Microsoft Excel

How to integrate Microsoft Excel with Webflow

Excel and Webflow don't connect natively. You need either automation platforms that handle the connection through visual workflows, or custom API implementations for advanced scenarios. Automation platforms work for most teams because they require zero coding and provide pre-built templates for common workflows like form submission capture and content synchronization.

The most common use cases include capturing Webflow form submissions for lead management—the highest-volume documented workflow across integration platforms—syncing Excel product data to Webflow CMS collections, and pulling Webflow analytics into Excel for custom reporting beyond Webflow's native capabilities. This guide covers three integration approaches: third-party automation platforms, Excel Online embeds for displaying interactive spreadsheets, and custom API implementations using Microsoft Graph API and Webflow's CMS API.

Connect through automation platforms

Automation platforms connect Excel and Webflow through visual workflow builders that require no coding. The most widely adopted platforms include Zapier, Make, n8n, along with IFTTT and viaSocket. Each platform offers different capability levels: Zapier provides extensive pre-built templates for common workflows, while Make offers more granular control with comprehensive Excel actions including Add Row, Update Row, Delete Row, and Create Worksheet.

These platforms work by monitoring trigger events in one app and executing actions in another through visual interfaces that require no coding. Platforms like Zapier, Make, n8n, and viaSocket monitor changes in Excel files stored on OneDrive for Business (local files are not supported) and automatically execute corresponding actions in Webflow—for example, adding a new row to an Excel table can trigger creation of a new Webflow CMS item. Similarly, when someone submits a Webflow form, these platforms can automatically add the submission data as a row to an Excel spreadsheet. The platforms handle authentication, data transformation, and error handling entirely through their visual workflow builders, with field mapping accomplished through drag-and-drop interfaces. Note that Excel integration requires files to be stored in OneDrive or SharePoint rather than as local files.

Critical requirement: Excel files must be stored in OneDrive for Business, SharePoint, or Office 365. Local Excel files don't work with cloud-based integrations.

Setup with Zapier:

1. Create a Zapier account and click Create Zap
2. Select trigger app: Microsoft Excel or Webflow
3. Choose trigger event like New Row or New Form Submission
4. Connect your Microsoft 365 and Webflow accounts
5. Select action app and action event
6. Map fields between Excel columns and Webflow CMS fields
7. Test the workflow with sample data
8. Activate the automation

According to Zapier's Excel-Webflow integration page, the most popular workflow is "Add new Webflow form submissions to Microsoft Excel rows" for lead capture.

Setup with Make:

Make offers workflow capabilities with conditional logic through a visual scenario builder. You drag modules onto a canvas and connect them. Make provides these Excel triggers:

• Watch Table Rows — Monitors Excel tables for new rows added
• Watch Worksheet Rows — Monitors entire worksheets for new rows added
• Watch Workbooks — Monitors for new workbook creation

Make includes these Webflow actions: Create Item, Update Item, Delete Item, Get Item details, Get Collection details, List Collections, Create Asset Folder, Delete Asset Folder, Get Order details, Update Order, Get Product details, Get Page details, Get Form details, Publish Site, and Publish Item.

• Create Item with POST /collections/{collection_id}/items
• Update Item with PATCH /collections/{collectionid}/items/{itemid}
• Delete Item with DELETE /collections/{collectionid}/items/{itemid} for removing CMS content
• Bulk Create Items with POST /collections/{collection_id}/items/bulk for up to 100 items per request
• Publish Items with POST /collections/{collection_id}/items/publish to deploy changes
• Make API Calls for custom scenarios beyond standard modules

Make's visual scenario builder provides drag-and-drop workflow creation with support for conditional logic, data transformation, and multi-step automation. The platform offers more granular control for complex workflows compared to simpler automation tools through its advanced configuration options and scenario builder capabilities.

Common workflows:

• Sync product inventory from Excel to Webflow CMS collections for e-commerce sites using automation platforms like Zapier, Make, or n8n
• Capture form submissions from multiple Webflow landing pages into centralized Excel databases for lead management (the most popular integration template across platforms)
• Update Webflow CMS items automatically when Excel rows change, enabling Excel to serve as a content management interface for non-technical teams
• Log e-commerce orders to Excel spreadsheets for accounting integration and inventory reconciliation

Limitations:

Large dataset synchronization requires careful planning for reliable data transfers between systems.

Embed Excel Online spreadsheets

Microsoft provides embed functionality that displays interactive Excel workbooks directly on Webflow pages. Website visitors can sort, filter, and calculate data without leaving your site. This approach works for displaying data, not synchronizing it.

Implementation:

1. Store your Excel workbook in OneDrive, SharePoint, or OneDrive for Business
2. Open the file in Excel Online
3. Click Share → Embed
4. Customize what displays: entire workbook, specific worksheets, or cell ranges
5. Copy the generated iframe code
6. Add a Code Embed element to your Webflow page
7. Paste the iframe code
8. Publish your site

The embedded workbook allows visitors to interact with your Excel data by sorting, filtering, and calculating values directly on your Webflow page. To update the embedded content, you'll need to refresh or re-embed the workbook from your source file.

Use cases:

• Embed interactive Excel workbooks on Webflow pages using Excel Online iframe embeds for displaying data to website visitors
• Display Excel data through the Excel Online connector for content that requires sorting, filtering, and calculation capabilities
• Use Zapier or Make.com to automatically populate Webflow CMS collections with Excel data for dynamic content display
• Integrate Excel data into Webflow using no-code automation platforms for real-time data synchronization

Limitations:

Excel Online iframe embeds provide interactive spreadsheet functionality on Webflow sites. Visitors can interact with embedded workbooks by sorting, filtering, and performing calculations on the displayed data. This method is primarily for display and analysis purposes rather than for data collection or synchronization between systems.

Build with Excel and Webflow APIs

Custom API integration provides complete control over data flow, transformation logic, and synchronization timing using Microsoft Graph API for Excel operations and Webflow's CMS API for website updates. This approach requires programming knowledge and infrastructure to deploy serverless functions, set up authentication, implement error handling, and monitor execution.

Most Excel-Webflow users don't need programming knowledge. According to official documentation, three primary integration approaches exist: no-code automation platforms (Zapier, Make, n8n) for non-technical users requiring zero coding, specialized tools like Coefficient for data import, and custom API implementations for developers. The no-code platforms use visual workflow builders and pre-built templates, making them accessible to designers and marketers without technical skills.

Custom API integration becomes necessary when automation platforms cannot handle specific technical requirements. Common scenarios include: situations requiring complex data transformation beyond standard field mapping capabilities (such as conditional logic based on multiple data sources), high-volume synchronization needs, integration with systems beyond Excel and Webflow, and compliance requirements that prohibit routing data through third-party services. Additionally, applications needing real-time bidirectional synchronization—rather than periodic polling—benefit from direct API access with webhook-based architectures (automated HTTP callbacks that notify your server when events occur) that provide immediate change detection and response capabilities.

Authentication setup

Both Microsoft Graph and Webflow require authenticated API requests for secure access. Microsoft Graph uses OAuth 2.0 (an industry-standard authorization protocol that allows secure API access) with either delegated access (Authorization Code Flow) or app-only access (Client Credentials Flow), while Webflow supports both Site Tokens (static bearer tokens—security credentials that authorize API requests—for single-site access) and OAuth 2.0 for multi-site access.

Microsoft Graph uses OAuth 2.0:

For user-context scenarios, implement OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code Flow (Delegated Access):

1. Register application in Azure Portal at portal.azure.com with Microsoft Graph API permissions
2. Configure redirect URIs for your application in Azure App registration settings
3. Request authorization with GET to https://login.microsoftonline.com/{tenant}/oauth2/v2.0/authorize with scopes Files.ReadWrite or Files.ReadWrite.All
4. Exchange authorization code for access token with POST to https://login.microsoftonline.com/{tenant}/oauth2/v2.0/token
5. Include access token in Excel API requests: Authorization: Bearer {access-token} header

Required scopes for Excel access (OAuth 2.0 delegated permissions): Files.ReadWrite or Files.ReadWrite.All. For app-only access scenarios, use application permissions Files.Read.All or Files.ReadWrite.All instead.

Critical security requirement: Never expose client secrets in browser code. Implement backend services to handle OAuth token management.

Webflow supports two authentication methods:

Webflow offers both Site Tokens (bearer tokens) for single-site access and OAuth 2.0 for multi-site applications. Site tokens use bearer token authentication format (Authorization: Bearer {site_token}), while OAuth 2.0 supports standard authorization code flow for third-party integrations requiring access to multiple sites.

For single-site access, use a site token from your Webflow account. Include it in requests: Authorization: Bearer {site_token}.

For multi-site access or third-party applications, implement Webflow OAuth 2.0 with appropriate scopes depending on your use case. OAuth provides access across multiple sites with scopes including sites:read (read site data), cms:read (read CMS collections), cms:write (create/update CMS items), and forms:read (read form submissions). For single-site integrations with simpler needs, Webflow also offers site tokens as an alternative authentication method. See Webflow's OAuth documentation and authentication reference for detailed implementation instructions.

Webflow Form Submissions → Excel Spreadsheet

This workflow automatically captures Webflow form submissions in Excel spreadsheets using webhooks, eliminating manual copying from email notifications and building searchable lead databases for immediate sales team follow-up.

Webflow webhook configuration:

Set up webhooks (automated HTTP callbacks that notify your server when events occur) through the Create Webhook endpoint using POST /v2/sites/{site_id}/webhooks. You can configure triggers for form submissions, site publishing, and CMS item changes (created, updated, or deleted). Include a triggerType and url parameter in your request body, and Webflow will sign each webhook request with an x-webflow-signature header for verification.

{
 "triggerType": "form_submission",
 "url": "<https://your-domain.com/api/webhooks>"
}

Webflow sends POST requests to your endpoint when forms are submitted. The webhook payload includes form field data, submission timestamp, and site context. For security, validate requests using the x-webflow-signature header, which is included in all webhook notifications to verify that requests are authentic from Webflow. See the Working with Webhooks documentation for detailed signature validation procedures and webhook implementation guidance.

Excel data writing:

This code writes form submission data to an Excel table by adding a new row with the form values.

Write submission data to Excel tables using POST https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/drive/items/{file-id}/workbook/tables/{table-id}/rows with request body {"values": [["value1", "value2"]]} and proper authorization headers.

const response = await fetch(
 `https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/drive/items/${fileId}/workbook/tables/${tableId}/rows`,
 {
 method: 'POST',
 headers: {
 'Authorization': `Bearer ${graphToken}`,
 'Content-Type': 'application/json'
 },
 body: JSON.stringify({
 values: [[
 formData.name,
 formData.email,
 formData.message,
 new Date().toISOString()
 ]]
 })
 }
);

Webhook endpoint requirements:

Your webhook endpoint must meet specific technical requirements to receive notifications reliably. According to Microsoft's Receive Change Notifications Through Webhooks documentation:

Mandatory Validation:
When creating a subscription, Microsoft Graph sends a validation request to your endpoint. Your endpoint must respond within 10 seconds with HTTP status 200 OK and echo the validationToken parameter as plain text in the response body.

Technical Requirements:

1. HTTPS protocol required - HTTP endpoints are rejected
2. Publicly accessible - Cannot be localhost or private network addresses
3. Valid SSL certificate - Self-signed certificates not supported
4. Fast response time - Acknowledge notifications with 202 Accepted or 200 OK
5. No redirects - Direct endpoint responses only

Notification Security:
Include the clientState secret value in your subscription request and validate it in incoming webhook notifications to prevent spoofed requests. The webhook payload includes the clientState value you specified during subscription creation.

Your endpoint should return immediately with HTTP 202 Accepted to acknowledge receipt of webhook notifications and process them asynchronously. According to webhook delivery documentation, Microsoft retries failed notifications for up to 4 hours with exponential backoff (progressive delays between retry attempts for improved reliability).

This code validates incoming webhooks by checking the signature, immediately acknowledges receipt, then processes the data in the background to maintain reliability.

Implement validation on webhook receipt:

app.post('/api/webhooks', async (req, res) => {
 // Validate webhook signature according to Webflow security requirements
 const signature = req.headers['x-webflow-signature'];
 if (!signature || !validateSignature(signature, req.body)) {
 return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid signature' });
 }

 // Return 202 immediately to acknowledge receipt
 res.status(202).json({ message: 'Accepted' });

 // Process asynchronously in background queue
 try {
 await queueProcessing(req.body);
 } catch (error) {
 console.error('Background processing error:', error);
 // Log for monitoring but don't retry synchronously
 }
});

Error handling:

This code implements automatic retry logic with progressive delays to handle temporary network issues for reliable data writing.

Implement retry logic for reliable data synchronization:

async function writeToExcelWithRetry(data, maxRetries = 3) {
 for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
 try {
 const response = await fetch(endpoint, options);

 // Handle temporary failures with progressive delays
 if (!response.ok && i < maxRetries - 1) {
 const delaySeconds = Math.pow(2, i);
 await sleep(delaySeconds * 1000);
 continue;
 }

 if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${response.status}`);
 return await response.json();
 } catch (error) {
 if (i === maxRetries - 1) throw error;
 }
 }
}

Sync Excel data to Webflow CMS

Update Webflow CMS collections from Excel spreadsheets using third-party automation platforms like Zapier or Make. These integrations enable non-technical teams to manage website content through familiar spreadsheet interfaces, syncing data from Excel directly into Webflow CMS collections without manual entry.

Excel data reading:

This code retrieves all rows from an Excel table for processing and synchronization with Webflow.

Retrieve table data with GET /workbook/tables/{table-id}/rows:

const excelData = await fetch(
 `https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/drive/items/${fileId}/workbook/tables/${tableId}/rows`,
 {
 method: 'GET',
 headers: {
 'Authorization': `Bearer ${graphToken}`,
 'accept': 'application/json'
 }
 }
);

For worksheet ranges instead of tables, use GET /worksheets/{sheet-id}/range.

Session optimization:

Creating a session (a persistent connection that groups multiple API requests together for better performance) improves efficiency for multiple operations. According to Best Practices for Excel API, create persistent sessions to optimize API usage:

const session = await fetch(
 `https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/drive/items/${fileId}/workbook/createSession`,
 {
 method: 'POST',
 headers: {
 'Authorization': `Bearer ${graphToken}`,
 'Content-Type': 'application/json'
 },
 body: JSON.stringify({ persistChanges: true })
 }
);

const sessionData = await session.json();
// Include session ID in subsequent requests

Bulk CMS item creation:

Processing data in batches prevents overwhelming the API. This approach divides your dataset into smaller groups of 100 items and processes each group sequentially. Use POST /collections/{collection_id}/items/bulk for efficient creation:

const cmsItems = rows.value.map(row => ({
 fieldData: {
 name: row.values[0][0],
 slug: row.values[0][1].toLowerCase().replace(/\\s+/g, '-'),
 description: row.values[0][2],
 _archived: false,
 _draft: false
 }
}));

// Process in chunks of 100
for (let i = 0; i < cmsItems.length; i += 100) {
 const chunk = cmsItems.slice(i, i + 100);

 let retries = 0;
 const maxRetries = 3;
 let success = false;

 while (!success && retries < maxRetries) {
 try {
 const response = await fetch(
 `https://api.webflow.com/v2/collections/${collectionId}/items/bulk`,
 {
 method: 'POST',
 headers: {
 'Authorization': `Bearer ${webflowToken}`,
 'Content-Type': 'application/json'
 },
 body: JSON.stringify({ items: chunk })
 }
 );

 // Check for errors and implement progressive delays for reliability
 if (!response.ok) {
 const errorData = await response.json();
 throw new Error(`HTTP ${response.status}: ${errorData.message || response.statusText}`);
 }

 const data = await response.json();
 success = true;
 console.log(`Successfully synced chunk ${i / 100 + 1}`);

 } catch (error) {
 retries++;
 if (retries >= maxRetries) {
 console.error(`Failed to sync chunk after ${maxRetries} attempts:`, error);
 throw error;
 }
 const backoffDelay = Math.pow(2, retries) * 1000;
 console.log(`Error syncing chunk. Retry attempt ${retries} after ${backoffDelay}ms...`);
 await sleep(backoffDelay);
 }
 }

 // Add delay between chunks for processing
 await sleep(1000);
}

According to Webflow's CMS bulk operations announcement, bulk endpoints support up to 100 items per request. This reduces API calls compared to individual item creation, enabling more efficient batch processing of large datasets.

Publishing items:

This code publishes the newly created CMS items to make them live on your website.

After creating items, publish them with POST /collections/{collection_id}/items/publish:

const itemIds = createdItems.map(item => item.id);

await fetch(
 `https://api.webflow.com/v2/collections/${collectionId}/items/publish`,
 {
 method: 'POST',
 headers: {
 'Authorization': `Bearer ${webflowToken}`,
 'Content-Type': 'application/json'
 },
 body: JSON.stringify({ itemIds })
 }
);

Bidirectional synchronization

Bidirectional sync means changes in either Excel or Webflow automatically update the other system, maintaining a single source of truth across both platforms.

Connect Excel and Webflow through automation platforms like Zapier or Make. Changes in either system can be configured to trigger updates in the other, though real-time synchronization requires continuous monitoring and webhook-based architectures.

Change detection for Excel:

Microsoft Graph provides webhooks at the file level through subscription creation. However, a critical architectural limitation exists: webhooks operate at the DriveItem (file) level only, not at granular worksheet, table, or cell levels. When a subscription receives a notification indicating an Excel file was updated, it does not specify what changed inside the workbook—only that the file itself was modified. To detect specific content changes, developers must implement custom change detection logic by querying Excel APIs after receiving file-level notifications and comparing the current data state with previously cached data.

const subscription = await fetch(
 '<https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/subscriptions>',
 {
 method: 'POST',
 headers: {
 'Authorization': `Bearer ${graphToken}`,
 'Content-Type': 'application/json'
 },
 body: JSON.stringify({
 changeType: 'updated',
 notificationUrl: '<https://your-domain.com/api/excel-changes>',
 resource: `/me/drive/items/${fileId}`,
 expirationDateTime: new Date(Date.now() + 3 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000).toISOString(),
 clientState: 'your-secret-value'
 })
 }
);

Critical limitation: According to working with Excel in Microsoft Graph, webhooks notify at the DriveItem level, not specific worksheets or cells. You must query the Excel API after notification to determine what changed.

Subscription validation:

This code validates webhook requests and acknowledges receipt before processing for reliable notification delivery.

Your webhook endpoint must respond to validation requests:

app.post('/api/excel-changes', (req, res) => {
 const validationToken = req.query.validationToken;

 if (validationToken) {
 // Validation request - must respond with plain text token
 return res.status(200)
 .type('text/plain')
 .send(validationToken);
 }

 // Process notification - validate clientState immediately
 const clientState = req.body.value[0].clientState;
 if (clientState !== 'your-secret-value') {
 return res.status(401).send('Invalid client state');
 }

 // Acknowledge receipt immediately
 res.status(202).send('Accepted');

 // Process notification asynchronously in background
 processExcelChange(req.body).catch(console.error);
});

Subscription renewal:

Subscriptions expire after 3 days for DriveItem resources. According to Microsoft's Subscription Resource Type documentation, this maximum duration requires implementing automatic renewal approximately 24 hours before expiration to maintain continuous change notifications.

Change detection for Webflow:

Use Webflow webhooks to detect CMS changes by subscribing to trigger types including collection_item_created, collection_item_changed, and collection_item_deleted:

{
 "triggerType": "collection_item_changed",
 "url": "<https://your-domain.com/api/webflow-changes>"
}

Available Webflow webhook trigger types include collection_item_created, collection_item_changed, collection_item_deleted, form_submission, and site_publish.

Sync conflict resolution:

When the same data exists in both systems, you need logic to determine which version should win when both have been modified. This code uses timestamps to implement a "last-write-wins" strategy—the most recently updated version takes precedence.

Implement last-write-wins strategy with timestamps:

function shouldUpdate(localTimestamp, remoteTimestamp) {
 return new Date(remoteTimestamp) > new Date(localTimestamp);
}

async function syncItem(excelRow, webflowItem) {
 const excelModified = new Date(excelRow.lastModified);
 const webflowModified = new Date(webflowItem.lastUpdated);

 if (excelModified > webflowModified) {
 // Update Webflow from Excel
 await updateWebflowItem(
 collection_id,
 webflowItem.id,
 excelRow
 );
 } else if (webflowModified > excelModified) {
 // Update Excel from Webflow
 await updateExcelRow(excelRow.id, webflowItem);
 }
}

Monitor and maintain integrations

Track integration health and respond to failures quickly.

Error logging:

Log failures with context for debugging:

try {
 await syncData();
} catch (error) {
 console.error('Sync failed:', {
 timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
 source: error.source, // 'excel' or 'webflow'
 statusCode: error.statusCode,
 message: error.message,
 data: error.data
 });

 // Alert on critical failures
 if (error.statusCode >= 500) {
 await sendAlert(error);
 }
}

Health checks:

This code periodically tests connectivity to both Excel and Webflow to detect issues before they impact your workflow.

Implement periodic validation:

async function healthCheck() {
 // Test Excel connectivity
 try {
 // Create session first for better performance
 const sessionResponse = await fetch(
 `https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/drive/items/${fileId}/workbook/createSession`,
 {
 method: 'POST',
 headers: {
 'Authorization': `Bearer ${graphToken}`,
 'Content-Type': 'application/json'
 },
 body: JSON.stringify({ persistChanges: false })
 }
 );

 if (!sessionResponse.ok) {
 throw new Error(`Excel session creation failed: ${sessionResponse.status}`);
 }

 // Test basic Excel access
 await fetch(
 `https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/drive/items/${fileId}/workbook/worksheets`,
 { headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${graphToken}` } }
 );
 } catch (error) {
 console.error('Excel connectivity failed:', error);
 }

 // Test Webflow connectivity
 try {
 await fetch(
 `https://api.webflow.com/v2/sites/${siteId}`,
 { headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${webflowToken}` } }
 );
 } catch (error) {
 console.error('Webflow connectivity failed:', error);
 }
}

// Helper function for delays
async function sleep(ms) {
 return new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
}

What you can build

Integrating Microsoft Excel with Webflow through third-party platforms like Zapier and Make enables automated data workflows including capturing form submissions into spreadsheets, synchronizing CMS content, and tracking e-commerce orders—without requiring direct coding or custom development.

Lead capture database: Using third-party automation platforms like Zapier or Make, Webflow forms can be connected to Excel tracking sheets stored on OneDrive or SharePoint. When forms are submitted, the data automatically flows into Excel rows, enabling marketing teams to build centralized lead databases with instant visibility into form submissions across multiple pages. Once captured in Excel, teams can use Excel formulas to calculate lead scores, VLOOKUP functions to enrich data with additional context, and PivotTables to analyze conversion rates by traffic source.

Product catalog management: Maintain e-commerce product catalogs by integrating Excel spreadsheets with Webflow CMS collections. According to documented integration patterns from Zapier and Make.com, product data stored in Excel can be automatically synchronized to Webflow, enabling product managers to use familiar spreadsheet operations for bulk updates and then sync changes to the website. This represents an application of the same bi-directional data synchronization capabilities that power established use cases like order tracking and content management, though specific implementations vary based on the complexity of product attributes and required field mappings.

Content audit dashboard: Pull Webflow CMS collections into Excel for analysis using the Coefficient Excel add-in. Content teams analyze page metadata, identify missing SEO descriptions, track content freshness, and spot gaps in coverage using familiar Excel tools. PivotTables summarize content by category and author. Conditional formatting highlights pages requiring updates.

Client portal with live data: Create password-protected Webflow pages that embed Excel Online workbooks showing project status, budget tracking, or performance metrics. Clients view interactive data stored in OneDrive or SharePoint that can be sorted and filtered directly within the embedded spreadsheet, enabling data exploration without requesting custom reports. Note: This method displays read-only Excel data through embeds; automated data synchronization requires integration platforms like Zapier or Make.