Convert XML Files to Excel – 5 Methods to Import

To Import XML data to Excel you can use any of these listed methods.

  1. VBA to import XML to Excel
    1. Quick VBA to Convert XML into Excel
    2. VBA to read each nodes in XML
    3. VBA to Import XML from any website
  2. Directly Open XML in Excel.
  3. Data Import to Convert XML to XLSX

Lets review one by one & get free Excel macro code also to do this.

 

1. VBA Read XML file into Excel

1.1 Quick VBA To Convert XML to Excel

This methods import and open XML file in Excel from local path, but it is slightly different from the previous methods.

This does a plain import in quick way.

Public Sub Convert_XML_To_Excel_From_Local_Path()
    Dim xml_File_Path As String
    Dim wb As Workbook
    
    'Load XML Data into a New Workbook - Code from Officetricks.com
    Application.DisplayAlerts = False
     xml_File_Path = ThisWorkbook.Sheets(1).Cells(2, 1)
     Set wb = Workbooks.OpenXML(Filename:=xml_File_Path)

    'Copy Content from New workbook to current active Worksheet
     wb.Sheets(1).UsedRange.Copy ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet2").Range("A1")
     
     'Close New Workbook & Enable Alerts
     wb.Close False
     Application.DisplayAlerts = True
End Sub

1.2 Advanced method to Read each node in XML file using VBA

This VBA code will import XML to Excel by reading each element or node in it, using object model.

If it is not just an plain import & you want to process each XML node in code, then this is the most preferred method.

Public Sub Convert_XML_To_Excel_Through_VBA()
    'Code from Officetricks.com
    'Add referece from Menu: "Tools -> References -> Microsoft XML Vn.0"
    Dim iRow As Integer, iCol As Integer
    Dim xmlDoc As MSXML2.DOMDocument, xmlRoot As MSXML2.IXMLDOMNode
    Dim xmlNodes As MSXML2.IXMLDOMNode, xmlData As MSXML2.IXMLDOMNode
    Set xmlDoc = New MSXML2.DOMDocument
    
    'Load & Wait till complete XML Data is loaded
    xmlDoc.async = False
    xmlDoc.validateOnParse = False
    xmlDoc.Load ("D:\sitemap.xml")
    
    'XML Loaded. Now Read Elements One by One into XML DOM Objects
    Set xmlRoot = xmlDoc.DocumentElement
    Set xmlNodes = xmlRoot.FirstChild
    
    'Read XML Data and Load into Excel Sheet by each Node and Chile Node
    iRow = 0
    For Each xmlNodes In xmlRoot.ChildNodes
        iRow = iRow + 1
        iCol = 0
        
        For Each xmlData In xmlNodes.ChildNodes
            iCol = iCol + 1
            ThisWorkbook.Sheets(2).Cells(1, iCol) = xmlData.BaseName
            ThisWorkbook.Sheets(2).Cells(iRow, iCol) = xmlData.Text
        Next xmlData
    Next xmlNodes
End Sub

Before executing the code above, just change the path of the input file in the line, xmlDoc.Load.

By this method, you will be able to import multiple XML  files into Excel.

1.3 Import XML into Excel using VBA from Website

The above method is used to load data from a local file. Use the below method if you have to import XML data to Excel from a website URL directly.

Public Sub Import_XML_From_URL()
    'Clear & Setup Output Sheet - Code from Officetricks.com
    ThisWorkbook.Sheets(2).Activate
    ThisWorkbook.Sheets(2).Cells.Select
    Selection.ClearContents
    
    'Switch Off Alert Messages while Importing.
    Application.DisplayAlerts = False
    
    'VBA Command To Import XML File from Website to Excel
    ThisWorkbook.XmlImport URL:="XML_File_Download_URL", ImportMap:= _
        Nothing, Overwrite:=True, Destination:=ThisWorkbook.Sheets(2).Range("$A$1")
    
    Application.DisplayAlerts = True
End Sub

All the methods discussed above can be used to automate the process of converting XML to Excel file from a local computer or from a Website URL.

2. How to Convert XML to Excel?

To convert XML file to Excel using menu options, follow these simple steps.

  1. Open a Excel workbook (xls or xlsx).
  2. Click ‘File’ menu & choose ‘Open’ (shortcut – ‘Alt+F+O’).
  3. Browse folder path & choose XML file.
  4. Click ‘Open’ or press ‘Enter’.
  5. Choose ‘As an XML table’ in popup menu & click ‘OK’.
  6. Click ‘OK’ when Excel notify that a schema will be created based on XML source data.

Now, the system will import XML to Excel in active worksheet.

But, wait. We do have more easy methods & even few VBA codes do perform this task.

3. Data Import XML to Excel – Menu Option

To view XML in proper readable format, you can open XML files in Excel using the “Data Import” feature as explained below.

  1. Click ‘Data’ menu & choose ‘From Other Sources’ (shortcut – ‘Alt+A+F+O’)
  2. Select “From XML Data Import”.
  3. Choose XML path and file in ‘Select Data Source’ window.
  4. Excel will notify about schema creation by itself. Click OK.
  5. Choose target cell address to import XML data.
  6. Click ‘OK’.

Usually in manual options, Excel itself will guide you to further steps to import XML to Excel. These option are built in options of Microsoft XML converter.

It is also possible to import data in XML to Excel through macro Code. We have explained 3 different methods in this article to this through VBA.

View XML Maps – Data mapping using Excel

Excel will create a schema by itself once your import XML into Excel. To view the XML maps added to the Excel workbook, follow these steps.

  1. Right click on imported XML table.
  2. Select ‘XML’ in the popup menu & choose “XML Source”.
  3. Sidebar on right hand side will appear with source details.
  4. Edit Map field details in this sidebar.
  5. Click on  ‘XML Maps’ to view list of maps linked.
  6. Rename, Add, Delete, Assign map schema details in this window.

The same option is also available in Developer Tab “Document Panel” from the Excel Menu. Use this option to assign a new schema or map to the imported XML file.

Note: Similar to editing importing XML, you can create a XML file from Excel directly, by saving it in XML format, right from the ‘File’ menu ‘Save As’ Option.

Import Sitemap to Excel

Bloggers, Web Admin, SEO & Marketing people scan through sitemaps from lot of websites to improve the performance of their pages in search engine result pages. They can use the techniques in this page to import Sitemap from a Website and process all the links within that Domain.

We have completed few quick steps about Extensible Markup Language or XML to Excel converter. This file format is used to exchange data between computer applications across Internet, LAN or  apps within same Computer.

This file can be opened in any Internet browsers (Firefox, Chrome, IE, Opera etc.,) or a Text editor directly to view it’s content since it is not a encoded format. But, to view it in a readable format, this article will help more.

Other Reference: Microsoft Answers on Importing XML data

By this, you can create your own Excel XML viewer. We have summarized 2 manual methods & 3 different methods using VBA. Be it on-demand process or automation, this complete guide about converting a XML file to Excel will be a handy quick reference.

6 thoughts on “VBA Macro Import – Read XML File into Excel – 5 Easy Tips”

  1. So I get an xml file that comes through as an .xls file. After I open it I can resave it as xlsx. However, it is frequently too many rows to open under xls. Is there any way I can convert this to xlsx.

      1. The first macro seems to assume I can open the file which I can’t due to the number of rows. The second one I think I am missing XML Vn.0 as it is throwing an error on MSXML2.DOMDocument. Thanks for the help.

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