Data toolbar or Connections panel, you can add and refresh connections to queries to keep its data up-to-date.
Note: In a spreadsheet's outline, you can view which sheets have incoming connections , outgoing connections , or both . If your organization uses Reports, a spreadsheet may also have incoming connections from reports in the Database. Each spreadsheet can have up to 30 connections, with only one incoming connection per sheet.
Connections and spreadsheet cells
When you add or refresh a connection, it:
- Removes any data from the sheet's unlocked cells. To retain a calculation or other data in the sheet, lock its cell before you add or refresh the connection.
- Locks connected cells to ensure data integrity. To update the data in a connected cell, update the connection.
Note: If a connection doesn't update, verify the spreadsheet's within its limit of 2,000,000 cells.
In the formula bar, you can view when a cell has an incoming connection .
Note: To determine which cells are locked, click Overlay on the View toolbar. In Overlay, cells locked by a connection appear green; other locked cells appear gray.
Connect a sheet to a source
From a spreadsheet's Data toolbar or Connections panel, a sheet's Owner can connect a query they have permission to view.
- In the spreadsheet, select the sheet to connect to the query.
- Add the connection from the Data toolbar or Connections panel:
- From the Data toolbar, click Add Connection , Incoming Connection , Wdata Query .
- From the Connections panel, under Incoming , click Add Connection, Wdata Query .
- From the Data toolbar, click Add Connection , Incoming Connection , Wdata Query .
- Search for and select the query to pull results from.
- Set any parameters for the query, and click Connect.
Refresh incoming connections
To update a sheet with the latest information from its connected query, the sheets' Owners or Editors can refresh its incoming connection from the Data toolbar or Connections panel:
- From the Data toolbar, open the sheet to update, and click Refresh , Incoming connection .
- From the Connections panel, select Incoming , and click the connection's Refresh connection .
To update all incoming connections for the spreadsheet, click Refresh connections under Incoming on the Connections panel.
Note: To cancel a connection's refresh, click its X.
Update a connected query's parameters
To adjust a connected query's parameter values, such as to roll the time period forward or back:
- On the Connections panel, click the query's connection under Incoming.
- Under Parameters, set the criteria of the query results to pull in.
- Click Apply & Refresh.
Open a connected query
To open a connected query from the spreadsheet's Connections panel, click its name under Incoming, or select Open source from its connection's menu.
Note: To open the sheet connected to a source, select Go to Sheet from the connection's menu.
Rename a connection
By default, each connection uses the same name as its connected sheet. To edit a connection's name:
- From the Connections panel, select Rename Connection from its menu under Incoming.
- Enter the new name for the connection.
Replace a connected query
To replace a sheet's connected source, update it connection to use another query:
- From the Connections panel, select Replace Source from the connection's menu under Incoming.
- Select the new query to pull data from, and click Replace.
Note: To replace a connection with a source of a different type, such as to Reports instead of a query, remove the connection, and then add a connection to the new source.
Remove a connection
To disconnect a sheet from its query, such as to retain a snapshot of the current data, select Remove Connection from the connection's menu under Incoming on the Connections panel.
Migrate a connected sheet to a connection
From the Connected sheets panel, you can view any query selected as a source through a connected sheet instead of a connection. To update the sheet with the latest data, click Migrate on the Connected sheets panel to add a connection to the query instead.
View a connection's IDs
To view the ID of a connection or its connected sheet, select View properties from the connection's menu on the Connections panel.
Note: You can use an ID to identify its item in a Workiva API endpoint or a Workiva connector command in Chains.
Incoming connections and permissions
A sheet's Owner can connect the sheet to only queries they have permission to view.
If you collaborate on the spreadsheet with others, their access to its connections depends on their permissions to the sheet and query.
| Query permission | Sheet permission | Connection access |
|---|---|---|
| Viewer, Editor, or Owner | Viewer or None | Locked |
| Viewer | Editor | Refresh the connection, and update a connected query's parameters |
| Editor or Owner | Owner | Full access |