How to Pull API Data into Excel

Tired of manually downloading CSV files every week to update your spreadsheets? There’s a better way. By pulling data directly from an API into Excel, you can animate your static reports with live, real-time information. This guide will show you exactly how to connect to nearly any API directly from Excel, no coding skills required.

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What is an API, and Why Connect it to Excel?

Think of an API (Application Programming Interface) as a waiter in a restaurant. You (your Excel sheet) don't go directly into the kitchen (a software application's database) to get your food (your data). Instead, you give your order to the waiter (the API), who communicates with the kitchen and brings the food back to your table. APIs allow different software applications to talk to each other and exchange data in a structured way.

Connecting this "waiter" to Excel has some major benefits:

• Automated Reporting: Stop the cycle of downloading, copying, and pasting. Once connected, a single click can refresh your entire dataset with the latest numbers.
• Real-Time Data: Your spreadsheet can be powered by live data, perfect for tracking stock prices, inventory levels, project management updates, or marketing campaign performance.
• Access to More Data: APIs give you direct access to data streams you could not easily get otherwise, from social media metrics to sales data to up-to-the-minute weather forecasts.

Instead of manually exporting reports from Shopify, Google Analytics, and Facebook Ads, you could have their data flowing directly into a 'live' dashboard inside your spreadsheet.

Before You Start: Prepping Your API Request

Before you jump into Excel, you’ll need to grab a few details about the API you want to connect to. This preliminary step makes the whole process much smoother.

1. Find the API Documentation

Every public API has "documentation" - an instruction manual that explains how to use it. A quick Google search for "[Service Name] API Docs" will usually find it. For example, search for "Shopify API Docs" or "HubSpot API Docs." This documentation tells you everything you need to know, including the endpoints and how to authenticate.

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2. Get Your API Key (Authentication)

Most APIs require an "API Key" or some other form of authentication to work. This is just a unique string of characters that identifies you and confirms you have permission to access the data. Think of it like a password. You can usually generate an API key from your account settings in the application you’re trying to connect to (e.g., in your Shopify or Salesforce admin panel).

Important: Keep your API key secret! Treat it like a password, as anyone with your key can access your data.

3. Understand the API URL (Endpoint)

The core of an API request is the URL you send it to. This is often called an "endpoint." A typical API URL has a few parts:

• Base URL: The main address for the API (e.g., https://api.openai.com/v1).
• Endpoint Path: Specifies the data you want (e.g., /chat/completions).
• Parameters: Filters or instructions to customize the data you get back, added to the end after a ? (e.g., ?limit=100&status=active).

Putting it all together, a request might look like this:

https://api.example.com/data/products?status=active&key=YOUR_API_KEY

The documentation will tell you exactly how to structure this URL and which parameters are available.

How to Pull API Data into Excel with Power Query

The most powerful and flexible method for pulling API data is using Excel's built-in tool called Power Query (also known as Get & Transform Data). It sounds technical, but it’s a user-friendly way to connect, clean, and load data without writing code.

Let's walk through an example using a free, public API called JSONPlaceholder, which provides sample data and doesn't require an API key. This makes it perfect for practicing.

We'll use this endpoint to get a list of sample posts:

https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts

Step 1: Open the Power Query Editor

First, navigate to the Data tab on the Excel ribbon. From there, click:

Get Data > From Other Sources > From Web

This will open a small window where you can enter the API URL.

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Step 2: Enter the API URL

In the dialogue box, type or paste the API URL https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts into the field and click OK. Since this is a public API, you don't need any tricky authentication... for now.

(If your API needs an API key, we'll cover that in a moment!)

Step 3: Transform the JSON Data

Excel will now open the Power Query Editor, which will display the raw data returned from the API. Most modern APIs send data in a format called JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), which looks a little strange at first.

Don’t worry, Power Query is built to handle this. You'll likely see a list of "Records."

1. Convert to Table: The first step is to turn this list into a table. On the ribbon at the top, find the To Table button and click it. A small pop-up will appear, just click OK with the default settings.
2. Expand the Columns: Now you have a table with a single column, likely called "Column1," where each cell says "Record." Look at the column header for "Column1." To the right of the name, you’ll see an expand icon (two arrows pointing in opposite directions). Click it.
3. Select Columns to Load: A new dialogue box will appear, showing all the data fields available inside the records (like a post's userId, id, title, and body). By default, all are selected. Uncheck 'Use original column name as prefix' and click OK.

Voila! Power Query will expand the data into clean, readable columns, just like a standard spreadsheet. You can now rename columns, change data types, or remove any columns you don’t need right from this editor.

Step 4: Load the Data into Your Spreadsheet

Once you are happy with how the data looks, it's time to send it to Excel. In the top-left corner of the Power Query Editor, click the Close & Load button. Your API data will instantly load into a new worksheet as a neatly formatted table.

Step 5: How to Add an API Key (Authentication)

Okay, the public API was easy. What about APIs that require a key? The process is nearly identical, with a small change at the beginning.

When you go to Data > Get Data > From Web, switch from the "Basic" to the "Advanced" tab.

• In the first box, "URL parts," enter the base API URL (e.g., https://api.my-crm.com/v2/deals).
• In the section below, "HTTP request header parameters," you’ll add your API key. How the key is added depends on the specific API, and the documentation will tell you what header name to use. Common examples are Authorization, x-api-key, or API-Key.

For a key passed in the header like "Bearer TOKEN123", you would put:

• Header Name: Authorization
• Header Value: Bearer TOKEN123 (The word "Bearer" followed by a space is a common convention).

Click OK. From there, the rest of the steps (transforming JSON, expanding columns, etc.) are exactly the same!

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Step 6: Refresh Your Data on Demand

This is where the magic happens. After you've spent an hour messing with formulas or your charts, you don't have to repeat the import process. Simply go to the Data tab and click Refresh All. Excel will automatically go back to the API, pull the latest data, and update your table in seconds.

For Advanced Users: Pulling API Data with VBA

For those who are comfortable with macros and want more automation control, using VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) is another option. This approach involves writing a small script that makes the API call and parses the response.

It gives you unlimited flexibility but comes with a steeper learning curve. You'll need to parse the JSON response manually, handle errors, and manage authentication in your code. This is generally only recommended if Power Query can't handle your specific use case or you need to build complex, multi-step API workflows.

Final Thoughts

Connecting APIs to Excel using Power Query is a complete game-changer for anyone who regularly works with data from different software platforms. It helps you build automated, real-time reports that eliminate hours of manual work and ensures your decisions are based on the freshest information available.

However, getting all your data flowing is just the first step. While pulling data into a live spreadsheet is powerful, managing dozens of different API connections and trying to build truly insightful cross-platform dashboards can still feel like a chore. At Graphed, we simplified this entire workflow. We let you connect ALL your marketing and sales data sources (like Google Analytics, Shopify, Facebook Ads, and Salesforce) with one-click integrations. Instead of learning Power Query, you can create real-time, shareable dashboards instantly by just describing what you want to see in plain English. Now you get back to actually acting on your data instead of just managing it.