Microsoft Excel

Why is the wrong row being updated/deleted?

Due to limitations with Microsoft's API, rows can only be identified by row number.

If you have a complex workflow that uses multiple Excel actions and references a previous step, it's possible that the row reference now points to a different, unexpected row, because the structure of the worksheet has changed and the row numbers are now different.

Also, if another process or person makes external modifications to the worksheet while a Relay.app run is happening, this may also cause an unexpected row to be updated.

For best results, limit the number of actions that modify a worksheet to one per Relay.app workflow (usually, the Create or update a row action can be used to achieve what you need).

How do I change the detected column type?

How does Relay.app infer column types in Microsoft Excel?

As Microsoft Excel doesn't have native types for columns, Relay.app infers the data type for each column based on a combination of the header names of that column and the values in the row under the header.

Relay.app infers data types for the columns based on the header and values in the first row

The column structure depicted above is inferred as follows in Relay.app:

To force-refresh the inferred column types, click the little 'refresh' icon

Updating inferred column types

To update the inferred column types, add (or change) the header or first data row for a column, and click the 'refresh' icon or 'Refresh data' from the overflow menu of a Step. After the column type has been re-inferred, you can revert these changes.

Generic way to refresh columns/data: click 'Refresh data' in the overflow menu of a Step

Why didn't my "New row added" trigger pick up on a new row?

For Relay.app to detect a row as new, the row has to have previously been empty, then set to some value(s).

If all of the data in a row is completely replaced, Relay.app won't be able to detect that the row is new, even if all of its cells have been updated.

Why can't I find my Excel workbook?

If the Excel workbook you need isn't coming up in search, try a few things:

1. Confirm you're connected to the right Microsoft account: The account listed in the Run as menu should match the account with access to the file.

2. If it's a shared file, try moving or adding the file to My Files; Microsoft's API often omits files that are part of a shared drive.

3. Reauthorize access to your Microsoft account: Go to your Apps page and reconnect the Microsoft Excel app to force Microsoft to refresh permissions.