Setting Up a Spreadsheet Dataset

Spreadsheet Datasets let you bring Excel files into Nexadata as structured, repeatable inputs to your Workflows. Because real-world spreadsheets often include title rows, logos, banner images, or notes above the actual data, the configuration is designed to point Nexadata at exactly the region you want to load. This article walks through every numbered field on the Connect Data step of the Create New Dataset flow.

The Create New Dataset screen with the Connect Data step active. Each numbered callout corresponds to a section below.

The Name field is the label you and your team will use to find and reference this Dataset inside Nexadata. Names must be unique across your organization, so choose something descriptive enough to distinguish it from similar Datasets (for example, "Sample Spreadsheet" rather than "Sheet 1"). Workflows that consume this Dataset will display the name everywhere it appears.

The Data Connection dropdown selects the storage location where your spreadsheet file lives. Spreadsheet Datasets work with Nexadata's file-based connections, which include:

Pick the connection that points to the folder containing your file. The connection name and icon you set when creating the connection will appear here, making it easy to verify you have the right source.

Choose Spreadsheet from the Data Format options. This tells Nexadata to use the spreadsheet ingestion path and reveals the Spreadsheet Configuration section below. For details on all four Data Format options and when to use each, see Supported Data Formats in Nexadata.

The Spreadsheet Configuration section is where you tell Nexadata exactly which part of your workbook to read. This is the difference between loading a clean table of records and loading a page of mixed content with banners, blank rows, and footers.

The Sheet Name field identifies which tab in the workbook contains your data. If you already know the sheet name, type it directly. Otherwise, click Load Sheets to have Nexadata open the file and list every available sheet name. A green checkmark and Sheets Loaded indicator confirm the file was read successfully, and the dropdown will populate with each sheet found in the workbook.

The Anchor Cell field defines the top-left corner of your data region, and it is one of the most important settings on this screen. Spreadsheets frequently begin with a few rows of titles, logos, or report metadata before the actual table starts.

For example, if your file has a company logo in row 1, a report title in row 2, and blank rows in rows 3 and 4, your header probably starts at row 5. In that case, set the Anchor Cell to A5. If your data starts cleanly at the top of the sheet, A1 is the right value (as shown in the example above). If the data starts in column B instead of column A, use B1.

The Anchor Cell tells Nexadata where to begin reading. Everything above and to the left is ignored.

The Header Offset field handles the case where there is a gap between the header row and the first data row. The number you enter is the count of rows between the header and the first record.

In most spreadsheets, the header sits directly above the data, so this value is 0. If your spreadsheet has a styled header with a subheader row, unit-of-measure row, or notes between the header and the data, set the Header Offset to the number of rows in that gap.

The Dynamic Range toggle controls how Nexadata determines the size of your data region. When enabled, Nexadata auto-detects the contiguous block of data starting from the Anchor Cell and reads everything in that block. This is the recommended setting for most files, since it adapts to Datasets whose row counts change between runs.

When Dynamic Range is disabled, two additional fields appear: Rows and Columns. Together with the Anchor Cell, these define a fixed-size data region. For example, with an Anchor Cell of A1, Rows set to 10, and Columns set to 5, Nexadata will read exactly the block of 10 rows by 5 columns starting at A1 (covering cells A1 through E10). Use a fixed range when your source file has a predictable shape and you want to ignore any content beyond those boundaries.

Dynamic Range turned off, revealing the Rows and Columns fields that define a fixed data region

The Choose file for your Dataset section displays the file currently associated with this Dataset. The selected file appears under Selected file.

To swap in a different file from the same connection, click Choose different file. The file selector will open against your Data Connection so you can browse the available files. The new file must follow the same structure as the original so the column definitions remain valid.

Once every field is set, click Submit to save the Connect Data step and continue to Step 2: Define Columns, where you confirm column names, data types, and any column-level settings for the Dataset.

Once your Dataset has been saved and added to one or more Workflows, a collapsible Referenced Workflows panel appears at the top of the form when you reopen the Dataset in Edit Dataset mode. Expand it to see every Workflow currently consuming this Dataset, so you understand which downstream processes will be affected before making structural changes such as updating the Anchor Cell, switching the file, or renaming the Dataset.

The Referenced Workflows panel is hidden during initial Dataset creation and for any Dataset that is not yet referenced by a Workflow.

The Referenced Workflows panel as it appears on the Edit Dataset screen